A lot of companies are now relaxing their policies a bit by allowing their employees to work from home, especially in India.
You could have a host of reasons to make your home your main work space. Or, it is likely that you go to your office office most days of the week, but sometimes need that day to work from home.
But unlike what a lot of people assume, working from home is not easy, and definitely not more laidback. With tons of distractions and the need to balance multiple things at once, it can get tricky.
At the same time, it is important that your productivity does not go down, and that you are able to keep up with all the demands and deadlines.
Here are a few methods that can help you improve your productivity.
Start early
Image Credit: Movie – Band Baaja Baaraat
Once you wake up, try and get out of bed as soon as you can, instead of lying down and thinking what all you are going to do. If you want to think and plan, get out of the bed and then do it, so that you don’t end up going back to sleep. The earliest hours will be the most peaceful and you can actually pack in a lot more, even before the others have actually reached their desk.
Get ready for work
One of the worst things for your productivity when you are working from home is when you sit in your pajamas to work. Whether at the office desk or at home on a couch, don’t forget that it is work you are doing, so better get ready accordingly. Get into the shower, wear clothes you would wear outside the house, and even better if they are work clothes, groom yourself the way you would if you were heading out (at least a bit?) and then start your day.
Prioritize the right nows and the in-a-whiles
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Learning to prioritize can really help you make up on time and do more than you may have intended to. Check your email first and make a list of what all is right now, what all has to immediately follow next, and what can be done any time in the day. Once you sort that out, use those wonderful things called sticky notes to put them up at a spot that you can easily see and work.
Use the same work space
The couch, the kitchen counter, the balcony, the bed, the floor, the table – so many places to choose each day as your work space, right? Wrong! If you want to be productive and maintain that speed and quality, keep a dedicated work space and use it every day. Also, avoid cluttering it with things that are not work related.
Communicate
When you are not sitting together with your colleagues, it can sometimes lead to miscommunication that can delay work and put a dent in your productivity. The best way to stay on the same page and ensure everyone knows what’s going on is to communicate whenever required. Also, try and maintain that personal touch with your colleagues, by sometimes dropping in a good morning message to them, or just picking up the phone and saying hello.
According to Manisha, HR Professional and Life Coach who works from home and also manages Client Relationship with Character Sketches, “My mantra is discipline. Work as if you have to get to a physical office and give your work time the respect you give when you go to a physical work space. I have built an office room in my house which resembles a small cubicle and I call it office, so everyone at home knows when to get in there and when not to disturb. Apart from that, a call to office colleagues on a daily basis to keep in touch, exchange of mails regularly and also visiting office once in a while energizes me to work. Meeting people who work from home, sharing similar issues and then getting support all increases productivity.”
As much as you may try and finish off as much as you can in the day, it is important that you also take breaks in between. While you are working from home, you may often miss getting out of that chair, but take a quick walk from time to time, and remember to eat too.
Read Also: Have You Tried An Act Of Random Kindness At Work?
