The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all the companies to let their employees work from home. But, during this testing time of worldwide lockdown, working from home can turn out to be a lonely option. And, it can also cause a dent in the productivity of those people who aren’t quite accustomed to working from home or don’t have an organized working arrangement at home. Well, after all, you will feel too much comfortable at your home, which is not quite effective, in terms of maintaining productivity. You might get involved in household chores or might want to complete that web series or movie that you have wanted to watch for so long. May be your cute little pet wants your attention or all you want is just to cuddle with it. Or, your partner is constantly yelling at you, disrupting your concentration. Or, you feel so relaxed at your home that you start neglecting the time, which you couldn’t have done while working at the office. And, on top of all these, cabin fever may be sneaking up on your mind.
Tips to Increase Productivity during Work from Home
You might face some challenges while working from home if you are not used to it. In order to maintain productivity, you must make a schedule and work according to it. Always try to avoid taking mid-work naps or lingering over the meals, and get started with your day just as if you are getting ready to reach your workplace, which in this case is the next room. It might cross your mind that listening to the latest hip hop tracks can boost the productivity, or, on the contrary, loud noises might turn out to be the worst possible way of coping up with this new endeavor. Well, every mind is different, some minds can work anywhere, and on the other hand, some cannot work, until and unless everything is organized. Irrespective of what kind of person you are, here are some tips that will help you get in tune to this news situation during this difficult time:
A Designated Workspace
Always stick to a single place of your home and make it your personal working space so that your work doesn’t interfere with the lives of your family members as well as you can concentrate on your work with full attention. However, if you don’t have a separate room for yourself, make use of the area where the least people appear or choose the corner of a room, away from the main area.
Create a Soothing Ambiance
Try to use your headphones or earphones to cancel out all the unnecessary noise from outside or household members. Well, according to the studies, a gentle fusion of soft music and calming natural sounds, like that of raindrops, waterfalls, or ocean waves, can help in the activation of the calming part of the human brain, helping the mind in increasing concentration and also lowering the blood pressure and heartbeat.
Create Some Boundaries
Always make regular use of that designated place, in order to stop your mind from wandering and focus more on work. Try to institute some ‘water-tight’ psychological boundaries, so that you do not get tempted by the things around you, such as that delicious butterscotch cake in the refrigerator, or some unattended household work, like doing laundry, washing dishes, or organizing the bookshelf, which may downgrade your productivity. Always, try to do these things, before or after the working hours as you would normally do.
Stick To The Schedule
Also, set ‘water-tight’ physical boundaries around the labeled space for work. Make sure the members of your family do not interrupt your work unless there is an emergency. Stick to the schedule that you have made and keep the designated workspace very close. Always maintain the log-in and log-out time of the office, while working from your home as well.
Recharge Your Mind
Just like a carpenter keeps his tools away after constructing something or a baker keeps his ingredients away after making a cake, put your work tools away after completing the day’s work. As long as you keep the work reminding factors out of your sight, your mind and body will be able to get into the reboot mode.
Restrict Personal Intrusions
Minimize personal interferences. The friends of a doctor or teacher do not stop by at the clinic or school to hang out with them. However, on some occasions, family members or friends tend to think that working from home is way different compared to working at the office. Such interruptions can distract your mind from the work and may push you behind the deadline. It is very much important for you to stop such interventions in your work. And, thus, you must inform everyone that only your job location has changed, everything else is pretty much the same, requiring the same amount of concentration, as one would get while working at the office. Notify your family members that during the working hours, you are not available for any other work and they shouldn’t disturb you. And, also let them know about the time, after which you will be available.
Stay Connected With the Team
Make use of the video communication tools, in order to maintain a consistent connection with office colleagues, which will help in creating an ambiance pretty similar to that of office. Keep yourself hooked up to these tools and be ready to go online to stay always connected with the team, be it through teleconference or video conference. There might be a time when you will start to feel lonely, and then you will be able to use these tools to drive away boredom by interacting with the office mates. You can always share things about work and also spend some fun time through these platforms, which will help in releasing the stress.
Take a Break
Well, now that you will be spending almost all of your time at home, there are higher chances of feeling bored or uninterested. To make sure that doesn’t happen, try walking around your room or spend some time at the roof or in the garden. Much research proves that spending time amidst nature helps a lot in reducing stress, as well as relaxes the mind and the body. After completing your work, you can watch movies, read books, or even cook, to rejuvenate your mind. And, during this lockdown, try to make full use of social media platforms to stay connected with what is happening around the world.
Be Creative
Never let these restrictive circumstances snatch the creative brilliance out of your mind, and dampen your productivity or happiness. Use your perspective to your benefit as it has the strength of either victimizing you or empowering you. Do not stress out on tiny obstacles. Take whatever opportunity comes your way during this time and try to take as much as control as possible. Try to be as productive as you’ve always been and never give your boss the chance of showing disappointment over your work.
