With the coronavirus outbreak, many countries have taken proactive measures to quarantine their citizens for safety and health purposes.
And due to that, most of us are working from home instead of partaking in our usual office routine.
Working from home is nice but it can really throw us off of our groove, but here are a few tips we’ve found to help you maintain your productivity and adjust your working life during this pandemic.
1.Start your day the same as your usual office routine
This is to train your body clock to work at home – start your morning routine the same way you would as if you’re going to the office. Go and have a steaming shower, get dressed and have a simple breakfast. This will put you into your mind-set of ‘work’.
2.Communicate with your fellow colleagues
Your colleagues are probably also working from home, ask them what they are up to, and what they are working on. It is advised that you call and email throughout the day.
3.Learn when you’re most productive
When you’re tracking your time, you can figure out when you are the most effective and productive. For some people, it can be in the mornings but some find it better to work at night when it’s more peaceful at home and less distractions.
4.Minimize distractions
Try to not get distracted at home with children or pets. Yes, it’s nice to play with your dog once in a while but try not to do it often as it’ll distract you and hamper your momentum. Try to find a spot in your house that is quiet and peaceful enough for you to concentrate.
5.Set the same working hours at home
It is best if you could match what your hours would be if you were in an office setting. Start on time and ending on time is a good practice to work at home.
6.Make a to-do list
Keep a sticky note on your laptop or write it down regarding the things you have to get done by today. If you keep track, you’ll be more focused.
7.Have a break
Make sure that you know when to step away from the laptop. It’s needed to work on personal time too, especially if you have kids/dogs. It’ll lessen your stress for work when you get to spend some personal time with your family.
8.Separate your work space from your personal space
You should create an enclosed space in your home for workspace and use that place only for work, make it feel different than the rest of your home. This is to let your mind focus more on work. Then another tip that we love to give (and especially to those that work from home) is to use a virtual office, as you can then use a different address for your business and so keep your personal home address private. So, if for example you live near Edinburgh then you should simply sign-up to a local Edinburgh virtual office service and you can then use that postal address for the business and enjoy all of those privacy benefits.
9.Keep yourself hydrated!
Water helps control hunger and when you drink enough, the bathroom breaks will work as natural work pauses during the day. This is to also keep yourself healthy during the quarantine period.
10.Put thoughtful time in designing an aesthetically pleasing workspace!
Try to make a proper workstation that looks nice enough for your eyes. Start decorating it and keep it minimalistic. When your workspace is decorated in the way that you would want, it’ll make you feel ‘excited’ to work there.
Get things done and you can binge on your favourite Netflix series later on!
Let us know in the comments below what other tips you practice to keep yourself productive at home!
Header Image : The Jakarta Post
