Deciding to Work from Home? Check out These Important Tips for Working from Home Comfortably without Any Loss of Productivity in 2020

Many studies have suggested that working remotely comes with its own benefits, both for the company and the employee. And not only from the monetary perspective, but also from the environmental point of view, as working from home saves fuel, electricity, paper and reduces pollution, thus decreasing carbon emission. Many companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, etc. are already promoting a work from home culture and providing special leverages to many of their employees who work remotely. The various benefits of working from home include –

But working from home comes with its own share of cons like any other convenience. The major challenges while working from home are –

After knowing about the advantages and challenges, you may have a fair idea about what it is like to work from home if you already don’t have. However, most of the positives and negatives may vary from person to person and would also depend upon the industry in which you are working. Now coming to the working from home tips, there are certain points which can be considered to have a positive and meaningful workday while you are working from home and we have tried to collate these points in this article.

If you have a separate room which you can use as a home office room, then make it your small workplace. But if you have restricted space, then look for a corner in your bedroom (not a living room) where you can keep a small table and a chair. This corner will be your dedicated place for working from home. Ensure that the room is quiet, well lit, has adequate ventilation and access to broadband. You can decorate the table with small tabletop decorative pieces and have some motivational quotes on the front wall. Keep all the important gadgets and papers handy or near the table. Keep a bottle of water and glass nearby, and if required, use earplugs to avoid any unwanted noise. Once you’ll start working at this place for a couple of days, the necessary commitment and discipline required for working from home would automatically inculcate in your behaviour.

People tend to act a bit lazy and procrastinate while working from home as the comfort zone is liked by us and our mind makes us believe to take things easy. We start assuring ourselves that we have a lot of time in hand and we can do it later. The best way to avoid such a situation is to start working early in the morning. Early in the morning, our energies and thought processes are positive and vibrant; resulting in a better output. If you have a habit of sleeping late in the night, then this is the time to ditch the practice and start going to bid early. Getting up early in the morning would not only help you to have a better grip over your work but has its own health benefits as well. You’ll not only feel more energetic but would also be able to have breakfast at the right time, which again is an important factor related to your health.

We are so obsessed with our smartphones that some of us can’t live without it even for a few minutes. When you are working from home, you need to break the urge of mobile intoxication. If possible, keep the phone at some distance so you don’t keep on checking your messages and personal mails every now and then. Keep the social media stuff for after work hours and check the phone during the breaks after every 1.5 to 2 hours. The mind starts working at an optimal level when you are engrossed in your work for the initial 35 – 40 minutes and that’s when you start being productive and creative.

An internet connection with a decent speed is definitely a prerequisite while working from home. If you are planning to be dependent on a data card, then this isn’t a good idea. Slow internet speeds can result in loss of time and can be a barrier in effective communication because while working from home you may be using Skype, Google Duo, etc. This can also result in an embarrassing situation in front of your colleagues or even worst, your seniors. So, use a good broadband plan which provides uninterrupted connectivity and effective service in case of minor breakdowns. You can use the same plan to watch movies on Netflix in the evening, thus getting value for money on the amount spent.

Working while wearing shorts may give you comfort, but it can kill your productivity as the clothes you wear impact your mindset. If you are wearing casuals while working from home, then chances are that the casual approach may reflect in your work too. To prepare yourself psychologically for working from home, dress up and get ready as if you have to go to the office for work. Formal wear will not let you sit too comfortably; hence you will be more alert and active. Though, it sounds like a less significant point; but you would feel the difference once you start working in formals even while working from home.

Multitasking is a part of your routine office job! But, things are quite different when you work from home – the environment is different, and you don’t have direct access to the support and information from other departments. Thus, knowing which tasks to do in the first half and which assignment can be finished in the latter one makes things easier and allows you to complete your daily targets. For e.g. you may choose to touch the more critical and tough things early in the morning when your mind is fresh and fully active and other follow-up activities like emails, calls or video conference meetings can be scheduled for later in the day. It’s always better to plan your day well in advance preferably a day before, and then start working accordingly, to finish off all the planned tasks.

In normal scenarios, the after-breakfast time is the most productive time. But it may differ from person to person and especially when you are working from home, there are other factors which can impact the high productivity periods. Once you work from home for a couple of days your mind gets adjusted to the environment and then you can identify the periods when your mental readiness and alertness is at its peak. You can note down the patterns and then plan your to-do list as per these timings, keeping the most critical tasks for high productivity periods and the other ‘as usual’ work for the low alertness periods. This will help you in optimal utilisation of your capability and thus the everyday targets can be easily achieved.

Loud music can be disturbing, but if you play your favourite music at low decibels a few feet away from your workstation, then it can help you concentrate and focus on your work. And not only music, even if you leave the TV set turned on at a low volume and start working, you may notice that it helps you to have a better focus on your work. The music or TV playing at low decibels keeps your mind away from other external distractions and even from the random thoughts playing inside your brain. If you feel uneasy at first, then you can lower the volume further and then try to start focusing on your work as you are not used to of working in such an environment. You can try this everyday for 1-2 hours and if the results are encouraging, then the duration can be increased.

Why not utilise the time on weekends for going out, eating at your favourite restaurant or binge watching your favourite movies instead of washing that pile of clothes which is giving you a headache and eyesores for days or cleaning the spider webs in the corners. Why wait for the weekend when you can take out a few minutes from your everyday routine and utilise the breaks which you can take in between your ‘work from home’ schedule? One at a time, you can keep on doing the small things which you were leaving for the weekend. This way, you will get a break while working continuously for long hours and your body gets some much required stretching when you finish the small chores like arranging your room or fixing a broken light and maybe take some unwanted stuff out of your home.

The key to good health lies in exercising regularly and having a balanced diet. This becomes all the more relevant while you work from home as the little walk you used to take during your office commute or inside the office premises is now eliminated completely. So, while you get up early, devote 30 – 45 minutes for yoga, gym, cardio or any other form of exercise to keep yourself physically active and fit. Similarly, you need to be vigilant about the stuff you are eating. Try to avoid or reduce fried and oily food, spicy food and also decrease the sugar and salt intake. Invest in an air fryer and have some baked and healthy snacks instead. Have a light lunch, as heavy food takes more time to digest and makes you feel lethargic and sleepy.