Today I am going to give you 10 tips and hacks to be more productive while working from home.
COVID 19 has turned our world upside down, with the lockdowns and work from home in most parts of the world. I am at home and I hope all of you are at home and keeping safe. Social -distancing and self-isolation are extremely important in a time like this. Let us help our government by following instructions and sticking to the rules as told to us, for our safety and the safety of our loved ones and the entire community, the country and the world. So please stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. Wash your hands for at-least 20 seconds by the hour. Please DO NOT self-medicate and stay safe.
Working from home was an alien concept just a few days ago. We need to literally re-wire our brains and get used to a new way of working, a new way of living. It needs a lot of discipline, and If implemented right, it can leave you with loads of fun -time in hand.
People can either get excited or get nervous with a flexi work from home routine. Once you get into the flow, I think it can be a life changing learning experience. I have 10 tips and hacks to help you be more productive while working from home.
1.Stick to the time you are used to waking up on a work day. An hour off does not matter though. Take a shower and wear your office clothes, to get into the feel of it. Start your work at a fixed time each day.
2. Find your favorite spot at home where you are less likely to be disturbed. Set a table with your laptop and some stationary. Your spouse and family can block their favorite spots as well. If all of you have to work in the same area, it is a good time to teach your children some discipline and respect. It may not be easy. But talk to them and co-create rules and boundaries and pre-set the consequences of not sticking to it. The idea is to have fun with this process. And as you get your work done, it is a good learning and bonding experience for your children.
3. Plan your work for the day by scheduling specific time for meeting, replying emails and even set aside some ‘thinking or ME time’. Make sure to set your meetings via video calls to make it more effective. You can also help your children plan and assign study time coinciding with your work time. Add some fun breaks in-between where you can play a game of catch or a card game or work on a puzzle together. Maybe cook a meal together in the break time and have a family lunch.
4. Having a healthy eating habit is important. We tend to snack here and there as it is freely available at home. With little access to exercise and even simple activity like walking being restricted, you and your family can sit and make a food chart and list all the meals for the day, making sure it is balanced. Ofcourse Keep allowance for a few cheat meals to bring in the fun element.
5. Try out some fun partner workout sessions, spot jogging, add some stretches, yoga and meditation. This helps you keep fit and also calm your mind. It has been researched that a relaxed mind is needed for creative -thinking and problem solving. It makes you more productive in this work from home session.
6. Now being indoor 24/7 is not something we are used to. There is so much time in hand even after the work is done. Try reorganizing your furniture… ‘Fight Alert’ if your partner is involved! Maybe reorganizing and downsizing your wardrobe then. ………..Ironing is a good Zen exercise.
7. Go for online courses to enrich yourself on a topic of interest or just have fun. It could be anything, right from an art or cooking class to a serious economic course. Time to revisit the hobby you never had the time for…
8. Reading is a long-forgotten habit for many. Try reading some books of interest. Start small and simple. You can download many books from online websites these days!
9. Now that you have free time, try some brain games like Sudoku, or online ones like Luminosity, Brain Fitness. There are also some group online games that you can play with your friends like Catan, Monopoly. They make you more alert, and boost your cognitive ability.
10. last but not the lease..Take time to have a nice leisurely cup of tea, looking outside. When was the last time you did that? This is a good time to reflect on your future and take out your paper and pen and make your vision board.
So this was 10 tips and hacks to be more productive while working from home. By open, be curious to new ways of learning and living.