The employment landscape is constantly changing. There is a renewed focus on helping employees lead balanced lives, where they can take care of all their commitments. Apart from this, a number of employers and start-ups are giving leeway to their employees to work from home to reduce the travel time or give more flexibility. Such policies are a huge hit not just with old hands but millennials too.
However, working from home, though an effective means of getting work done, can turn out to be a disaster if not planned right. If being in the comfort of your home boosts your creativity and performance, then it is an added advantage, but if you find yourself doing household chores or missing deadlines while at home, it can be bad for you and your career.
To ensure your productivity is improved not hampered when working from home you can do the things listed below:
Manage your morning routine
One of the primary means of making any day productive is waking up early. Apart from helping you improve productivity it helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance as well.
Getting ready before you start work
Getting dressed before you sit to work helps you prepare yourself for the tasks that you have planned for the day ahead. Apart from helping you physically be ready, this simple procedure ensures that you are psychologically in a place where your work is your priority.
Have a dedicated workspace
It is important to identify and designate an area of your home as your dedicated workspace. Working in a place that conflicts with your family space is sure to break your concentration. Therefore, a quiet corner has to be designated as your workplace. Adequate lighting, an ample supply of stationery, coffee and whatever else your work may require should be within your easy reach (just like in an office setup) when working from home.
Plan your day efficiently
There are a limited 24 hours in a day that need to be divided between work, personal life and social time. It is this need that gives rise to the fundamental rule of working from home. If you schedule it right beforehand, you get sufficient time for work and for addressing all the tasks that need your attention without disrupting time allotted for work.
Bar social media
One of the biggest hindrances to working from home is spending time on social media. Nothing hampers work quite like this distraction. Ensure you don’t while away time tracking your social media profiles, with no one to interrupt you. Decide to spend 10 minutes every 2 hours or any specific time slots that don’t interrupt your work so that you don’t end up finishing the day without completing the tasks.
Change locations occasionally
When working from home, the isolated and confined workspace at times can become too overwhelming. An outing to a simple café or a quiet restaurant could be a welcome change and help you focus without getting bored.
Find ‘your’ time
One of the biggest advantages of working from home is that you can work as per your convenience. You can identify the time of the day when you are most productive and make the most of it. Working from home allows you to tap the potential of your most productive and hours even when they are odd ones.
The final routine
Finally, when you are working from home, make sure that you turn off the work button as effectively as you turned it on. Having access to work 24/7 can make it impossible to switch it off at the right time. Reciting some form of a phrase or changing into comfortable clothing are some means through which you can make sure that you don’t carry the burden of your work into your personal time.
When working from home, the work-life balance is not necessarily easier, rather in quite a few cases it turns out to be a nightmare where there is no dedicated time for the family including leisure activities. So, try these tips and see your productivity soar and your loved ones happy. If you are looking for a job with more flexibility Monster can help you find better, faster.
