A work-from-home job seemed like a dream job for a lot of people a few years back, even though the past two years’ events has made it harder to remember this fact. For about a year now , many people across the world have been elbowing for office space with partners and toddlers. But if you are filled with unexpected craving for your cubicle, here is good news for you. We believe there exists concrete and actionable approaches for changing your routine and staying productive while working from home.
Working remotely around the world has been increasing for years. In 15 years, the number of remote workers has tripled. But only about 5% were full-time remote workers pre-pandemic world, which means a whole lot of people had to adjust to working remotely in 2020. If you are among the fortunate ones to be working from home at the moment, here are some actions you can execute right now to improve your work life.
TRY A PRODUCTIVE APP
If this is the year you are vowing to get more done (and it should), make sure to have one of the best productivity app such as Any.do, Todoist, Cloze, 24me, etc, on your phone. Whatever your preferences are, find a digital tool that helps you complete uninterrupted bursts of work of about 30 minutes, punctuated by short breaks of about 5 minutes, with a longer break after several work sessions. These tools are incredibly useful in assisting you get stuff done. It is important to remember to log off social media, and when possible, put off all notifications, and even at the extreme, put your phone on airplane mode if you can. This is important because every time you turn your attention from one activity to another—even something mundane as quickly as glancing at your phone’s screen zaps productivity.
BE TIME CONSCIOUS
Working from home can make achieving work-life balance even more difficult. You have to be careful not to work all the time when you have a home office. Define your working hours, respect them yourself first, and then ask your colleagues to respect them too. Try to set activities that book-end the day, like getting a cup of coffee in the morning when you open your computer, or taking a stroll when you close it. Make use of the “Away” status on your Whatsapp or any other digital communication tool.
CULTIVATE YOUR WORKSPACE
For a lot of people, it is not the difficulty of working from home—It is the “Everybody-is-working-from-home, that is difficult. Between bickering with partners and juggling kids who are now schooling from home, having a dedicated workspace is painfully difficult, but essential for being productive at home. If you are fortunate enough to have a spare room in the house with a door, set it up as an office and use it. Otherwise try turning your desk toward a wall or a window to block out unwanted disturbances from the rest of the house. You can resort to noise-canceling headphones if you are into that, if nothing else works to get rid of distractions, it can work wonders.
MOVE YOUR BODY
Exercising within work breaks can help improve concentration, creativity, help boost work output (productivity). Now more than ever, there are opportunities to stay active during this pandemic, if you really think about it. Some exercise apps have made their products free, and some local gyms and yoga studios are streaming classes. Search online and choose what works for you. Once in a while go for a brisk socially-distanced walk outside with a friend—all masked.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PERKS
There are some advantages in breaking out of the office, because working from home is difficult so take advantage of them. Use the time you would have spent commuting to learn a new skill, walk around in your short pants all day, do sun salutations between bursts of email, and finish the book that’s been on your bedside forever. If it makes you feel great, step to your home office in your pajamas.
ASK FOR FLEXIBILITY
Talk to the ideal person and ask for some flexibility in your work hours to help with some household responsibilities. You may be working throughout the night, your partner can make breakfast in the morning for the family. You can ask for permission from work to clock out in the afternoon to help with the homeschooling. You can also sync-up with your partner during break times so you can spend some uninterrupted moments together.
These are truly unusual times and they call for unprecedented empathy—for yourself and your colleagues. While you are using these tips to help with your remote working, make sure to keep in mind that peak productivity may not always be achievable during the pandemic, and that is OK.