Since the pandemic has forced most of us to stay at home, our work took a remote approach. Remote work, however, comes with an issue of reduced productivity, long working hours, fatigue, and mental stress. People also faced a massive decline in their fitness levels, contributing to additional laziness and lack of energy to work with. Thus, this article focuses on the top tips to improve productivity while working from home to enhance your performance and your health. Read on to know more.
Keep your workspace away from your daily routine activities.
People often don’t keep their spaces different, leading to a lack of productivity. Having a desk, laptop unit, and other accessories at a place separate from your bedroom can prevent those sleepy vibes during work. Also, having a desk near the living can keep you distracted now and then. Thus, it is necessary to keep your workspace away from your daily routine activities.
Schedule your day well in advance
Plan and schedule breakfast, work, breaks, household chores, lunch, and dinners and act accordingly. Since everyone’s routine is a bit disrupted due to remote working, give yourself a habit to consider you’re still at the office. Planning a schedule can help you implement the practice. Unless an emergency, stay determined to stick to the program so that other thoughts will not hamper the focus.
Watch what you eat
According to studies, unhealthy eating can be one of the biggest reasons for lack of productivity and increased stress levels. The inability to cook something nutritious due to constant meetings and work pressure can lead to overeating, obesity, reduced creativity. Along with healthy eating, note the time of eating since abruptly changing the eating cycle can increase these issues.
Breathe fresh air
Go out for walks often and breathe in the fresh air. It can be a jog, walk, sprint, or pet-walking. Soak in the warm sunlight or feel the breezy evenings for elevated and cherished moods. Also, this will effectively reduce screen time and put relief to your eye strain, headaches, and spine.
Plan your breaks
It is okay to outperform in your job, but taking a break at appropriate times is also necessary. Many times, lack of breaks results in reduced focus and affects productivity. To deal with that, plan something that rejuvenates you- such as painting, cooking, calling up your friends, or listening to music. Planning your breaks can improve your motivation to work and increase efficiency.
Your attire defines your attitude
Working in your casuals and pajamas can undoubtedly give you a comfortable feeling. However, it still fails to provide the office experience that gives you the working vibes. Our comfortable clothes are meant to offer us a sense of comfort and laziness. Thus, dressing up appropriately can help to maintain that work ethics and professional outlook.
Communicate with team members
Lack of communication can lower your will to work. Text messages and typing eliminates the chance to bond with your team members professionally, and there is always some lack of clarity on the subjects. Thus, it is a great way to know your team members by arranging informal meets and talking with them. A significantly improved work productivity can be observed after good communication.
Exercise is the key
Since sitting and working has become a routine, it is necessary to sweat out the excessively accumulated fats. People who exercise daily tend to be more active and energetic at work than those who don’t. Considering strict work timings, try to schedule at least half an hour of exercise once a day.
Desk and hygiene
Unhygienic desks always provide a sense of disorganization and mess that leads to decreased productivity. Always clean your desk after work and begin with a clean desk. Do not add too many or too few elements to the table, and keep only specific items you need. Try not to include anything on the desk that can distract you and not bring food to your work table.
Avoid doing more than you can
Pressurizing yourself to do more and better can also have a negative impact. On the other hand, increased working hours might make you weary, and you might not consider working the next day. It is necessary while working remotely to identify how much you can contribute at best and working accordingly. Don’t stress yourself since it might adversely affect your working motivation.
Stretch out sometimes
Make a list of easy-to-do exercises to give yourself a stretch during work. A continuously sedentary lifestyle can take a toll on your mental health. The more you focus on personal well-being, it shall be easy to have undivided focus and concentration during work. Stretching, rolling your hands and neck, and gently pressing your eyes can make you prepared for the next task.
Integrate technologies to improve lifestyle
Certain fitness health apps and devices can improve your lifestyle while working from home. They can calculate your stress levels and notify you to take a break. They track your calorie intake, sleep cycle and provide guided exercises. Having such devices around you can help identify the gaps in your schedule and improve productivity.
Socialize without distractions
Socializing with your friends or family during hours will result in distractions and less attention towards the work. It is necessary to make strict restrictions on meeting people during work hours unless it’s essential. Do not allow kids and other people to enter your workroom for no reason. This maintains the corporate atmosphere within the house and productivity.
Maintain the posture
Spine problems are observed the most with the people glued in front of the laptop. Increased pain in the back can cause demotivation towards work and a lack of productivity. Thus it is necessary to keep your sitting posture intact and not work in any other position that can cause damage to the spine.
Improvise the sleep cycle
All your rejuvenation depends on your deep sleep cycle. Since work from home also includes late-night shifts, it is necessary to make a schedule of sleep. Using technologies can help identify the patterns and suggest better ones. This is one of the best ways to improve productivity while working from home.
Towards the conclusion
As we observe, most methods to improve productivity are associated with lifestyle changes and healthy eating habits. Also, there is a psychology associated with cleanliness, neat dressing, and work attitude. Making these necessary changes will effectively put your brains to work and give a sense of the work environment even by being at home. So these were the top tips to improve productivity while working from home. I hope you implement them and have a good time at work.
Author Bio: This article has been written by Rishika Desai, B.Tech Computer Engineering graduate with 9.57 CGPA from Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology (VIIT), Pune. Currently works as Threat Intelligence Researcher in CloudSEK. She is a good dancer, poet and a writer. Animal love engulfs her heart and content writing comprises her present. You can follow Rishika on Twitter at @ich_rish99.