As the COVID-19 infection sores throughout the world, the Government Of India has asked for the shutdown of educational institutions and suggested most of the public offices provide work from home options to isolate oneself and halt the spread of the deadly virus. Although for some who travel great distances to reach office, and have to use public transport, it might be a sigh of relief, for the rest it is quite tough to balance the work and family life and keep the productivity intact.
Also Read: Coronavirus: All You Need To Know About Home Quarantine Guidelines
Amidst the growing number of confirmed COVID-19 patients every day, it is quite scary and tough to keep the sanity intact and concentrate while working from home. Although some people might get work from home on a rotational basis, there are the ones who are in uncountable crucial professions where if they don't show up, they don't get paid. As everything nears shut down, these folks are losing their livelihoods. But the government is taking stringent actions in providing them with some sort of relief package to prevent them from losing their only source of income.
But for those of us who are working from home, it is quite arduous to concentrate with everything going around. People, who have kids or have to take care of the elderly at home, it is even more challenging to look after them, keep them busy, and maintain proper hygiene. That being said, it is also equally crucial to keep the work-life balance and submit the deliverables at the given time to prevent any loss at the work front.
Here Are A Few Tips On How To Stay Sane And Productive While Working At Home:
Establish A Clean Working Space
The foremost thing about working from home is to create a work-like-set-up at home. If you and your partner or roomies are also working from home, try to clear away the clutter, move your furniture a bit to accommodate the situation so that each of you could get a separate workspace for yourself. As per WHO norms, you should also sanitise your working equipment and workspace every now and then to prevent the growth and spread of any virus.
Doodle Up Daily Activities
Since now you’re are working from home, make a list of all the tasks or works you have to do throughout the day to balance both work and family life. Set yourself small achievable goals and treat yourself with a cup of coffee or healthy snacking options once the task is completed. Since, during these tough times, you have to be humane enough to let your maid stay back at her home. Both you and your partner schedule the work in such a way to not only get the household chores done but also give time to elderly parents or children.
Also Read: Healthy Snacks To Eat While On Quarantine And Work Smart From Home
Take Short Breaks
Working from home can be quite boring at times since you don’t get any people around you working to keep you motivated. Most of the time you feel lazy and just feel like lying down. Try to incorporate short breaks in between where you can just have a chat with your spouse or spend some time drawing with your kid. These activities not only keep you energetic but also helps you concentrate.
Dress Up
Although you are working remotely, you still might have to attend video calls with your employees, managers or clienteles. Instead of getting caught in your jammies, take a bath and suit-up to create a good impression on the working front. Dressing up not only makes you feel competent and ready to take on the activities of the day but also prevents you from sprawling or taking snoozes when it comes time to be productive.
Stay In Touch Of Colleagues
Be in sync with your colleagues by staying in touch with them so as to deliver the work in the best way possible. Since, it is hard to get a hold of everyone at the office due to the sudden lockdown, try to schedule a call at a particular timing where all the team members can connect to each other and discuss the day to day updates and how well the work can be handled moving on to get better productivity at these tough times during the ongoing viral infection.
Avoid Getting Distracted
Distraction is one of the biggest challenge most people are facing during the current work from home scenario. Earlier whatever you thought to do after coming back from office is literally now with you and it’s easy to occupy yourself with other work. Well, its human nature to get distracted with other things and obviously most of you are taking lots of short breaks but it doesn’t mean you use your working hours to do some major household chores. Another Distraction that is literally bringing anxiety to most people is the daily headlines about covid-19. Its good to be well informed about the latest news but do not keep checking updates as it just might make you panic unnecessarily and abstain you from working productively.
Keep A Transition Time Before Work
In the pre-covid times, while commuting to work, most people had a daily routine of either reading a book or listening to some podcast or music or just checking up the social media posts. Well, even now when you are working from home, try to keep the routine same to avoid getting bored. Avoid sitting by your laptop just after getting up from sleep. Try to keep a transition time of 15 minutes before and after work hours where you can simply do the same thing as you did before. This activity chiefly helps your brain to calm down, unwind and prep up actively for the next day.
