Tips and Tricks to Work From Home – The not so professional edition!

Firstly look at the bright side. Working remotely has several benefits, reap them while you can! The key is to be smart and be dedicated. I have compiled from my personal experience a few ways to be more productive when working remotely and not feeling guilty every time you take a break.

1. Be a morning person – Wake up early! It is not wise to wake up at 8.45 am to login for a 9 am shift. When you are up early, you can unwind, relax , do a few house chores so the day doesn’t seem overwhelming. Drink tea with your family, goof around a bit and prepare yourself for the day.
2. Take a nice morning bath – This really helps open up your mind. Also when doing a late bath in this summer, the water is just too hot to actually benefit from it. Wear your comfy clothes, don’t get too comfortable though.
3. Set a schedule – Make sure you are logging in, taking tea break, lunch break and logging out at a set time. It will give you more time to do some extracurricular activity or spend time with family. Stick to this schedule!
4. Make a to do list – Once you login, make a list of activities for the day for work. Keep adding to it as an when work comes up. Anything that you can’t finish today, add it to your to-do list for the next day. This is something that actually works and trust me this is very helpful!
5. Communicate the importance of work with family – it is important that your family understand the seriousness of the situation and understand that you are not to be disturbed while working from home. Your family should not assume that you are on a holiday. Explain to them gently that you have time for family on your schedule.
6. Schedule breaks – Yes! This is important! Take small 15 mins breaks atleast 2-3 times during your office work hours.
7. Set your office work times – Make sure you work 9 am to 6 pm. You can ofcourse work extra if you feel like or if the work demands.
8. Be flexible – If your manager asks you to put in extra hours or work over the weekend, be flexible about it. As an employee lets be understanding that the organization as a whole is undergoing some stress and we should help where we can.
9. Ask for what you need – anything you need, let your manager know. It is basic and possibly most important line of communication.
10. Create a dedicated workspace – It is very important that you identify that once spot in your house where you can work comfortably from without any disturbance. Try not to use the bed or the sofa to work from.
11. Keep in touch with your colleagues – because we all miss each other and also it is a good time to let off some steam by speaking to people you are comfortable with. It keeps your mental health good, you do not feel alone and keeps you motivated.
12. Learn more – It is possible that since businesses are slow you might end up having little or no work and have some time to spare. Use this time to learn things that will enhance you professionally and will also add to your skills and daily report. There are several free courses available online right now.
13. Work out – obviously either before or after your office hours. Do it with your family or by yourself. This is will keep you energized and feeling happy! This I speak from personal experience.
14. Be positive – look at the bright side of things! You now have time for yourself , your family and work! You are blessed to have a home and a job at hand. You are way better off when compared to millions of people. Be happy and this too shall pass.

I would like to end this series of suggestions with mentioning that all the above points are from my personal experience. Figure out what works best for you , all of us are different people with different mindsets. All of this is new to you , but you are not alone. If you find working from home difficult, talk to someone who can help you.

Thanks for reading!