With the threat of COVID-19 looming large over all of us, the importance of social distancing — right away! — is of top priority. While some of us have no option but to endure and accept the risk of travel, a lot of us have the fortune to Work From Home.
Work From Home is good, comfortable and helps you avoid the commute. There’s also the luxury of having fresh, hot meals at home. Work From Home also has it’s downsides, though. Lethargy, multiple distractions, prolonged lunch breaks, and more!
I started my venture at home, shortly after my Masters. With multiple tasks at hand, product development underway and costs kept to a minimum, work-from home was the best option.
The past week has been pretty reminiscent of this early stage of my startup, and here are 5 tips that helped me stay productive during this phase.
1. Have a designated work space — Your bedroom is not the place you should sit and work at, because your body associates it with your ‘chill space’. You can clean your dining table and re-purpose it as an office desk. The couch in your living room also makes for a good work space.
2. Plan your day — Planning your day, goes a long way! Based on the number of hours you work at the office, make specific time slots during which you will work.
It’s equally important to pencil in designated break timings. For every 2 hours of work, take a 15 minute break. Catch up on the news real quick, interact with a family member, and get back to work when the break is over! Steer clear of social media and TV.
Stick to the schedule, and watch your productivity grow!
3. Prioritize your tasks — Work can get particularly complex when you’re handling multiple projects, filling in for co-workers, or when you have multiple deadlines. The best way to tackle this is to first make a list of all tasks for the day. Follow this by numbering them in order of importance or urgency. Next, tackle the tasks in this order.
You can also number your to-do-list as per the time taken to complete each task. Complete the most time-efficient tasks first, and then move to the time-consuming ones.
4. Change out of your pyjamas! — Now this is an important one. Working in your sleep wear, or lounge wear, can make you lethargic and unproductive, because your body associates this clothing to rest and winding-down. Slipping into your most basic jeans and t-shirt can do the trick! No need to spend time on formal wear, and definitely no need to ruin well-ironed outfits.
5. Have designated timings for social media & streaming services — All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy — we’ve all heard this quote through the years. Now’s the time to put it into effect! Schedule your Netflix/Prime Video/Hotstar time during meal times or — the most efficient — post-work! Chalk in designated timings to check social media, and turn off notifications for personal accounts. One thing that’s helped me in particular, is putting timers on apps like Instagram and YouTube through Digital Wellbeing on Android.
If you fully commit to these tips, I’m sure you will ace Work From Home! Feel free to comment with your tips and tricks.
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Lastly, cover your mouth when you sneeze, sanitize your hands, and avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth. Stay safe, everyone!
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