During the outbreak of COVID-19, most of the businesses and corporate offices are being locked down to ensure the safety of their employees and their families. However, shutting down the offices completely could hamper the work & productivity, results & revenue, hence, people are requested to work from their homes to stay safe and also support the company operations. Going socially distant, and staying indoors is probably the only way to stay safe & sane RN.
Working from home is generally a fun thing to do, until you are asked to be locked in your own house and work from home for too many days in a row. Moreover, in the given condition of the Coronavirus outbreak worldwide, it’s quite a task to maintain a positive mental state & work effectively amid all the chaos. In such a stressful situation of complete lock-down of the major states and cities across the nation, most people are panicking and seeking effective ways that can help them work from home without leaving them depressed.
Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! To make it better for you, we are here with our top 10 tips to work from home effectively no matter where you are. Let’s get started!
1. Follow A Routine
When you’re working from home, it is critical for you to feel as active and attentive as you are in your office. Thus, you must keep following your daily routine by doing everything on time. Wake up on the usual time that you would do on a normal working day and serve your 8 hours shift with utmost honesty and dedication.
It will not just help you keep up with your work & meet your deadlines but it will also get you free on time.
2. Build a Work-friendly Environment
Create a professional working space to stay high on energy and be productive all day long. It is because being with family members or working in front of television can hinder your performance and create disturbance. Thus, instead of working in your living room, choose your library or a secluded space to create your own work-friendly environment. Also, make sure that you have a comfortable chair and table to put all your planners, tools, laptops and everything that you need to work efficiently because beds can make you lazy!
3. Create a To-do List/Planner
You know how much it is important when you are working to create a list of all the tasks you have to accomplish that day. This way you don’t easily forget your daily targets as everything is in front of your eyes. You can make use of sticky notes, Google tasks, or make a daily planner to jot down all the tasks that you have to do. It will make a world’s difference, you’ll see!
4. Use a Tool to Check-in with your Work-buddies
If you don’t want to get bored or feel isolated while working at your home, it’s quite important to be in constant touch with your colleagues. Use a reliable tool to share ideas, your work progress, or to communicate with your teammates. Some apps that could be very useful while working from home are Skype, WhatsApp, Trello, or the tools that are used in your office. Install Skype on your phone or system; here, you can share your screen, make video calls, and create groups to make things easier for you.
This idea should be promoted and implemented by the businesses to track the work progress of their employees.
5. Explore Your Most Productive Hours
Everybody is different and the way they work is also very different from the other. It’s your responsibility to find out the most productive hours of yours to make the most out of it.
For some morning beavers it can be the early hours of the day, while for the night owls it can be late nights. It is you who needs to understand and explore which hours of the day you are most active in. It will help you make working from home experience easy and fun.
6. Turn Off All Distractions
Whether it’s talking to your loved ones, spending time with your family or playing with your pet your favourite pastime, when you’re working from home it’s recommended to turn off all the distractions to be productive and active during your work hours.
I know it’s not an easy task to turn off all the things that we love, however, it is critical if you want to give your best at your work and find peace of mind.
7. Switch Off Your Social Media
Social media is an interesting thing until the time a disturbing news is spread across the web. To have a peaceful work experience at your paradise, you don’t want any negativity in your head. Thus, the best thing that you can do is to keep all the social media accounts and TV shows/news channels at a bay to stay in a positive zone throughout the day!!
8. Listen To Motivational/Relaxing Music
Music is the medication for mood-swings and mind.
Working from home can get boring at times. This is where music comes in. Beautiful, relaxing pieces of music, or motivational notes can help you stay in a positive working vibe, keeping your mind relaxed and poised while working from home.
9. Stock Up On Instant Snacks
One of the most agitating tasks while working from home is cooking for yourself. Especially if you are not good at it!
Ordering food from outside is not always a good idea, especially during a global pandemic situation like this. So, when working from home make sure that you’re staying healthy and eating good food to boost your immunity system and your performance at work. Stock up on instant healthy snacks beforehand and keep your refrigerator full of healthy options to beat your hunger pangs.
10. A Tip for Working Moms/ Single Parents
Working from home can really be a challenge especially for the working moms and single parents. Tackling a baby while also meeting your deadlines can really be traumatic. Here what you can do is work more while the baby is sleeping or playing. Indulge your baby in fun activities or make him sleep so that you can work properly. It is probably the only way to accomplish your work on time.
Wrapping Up: Don’t Panic -Be Patient!
In a scenario of the COVID-19 outbreak, social panic is obvious across the globe. In such a challenging condition, we all need to be patient and stay positive to fight it – together.
Panicking is not a solution, staying indoors can be. Also, don’t forget to sanitize your workplace tools, and wash your hands after you’ve done working to ensure safety at all times.
P.S. AOP HR consultancy wishes you all the safety, health and positivity in your life in a global pandemic like Coronavirus outbreak. We are there to update you with such important posts that can help make your life better during this disturbing situation.