The COVID-19 pandemic has led many companies to recommend that employees work from home. For many, remote work is a new reality and one that takes a lot of getting used to. For some, they have dreamed of working from home to forego the long hours of commute and spend more time with their families or having more leisure time. So, how can you stay focused and be productive while working remotely?
Dedicated Work Area
It is important to establish a dedicated work area within your home. Look for a space in your home where you can create and develop an area to become your office. It can be a dedicated room, a small space in your living room or other room in your house. Just make sure that it is a place where you get to do your work and when you’re not working you’re not in that place. It is crucial to create a barrier so you have a place to go to work and a place to go for leisure.
Regular Breaks
While you are working from home, there is a tendency to forget about taking a break. However, having regular breaks is important as well. Working for a maximum of 90 minutes is recommended because it’s going to be a lot more tiring if you’ll be working on a computer screen all the time. Get up and walk around before getting back to work. If you are having phone calls or if you’re on the phone, you can get away from the desk, move around the house and perhaps make a cup of coffee while you’re talking. Make sure that you see daylight and get lots of fresh air especially if your office setup is in the basement or an area where there’s not good lighting. It is important that you let your family and friends know that you are working from home as well as your working hours so that you will not get interrupted.
Drink Plenty of Water
Make sure that you drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. The recommended amount is 2 – 2 ½ liters of water a day.
Setup a Daily Routine
Make a structured daily schedule. Set a time that you’ll wake up and then go for an exercise, maybe go for a run or a walk depending on what you want to do but make sure to get some exercise then come back for a nice breakfast. You can also set a time in the morning perhaps after breakfast to check your messages and then do not look at them again until another time scheduled to review messages. It is important that you do not allow time to be robbed by checking Facebook or WhatsApp or email. Focus on your work.
Dress as though you are going to the Office
Because you are working from home, it doesn’t give you an excuse to be in your pajamas all day. Dress to impress! Dress as though you are going to the office and that will put you in the right frame of mind.
Working remotely can still be productive as long as you follow these tips.