For the last 2 years during the COVID-19 Pandemic and then, most of us have been working from home or remotely. As the challenge of working from home may affect physical, social or physiological health, this article talks about how to follow Work-From-Home culture in an efficient way maintaining your work-life balance with your health.
Make a task-list
The first and foremost thing is before starting your day you should know your tasks for the day so that you can plan your day effectively. Make a habit of creating notes of all tasks for the next day every night. You can go with Pen and paper just like old days or use excel to create notes. This will make your day easier to start with and believe me your mind will start to pick and work according to the tasks you have sorted out in advance. Stick to the tasks in the lists. Keep away from all the distractions like social media sites.
Get Dressed-up for work
This does not mean you need to dress up fully professionally but wearing professional attire will make you feel more professional while working. So get ready, take a shower, make a clean shave and wear a nice outfit for work. This will prepare your mind for work mentally. Also, this will make you comfortable for any of the video calls you may want to join. Keep pajamas and T-shirts for the weekends.
Choose a comfy and pleasant workspace
When we work from home, there are a lot of distractions we face. Hence define your workspace properly to minimize distractions. Set boundaries for the work area. Make sure your desks are clean and no chores on them. Clean workspace and tidy desks lead to efficiency and productivity. Also adequate light and air should pass through the area. Access the natural light in your home if possible as it reduces eye strains, drowsiness and headaches.
Posture
Most of the time we spend in front of computers and laptops as we are on seated jobs. It is important to maintain a good posture for sitting throughout the day. A bad posture leads to back pain and other serious injuries. Bring out the adjustable chairs to which you can adjust the backrest and arm heights. Your desk and chairs should be comfortable enough that you do not need to think about it and you can concentrate on your work.
Take breaks
Do not forget to take breaks including lunchtime. Get up and take a walk and move around. Do some stretching exercises. If you have a family, take a tea-time break to chit-chat with the members. The remote employee should not feel guilt for this. This helps boost your productivity and improve your mental health.
Get social and Send Recognitions
Working from home makes us isolated. So keep connected with your colleagues through software like Slack, Skype or any software used by the organization. This will make or maintain bonding between the colleagues distantly.
Make a habit of sending recognitions to your colleagues for a job well done. This can help boost morale and encouragement.
Don’t OverCommunicate
While using social media apps to communicate with co-workers, always remember to not address your message to @everybody or @here. In the era of social media, this has become so common and handy but keep the targeted person in the message whenever possible. Just like you, everyone is struggling to get maximum productive hours working at home. Set clear communication with co-workers.
Also, get quiet when you need to focus on work without any disturbance. Make a habit of setting Do Not Disturb or Away For Lunch status for quiet hours or breaks.
Make a routine
If there is no clear divide between work and home, they both can blend. So It is important to set time boundaries when you are working from home. Because many of us feel that we are overworking, they feel loaded with the work while working remotely. Pandemic has imposed pressure on everyone to bring out the most productive version of oneself. So stick to the schedule you have created. Shut down and wind up at the defined time. This will help you maintain a work-life balance. Understand your body clock, your body functions and your productive hours. If you are a morning bird or a night owl, plan your working hours accordingly. If you start office hours, wrap up early.
Eat Healthy diet
When people work from home, they start grazing on junk food all the time, which results in unhealthiness and obesity. Include fruits and nuts in a snack and avoid chips. Do not have junk around the table or nearby. Keep water and herbal tea-pot near to the desk, hence you will stay hydrated.
Conclusion
Remote work is the future. It allows you to work globally. So it is important to maintain health along with wealth. All of us may have a different version of remote work styles, but the above tips will help us to be more efficient and productive.
Happy Reading!
