Tagged with 'Work from home tips'

Amid this COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have asked their employees to begin working from home. Although this scenario might sound quite exciting at first, you should know that you’ll have to deal with several unexpected challenges, particularly if you’re new to working remotely. Even if you are used to this setup, the unique circumstances during this period of isolation make it a completely new experience. But with the help of our handy tips, you can easily improve your productivity. These tips are useful not just for employees, but for team leaders and managers, as well. Let’s get started! 1. Stick to a Schedule The best part about working remotely is that you don’t have to wake up early, rush through your morning rituals, or travel to work. However, this does not mean it’s OK to completely scrap your daily routine. Since it’s likely that you will be cooped up in your house for a longer period of time, make sure that you remain active in order to stay healthy! Follow your normal schedule as much as possible, just like you used to when commuting to your office. 2. Set Up a Workspace When working from home, it’s crucial to set up a dedicated workspace so that you can get things done on time. You might be able to convert a spare bedroom into your home office. Even if you have space constraints, try to set up a desk for office work. Regardless of the location or type of space, dedicate a specific area in your house to work and use it only during your working hours. Just make sure the workspace is free from distractions so that you can concentrate on your tasks. 3. Create a Routine Even if you don’t have to wake up early to commute to work, it’s still important to create and follow a routine. You might get up a little later than usual, but make sure you get up at the same time every day. This way, you can avoid sleeping too much and also maintain a regular sleep cycle. If you like, you can also set alarms to signal lunch breaks, snack breaks, and the time to wrap up your workday. Doing so will improve your concentration, along with your productivity. 4. Set Boundaries Now that you have created a daily schedule and set up a dedicated workspace, it’s time for you to set some work boundaries. This is important because when you work remotely, you can easily end up working beyond your business hours. Figure out a time during the day when you feel your productivity is high, and ensure that you’re finishing the tasks at hand during those hours. Allocate your time properly and choose a specific time to wrap things up. That way you won’t work longer than you are supposed to. Share your schedule with other teammates, managers, and coworkers. 5. Stretch and Exercise Frequently When you’re working from home, it’s likely that you’ll become lazier. In order to prevent that from happening, make sure you stretch and exercise frequently.  This will help you boost your endorphins and will ultimately increase your interest level and happiness - two crucial factors in maintaining your productivity! Regular stretching and exercise will also help improve your posture. Be sure that you stretch two or three times throughout your day; doing so will prevent you from getting sore from sitting.  You can even write out some motivational quotes and leave them by your bedside. Those notes will be the first thing you read after waking up.  We recommend that you work out early in the morning because that’s when there are the fewest distractions. Also, you will feel energized for the rest of the day. 6. Take Breaks Sometimes when you work too many hours and over-commit yourself to office tasks, you end up sabotaging your productivity. That’s why it’s equally important to take breaks throughout the day. Although this seems a little counterintuitive, research suggests that taking occasional breaks helps you boost your creativity and productivity levels. If you fail to strike the right balance between your professional and personal lives, it will only cause you problems. To keep this from happening, work for a certain amount of time, take a 10-minute break, and then get back to work again. 7. Eat Healthy Foods Having complete access to your kitchen is another challenge of working remotely. Since you are at home all the time, you can easily be drawn to junk food the moment you take a snack or lunch break. These foods normally include: Leftover pizza Salted potato chips Cookies However, research suggests that eating more vegetables and fruits, along with vitamin and mineral supplements, has a positive impact on your productivity. With some additional planning, you can not only avoid eating unhealthy food but also vary your nutritious snacks. On the weekends, you could reward yourself with something sweet for not eating junk food throughout the week. If you’re in the habit of eating snacks frequently, then it’s time to take t ...