Maintaining Productivity and Health Together

Working from home is a big deal these days. Those who were fortunate enough to avoid layoff during the COVID-19 pandemic are more likely than ever to be adjusting to a work environment that is both familiar and strange at the same time.

It can be a difficult task. The absence of routine and continuity, a spouse on countless raucous team calls, a child who needs direction on their homeschooling assignments: all of these things can be bewildering and tiring.

However, not needing to go to work can provide unexpected chances to improve your work-life balance and customize your working day.

In this post, we’ll look at the advantages of working from home and how to avoid the downsides.

The Advantages and Drawbacks of Working From Home

Because of COVID-19, many people are working from home for the first time. Others have more experience working from home. Whatever your circumstances, working from home is more likely than ever to play a larger role in your life, or the lives of others you live with.

Working from home, at its best, helps everyone: you, your family or household, and your company. You can work productively while having a satisfying home life if you stay connected and positive – all without the burden of a daily commute.

Managers may be concerned about whether or not employees working from home are actually working. Meanwhile, many distant workers may feel lonely. They retreat from the team dynamic and experience worry and tension. That is why keeping in touch with your coworkers and cultivating a sense of belonging is so important.

Let’s Discuss Some Key Facts About Working From Home

Make a Personal Space

You’re in charge of designing your own working environment at home, which is typically quite different from an office. You must also take care of your mental and physical well-being.

If you want to stay on track and get things done, you’ll need to set up an effective work environment. Have all of the tools you’ll need on hand, and make sure you have enough space to work comfortably.

Make it a place you’ll want to spend time in. However, you must make it plain to yourself and your family that it is a place of work during specific times of the day. Although adding a few “office” accents may motivate you to be more productive, you may still personalize your desk with entertaining posters or family photos.

One of the best purchases you can make is in a high-quality office chair. If you don’t have the space or the budget for one, make sure you can sit comfortably. If you don’t, you’ll most likely come up with a variety of reasons to get up and go somewhere else.

If you live with others, be aggressive and keep people and dogs out as much as possible when you’re working. At the very least, set your work environment such that no distractions – including your partner, if they’re also working from home – are in your line of sight.

Balance a Proper Routine

Working from home can put new strains on your physical and mental health. As a result, create good routines to guarantee that you don’t revert to unhealthy habits.

It may be tempting to start sooner and end later if you don’t have to commute. This can cause you to get more exhausted than usual, so make sure you start and end work at consistent times.

Always make sure you get enough sleep and eat at regular intervals. Snacking might make you feel hungry at inopportune times, making you cranky. It’s also not a particularly healthy way of eating.

Short breaks can help you stay energized and focused while also giving your eyes a vacation from too much screen time. Set a countdown timer while you work for an hour, for example. When your alarm goes off, take a 5- or 10-minute pause to make a cup of coffee or enjoy some fresh air. Remember, the goal is to take a screen break, so don’t switch from one screen to another by picking up your phone right once.

More Efficient from Work From Home

When working from home, productivity can be a challenge. Working away from your coworkers and only having remote internet meetings might lead to emotional alienation and indifference.

As a result, incorporate clues to help you shift from work to home mindset. A clear start and finish timings, as well as time set aside for exercise and meals, are examples of this. They can also be habits you connect with getting going or winding down, such as listening to a podcast, showering, or contacting your mother.

You could find that having certain clothing for working at home is beneficial. Dressing for work can help you set the correct mental tone for the day – and save you the embarrassment of being dialed in to a virtual meeting while still in your pajama.

Motivation When Working From Home

It can be difficult to feel motivated and valued when you are alone. There’s no room for impromptu high fives or shout-outs for a job well done. Using self-motivation tactics in these situations can raise your confidence, promote positive thinking, and keep you going.

There is some other way by which you can encourage yourself to boost efficiency. 

  • Measure your achievements
  • Solemnize your success
  • Maintain a positive attitude

Let us help you more with how you will approach this.

Measure your achievements

Make each work more pleasurable and gratifying in and of itself. Realizing the fundamental worth of your work can be motivating in and of itself. Give yourself “treats” after you finish jobs that are normal and mundane. Allow yourself your favorite specialty coffee as a reward for successfully finishing an embarrassing assignment.

Solemnize your success

People, especially when they are physically isolated, need to know that their accomplishments are recognized. Otherwise, it’s all too easy to succumb to self-doubt and even Impostor Syndrome, in which you’re afraid of being “found out” for alleged incompetence.

Remember to congratulate yourself and your teammates on a job well done. When you get together online for team catch-ups, you can accomplish this. And, if the achievement is meaningful for the team or the organization, use positive narratives to publicize it.

Maintain a positive attitude

Trust and openness are essential in remote teamwork. Make sure your status updates on communication platforms are correct so that coworkers can see if you’re available, in a meeting, or out for lunch at a glance.

Also, keep your calendar up to date. Avoid online encounters that aren’t required, but make yourself as available as possible. The correct degrees of connection foster productivity while preventing managers from feeling compelled to micromanage.