#3 I am Slaying through this WFH! Know How?
Is Working From Home tough? Indeed it is! So read on some quick hacks through which we have made WFH easier!
The most significant benefit of working from home is that you can be flexible with your timelines, pursue side ventures or hobbies, and take time for your family & friends (of course, over a video call). And the downside is the working hours are no more defined and often extend to consume your whole day and drain you out of your energy. And all you crave post that is for a good sleep…
Following are the eight quick tips that worked well for me:
1: Set up your workplace
Keep a designated workplace separate from your lounge area as it provides you with a feel of the change of place. Additionally, once you are off from that area, you switch your thoughts away from work.
(P.S.: I have changed my workplace twice in the past six months and always give it a new feel!)
2: Curate a Work playlist for self
For me, Music is therapeutic! It keeps my mood pumped up and enhances my concentration on the work at hand. The work zone remains happy with tunes playing around you and gives you positive vibes. I use Spotify to curate my work playlist and short podcasts list I prefer listening to.
3: Draw a brief to-do list so that you don’t miss out
An under-rated but one of the most crucial things to boost your productivity is drawing a day’s To-Do List. I have heard that most people don’t create them as such, or if they create, it’s mostly on sticky Notes (app on laptops or smartphones).
But I write down my to-do list to prioritize work to ensure that I don’t miss out on important/ urgent stuff and keep track of work delegated to teammates. Important to note that sometimes, you may not be able to tick the complete bucket list on the same day, and it’s okay! Just make sure that the activities get done by the next day.
(The satisfaction you draw from ticking those points feels like an accomplishment. Do give this a try!)
4: Interact Informally with your teammates
A casual chit-chat on Mondays can be fun! It shows that you are being cared for. Simply asking how was your evening? or how was your weekend help you bond informally with the teammate and helps both of you to know each other better.
5: Fix your Morning Schedule
Why Morning Schedule? Because if you are one of those who don’t know what time you log off from work, then fixing a morning schedule is the best thing to do because you have a set time to log into the office work.
Spend that time doing things you like to do, which gives you a head start for the day ahead! For me, it is working out and reading!
(If you are a night person, then you can figure out and fix a timeslot where you can dedicatedly do such things)
6: Extend Working Hours, only if required
Since we are working from home and there is no bell ringing in our heads regarding traveling back home, we often work lazily through the day and end up extending our work hours for no reason. There is no harm in extending the work hours if the work is important and requires your attention but doesn’t make the same into a habit or a ritual.
7: Switch Off from Social Media
While sitting through meetings or feeling bored, the only thing we do while sitting through meetings or feeling bored is picking up our phones and scroll through social media. After a point in time, you don’t realize the amount of time spent there. It’s a good distraction from work, but limiting the time available has helped me focus on other areas I want to develop. (such as writing blogs :P)
Once in a while, do consider taking a break from social media and exploring new activities. It will rejuvenate you with new ideas and good vibes!
8: Socialize within your Personal Circle
Last but not least! After a hectic workday, you don’t feel like looking at your mobile screens anymore, and you are too tired to text your friends. I agree, but you can always give them a call. Two benefits: one, you get their undivided attention, and second, the conversation happens quickly, which cheers up your mood within seconds.
(I know Whatsapp looks easy to handle where you text multiple people at the same time, but I would say try calling up your personal circle; you will see a change of effort! Why I am saying this- because, for the whole day, we keep calling or pinging teammates over official mediums to communicate.)
Let us know your thoughts on Work from Home…