In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies require their employees to work from home. While it may seem a pipe dream for some, transitioning from an organized office environment to the comfort of your own home can be tricky in some ways.
Many advantages come with working remotely, including eliminating commuting time. This experience, though, may bring with it new obstacles. We might experience emotional changes as a result of stress and lack of motivation.
In this article, we will reveal our top 10 tips for building a comfortable work home to help you maximize your productivity while working remotely at home.
1. Build and maintain a routine
When you work remotely, your day could seem less organized than if you worked regularly in the office. Maintaining a routine will help your brain in creating a distinction between working time and leisure time.
You can pick an activity that marks how your working time starts. It could be something as simple as getting up, taking a bath, and eating breakfast as if you were going to work.
The next challenge is to maintain your established routine. We all have heard that a habit can’t be made within a night, so it is important for you to do it every single day until you forget how was your old routine looked like. The key to ensuring a level of productivity in the home is to create a routine and structure that you force yourself to stick to.
Maintaining a routine means you have to follow your own schedule. When it is time to work, try to focus only on your work. That being said, when your working time is over, stop working. Use your leisure time to do hobbies, exercise, or rest. You will achieve a good work-life balance as a result.
2. Don’t work in your pyjamas
Working under no supervision can make you less-discipline, thus may affect how are you perceiving your role. When you are all alone, it is tempting to abandon your habits at work, including how you dress up.
You don’t have to indicate conforming to professional dress rules, being comfortable can be beneficial to your productivity. However, try to avoid wearing pajamas because your brain will think it is bedtime and resulting in making you feel sleepy.
3. Keep your workspace apart from your relaxation area
We know our bed is the most comfortable place in our home, the best spot to get relax. However, in terms of increasing productivity, working in a bed can lead to unfinished work tasks. So, how to stay productive and comfortable while working at home?
The secret is to set your workspace away from your relaxation area.
If you have a spare room at your home–especially a room that has good natural lighting–-you can transform it into your own workspace. But, if you don’t have one, you can pick a spot in your home–it can be a corner in your bedroom or your living room as long as it is not on your bed or somewhere that will make you less productive while working.
4. Find an ergonomic desk and chair
Investing in ergonomic items is essential for every remote worker. A comfortable desk or chair can help support your lower back and posture. In the long run, it can significantly lower the risk of back and neck pain.
5. Design and decorate your own home office
After deciding which spot of your home works best as your workspace, now it is time to decorate it! If you are a big fan of plants, you may want to put some of them on your desk. Table plants bring a breath of fresh air and a pleasant aesthetic to your home office.
Creating an inspirational wall can be a good way to encourage you to focus on your goals. Add some pictures of your loved ones or motivational quotes to make your workspace even more comfortable.
6. Invest in a good-quality WiFi
Attending an online meeting while working remotely is a common thing. But what happens if you lose your internet connection in the middle of an important meeting? You don’t want that to happen, right? If so, you may need WiFi with better internet speed. It will help you finish your tasks faster which can maximize your productivity.
7. Eliminate distractions
Although working from home has numerous advantages, it may also bring a number of new distractions. When at home, it may seem tempting to turn on the TV or do household chores when you should be working.
To eliminate these possible distractions, set aside time for chores and make sure your workspace is clean and neat before the start of the workday.
8. Apply task batching
Task batching is the process of grouping tasks of a similar kind together in order to increase productivity and efficiency. You can better manage your workload and produce higher-quality work by breaking a huge project into smaller, more focused portions, and categorizing them by similarity. In addition, task batching lowers stress levels.
9. Take regular breaks every once in a while
Taking regular quick breaks throughout work hours has been proven to be one of the most efficient techniques for remote employees to increase productivity. This method is known as Podomoro Technique.
This is how this method works:
- Work on a task for 25 minutes.
- Put a checkmark on a sheet of paper after 25 minutes are up.
- Take a 5-minute break (It marks the completion of one “Pomodoro” sprint).
- After every 4 Pomodoro sprints, take a longer break (15 to 30 minutes).
- Follow this method throughout the day, until your work is over.
Giving a task your undivided attention for a manageable period of time helps you to concentrate on completing it while rewarding yourself with a break afterward to keep refreshed. Use this strategy to stay busy, plan enough breaks, and feel more accomplished at the end of the workday.
10. Eat healthy food and exercise regularly
Maintaining an exercise program and eating healthy foods benefit both your physical and emotional wellness. Add some workout equipment, such as dumbbells or an exercise ball to your home office, so you can use them while you are on a break.
In addition, instead of eating processed meals, choose fruits or other healthier options. Being healthy also means taking fewer sick days and being more productive, both of which may help you flourish in your work.
