Taking action for your business or Job feels good; that rush of crossing things off your list and getting all your ducks in a row. Unfortunately, it can also be hard to work from home every day, especially when the lines between personal and professional lives begin to blur.
It is of essential importance that we adapt rapidly to our new reality. If you’re trying to work from home, you might feel your growth and improvement options are somewhat limited right now. Luckily, there are ways you can take action to support your work from home initiatives so that you can continue to grow and prioritize your goals effectively.
1. Create A Workspace

Even though you are locked down at home and working from your comfortable space, ensure that you don’t end up sitting in bed or at the dining table with your laptop working. It plays with your mind and creates a relaxed, laidback mode. Instead, have a dedicated workspace with a desk and peripherals for work use only. If there’s a lack of space, then communicate to your family that a particular corner in the house will be a workspace during your work hours. This creates discipline and lets you work without distraction.
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2.Follow Regular Work Hours

Make sure that you set a schedule and stick to it. When other remote workers from your organisation, including your seniors, know that you are strict with your work hours, even while working from home, it gives a clear message that you are severe and sincere with your work. For days when you must work a little late, make sure that you wrap up early the next day or start a bit late to avoid stress.
3. Have A Fixed Morning Routine

Having a work routine isn’t the only important factor that makes you an efficient remote worker. But your morning routine(before you even get to your desk) plays a huge role too. It might include your wake up time, breakfast, exercise, morning shower, other household chores (if any), reading the news, etc. Have enough time for these activities before you get started with your daily office work.
4. Use music as a focus tool
If you live with many people, children, or pets or have a loud neighbourhood, it can be extremely challenging to concentrate on work. In these situations, music is your best friend. You can find playlists that will help you focus on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. These are instrumental songs that help you tune out the noise around you and focus on your work better. Put your headphones on, play your favourite focus playlist, and slay your to-do list without getting distracted.
5. Plan your household chores

If you are tackling all the household chores on your own, it’s essential to plan it according to your work timings. If you have a 9 to 5 workday, squeezing in household chores during your work hours can be highly challenging. To get more time for your tasks, plan so that they won’t interfere with your work. For instance, you can cook your lunch before you start your office work. You can also take a few minutes to do the dishes after lunch to save effort and time later.
Take your work timings into consideration and plan your day accordingly. It will ensure that you are getting work done during your work hours and tackling your household chores.
6. Take planned breaks
One of the most effective ways of staying productive is to take a short break after completing a specific task. But, sometimes, our breaks at home can tend to get a little longer than expected. You start scrolling through social media or reading on some exciting bit, and before you know it, you’ve already wasted 15 mins. This can affect your productivity levels and ability to gather focus again. It’s crucial to take timed breaks and stay away from your phone or television during the break to deal with this. For instance, after completing a task, set a 5-minute timer on your phone. Use those five minutes to stretch, make coffee, or tidy up your desk. Doing this will keep your mind off work for five minutes but won’t distract you later.
7. Socialize With Colleagues
Loneliness, disconnect, and isolation is common problems in remote work life, especially for extroverts. Companies with a small work culture usually offer ways to socialise. For example, they might have chat channels where remote employees can talk about common interests, meetups for people in the same region, and (once the coronavirus ends) in-person retreats. It’s essential to figure out how much interaction you need to feel connected and included. Even if you’re highly introverted and don’t like socialising, give a few interactive experiences a try so that you’re familiar with them if you ever decide you want them. If you’re not at a company with a solid remote culture, you may need to be more proactive about nurturing relationships. One of the main ways people socialise at work when working from home is via business messaging apps like Slack. The only problem is that they can provide too much opportunity for socialising.
8. Take Sick Days

When you’re not well, take the sick time you need. If sick days are part of your compensation package, take the time off that you need. Not taking it is like throwing away money. If you’re a freelancer who doesn’t have paid sick days, it can be effortless to fall into the opposite time-is-money trap and try to power through illnesses. Keep in mind that sometimes it’s best to rest and get better to be your most productive self in the long term.
9. Maintain A Positive Attitude
Working from home for a long time can be a little stressful for some. Make sure you don’t let that reflect in your work or your attitude towards your colleagues. Taking regular breaks and strictly having your weekly days off is a must; create time for your hobbies, family, etc.
10. Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself
The most successful remote employees have a reputation for being extremely disciplined. After all, it takes serious focus to do any full-time office job from an unconventional space. That said, everyone lets their attention drift sometimes. If you find yourself working one minute and booking flights for your upcoming vacation the next, don’t reprimand yourself too harshly. Instead, ask yourself whether people in an office setting do the same thing. If the answer is yes, cut yourself some slack, then get back to work. Above all, remember, you need to balance productivity with self-care; otherwise, you risk burning out.
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