While some consider work from home as an ultimate career goal, others would rather get that early trip to work, grab a cup of morning coffee in their offices, and share the day among friends and colleagues. But although it has been some time since remote work is the new norm - some find it harder to adapt than others. Here are a few tips on how to make the best out of this experience (and not go crazy).
Get dressed as if you are going to an actual office
It might be tempting to move from the bed to your home office desk in your pyjamas, but truth is – you will never get a true feeling of work if you do not set clear boundaries between personal and working time. This applies to clothing too! A few weeks of t-shirts and pyjama pants – and dressing up would soon feel like something you do on a holiday.
Getting ready for work, even if work is a few steps away, is likely to help you keep up with the routine, help you focus, and divide personal time and space from work and responsibilities. Wearing clothes you would normally wear at work is also going to reduce the chances that very soon, every day would feel the same, and you will loose the sense of when the week begins and when it ends. This matters, because repeating routine could quickly lead you to depression, and this is the last thing you need in this situation. Plus, you never know when someone might ask you to turn on the camera, right?
Give yourself scheduled breaks, just like you did in the office
If you normally get a break at 13:00, do the same at home. If official office breaks never suited you anyway – move it to whenever suits you. add some changes to your routine, and get some benefits out of the experience. But most important thing is – make sure the breaks are as long as they would be in your office environment.
This ensures you do not get distracted. It also stops you from postponing your responsibilities for later, and helps you ensure your work from home does not extend into your normal life and you do not spend the next few weeks sitting at your desk continuously. Starting work at the same time, getting the same amount of rest, and ensuring breaks, helps you finish your responsibilities and tasks on time and continue with your personal life.
Turn your phone off, if possible
Whenever possible, keep your phone on silent or turn it off completely. It is easier to get distracted especially now when we are dependent on our phones more than ever, and when our dearest ones are far away and cannot see us.
Of course, your job now probably requires you to have your phone next to you too, or maybe maybe you cannot disconnect completely during working time for other reasons. But removing your phone as a distraction at least at times when work needs 100% of your attention will pay off very quickly. You will finish those tasks faster, better and with less distraction so you can have your well deserved rest sooner.
Try a social media blocking tool
This one is an extension of the above. We know that many jobs today require you to use your phone. Plus, working online makes you even more dependent on your phone and its features. But social media is what distracts you the most. Get off Facebook and Instagram, turn off notifications while you work, or use one of the social media blocking tools from this list to stay focused and productive.
Keep your work from home desk clean and remove clutter
Some claim they work bess in the so-called "creative mess". But truth is – most of us perform best when in clean environments and neat workspaces with no distractions. Whether or not this is your office desk, or a home office desk, does not matter. Clean your desk every evening after you are done with work, and prepare it every morning before you start with your working day.
Add some decorations, fresh plants, flowers, natural light or a bulb, or turn it into an artsy desk if you can – anything to make you more likely to want to spend time there, and enjoy it. Statistics say, clean and minimal desks improve productivity. Here are 5 desk setups to boost productivity and improve your working environment. Or here is a Pinterest board with a huge collection of home desk decor inspiration for a more productive environment.
Treat yourself with a good cup of coffee, or a healthier alternative!
Used to get a coffee cup every morning before starting your tasks back in the office? Make one at home too. Or maybe you can use this time to make a healthier, fresher drink like a juice, or fruit infused water that might not only give you an energy boost better than coffee, but keep you fresh during the day. Here are a few recipes of healthy alternatives to morning coffee, or infused water. Coffee or not, remember – at least don't have to pay for every cup this time! ☕
Ensure plenty of sunlight
Working from home gives you the freedom to decide how your desk looks like and where it stands. While your office desk location may be pre-defined, working from home usually means you can decide where exactly and how you place your desk, and how much light and window access it has. Sunlight keeps your mood and energy levels up and will help you stay fresh, healthy and full of energy during the day. Working in low sunlight levels is bad for your mood, but will also affect your eye vision. Expect getting tired much faster if your desk location does not get enough sun.
Placing your desk by the window does not mean that it should necessarily face the window – most of the time, the sunlight is brighter than your desktop screen, making it harder to read and causing more strain on your eyes. Place your desk close to a window, ensuring a decent amount of natural sunlight that will help you stay focused and reduce eye strain, but also ensuring it does not burn you directly. While direct sunlight will not have any harm, direct rays on your face and skin will likely become a distraction during the day, cause discomfort and affect your ability to focus. That Here are some tips on how to position your desk to increase productivity.
Ensure you sleep enough
Creating your own timetable may be tempting now that you get to decide if you work 8 to 5. But trust us, sooner than later you will find our that moving and playing around with your timetable only increases your workload, makes your working day longer and eventually affects your sleep.
Point is, no matter when you wake up and go to sleep, and whether or not you need to be up by your desk by 8 AM sharp – your body needs to follow its natural sleep cycles. There is a reason why we sleep when the sun goes down, and wake up when it goes up, and playing with this would eventually lead to lack of focus, exhaustion and less concentration. You still need as much as sleep as you needed before!
Stretch, exercise, walk
We know – finding time and space to work out now might be out of question for many of us. But we are spending more time at our computers now than ever. If sitting by your desk for the whole day is not going to give you long-term health problems, then it is for sure going to result in back pain, tension and stress.
Discomfort caused by spending a lot of time on your chair is also going to affect your ability to concentrate. Spend those breaks in between work stretching – good thing is, you can now do stretching exercises you might have been too embarrassed to do at the office! Have some energy for a full workout? Join a free YouTube channel with an easy to follow fitness workout.
Whatever is your fitness and flexibility level is – there is always some sort of exercise that fits your abilities. Even when you are too tired for a full body workout, or even a desk stretch in between your working time – a few eye exercises to improve your vision are going to help a lot.
Share This Post
