The Coronavirus threat is alarming. The virus that first originated in Wuhan, China has now taken the world by storm and has turned into a global health emergency. This was only three months ago, but the rate at which coronavirus is knocking the doors globally is daunting. In India, as of March 20th 2020, a total of 194 cases have been reported. People have been asked to stay at their homes, all common places like malls, temples, etc. have been shut and employees in most companies have been directed to work from home.
The situation has truly triggered a major health concern globally and in India with a total of more than 221,887 cases and 8,000 deaths. Many adequate measures have been taken in India to mitigate the threat like cancelling of international flights, spreading awareness on mobile phones, and more. This was recently appreciated by the World Health Organization. Even the corporate sector is putting efforts to make sure that all the employees are safe. But since there shouldn’t be any halt to the entire workflow, these employees have also been advised to work from home.
Work from home might ensure a smooth workflow for the corporate sector and might help you work in the comforts of your home. So, why wait? Take your laptop and sit down on a couch for a comfy work from home. But, stop — your challenges do not end there!
Work from home may seem like an easy way of working but sometimes making it efficient can really be challenging. When you aren’t working in your office, there can be a number of distractions and mostly there can even be a lack of accountability and communication, which can ultimately result in low productivity. This may then seem like a hard task to achieve but since safety comes first, you might be left with no other choice. But making work from home efficient isn’t an impossible target to achieve. Many people work remotely from their offices due to reasons like being a working parent, managing affairs of a particular zone for the company, etc. Yet, they have suggested that working from home wasn’t a hard thing for them after all. Even some freelancers do it. So, why can’t you?
The issue of the spread of coronavirus needs to be addressed not only by the government but also by the employees, who need to make sure of their safety. As an employee of a firm, you need to take preventive measures and cooperate with the safety instructions, without compromising the needs of your employer. So how can you make your work from home more efficient without hampering productivity? Don’t worry, we at Colive, today will suggest you 10 ways in which you can make your work from home efficient.
Also Read: Coronavirus Outbreak: Don’t Panic, Here’s What You Need To Know
1.Prioritize your task before starting to work from home
This should be the very first step to take before you start working from home. Work from may seem like a piece of cake but believe me, if you haven’t prioritized your tasks you might not be able to utilize the time at hand at doing the most important tasks first. Some people might argue that work from home should be more comfortable and flexible but this just isn’t the case. Remember that whether you are working in your office or at home, you are given a definite target that you need to achieve by the end of the day.
To solve this problem, take notes from your manager or employer about which tasks have to be taken at hand before you sit down to work from home. Then sort out which of these tasks need are more important and which are less. Begin with the most important ones and then begin your work.
2. Divide your work time and personal time
There is a definite reason behind you opting for work from home. Though the most obvious reason nowadays is the spread of COVID19, yet it might be even because you need to travel all the time or that you are a working parent. But you need to keep clear boundaries between your work time and your personal time. When you have decided to stay in the comforts of your home and work, you would definitely want to keep some spare time to do some personal tasks too. These little tasks may include doing the dishes or cleaning the house but they shouldn’t hamper the productivity in your work.
For this, you should create definite boundaries between work time and personal time. You should contribute a bigger portion of your time to your work and a small portion to personal chores. This is because your employer’s work should be your first priority when you work from home.
3. Dress up as you do for your office
Most people take work from home to sit back in their couches or even stay in their beds while working. They even prefer wearing cosy clothes to make them feel comfortable but this sometimes hampers their productivity. They start feeling lazy, doze off, and this, in turn, slows down the pace of their work. While on the other hand, dressing up as you do for work might actually help you create an office-like environment at home. You might feel confident, positive and motivated for work like you do at your office.
Dress up for work from home in the way you like but make sure that your dressing sense doesn’t make you feel sleepy or disinterested in working. For this have a bath and hone in the best of your clothes as you do for your office. And who knows, you might actually be more productive than you even do at your office!
4. Make a workplace-like environment for work from home
This is one of the most important steps you should consider before beginning your work from home. Making a workplace-like environment before you work from home, determines how productive you will be at work. This decision will reflect on your attitude towards working and you will even feel positive and upright by the end of the day. Imagine having dirty clothes or eaten pizza carton boxes on your working table. Won’t you feel disinterested in working? A clean table, on the other hand, organized with office supplies like pens, a notepad, etc., will actually make you feel more motivated throughout the day.
So, what do you need to do? Start with simple steps. Keep only the things needed near the place of your work. Organize your workstation with small office supplies, a bottle of water, and everything else you need. You can even decorate the walls near you with a chart board and pin down your priority tasks on it. A workplace-like environment will surely boost up your productivity when you are working from home.
5. Stay away from all distractions
The biggest challenge while working from home is getting rid of all distractions. Whether they are your noisy neighbours or the kids inside your house, you might find it hard to concentrate. The best example of distractions while working can be your smartphone if you are addicted to it. But overall, just because of these small distractions your work from home won’t be efficient and your productivity will go down. This is the reason why some people refrain from working at home.
For this, you need to keep all your distractions away from you until your work is complete. Moreover, you can move to a quieter place like your balcony or study room and even ask your kids and family members not to bother you while you are working.
6. Keep effective communication with coworkers
The biggest drawback of doing work from home is finding it hard to communicate with your team or coworkers. While you can stay within the comforts of your home and work, you will always face issues connecting effectively with your coworkers or the manager. This may affect your work quality and efficiency.
To evade this problem, you must ensure that your comms are working effectively. You should have a fast internet connection and should also consider using platforms like Skype and Google Hangouts for reaching out to your team.
7. Tune into some music
Tuning into your favourite music can surely make you feel more positive and motivated. And, if it’s your work, some mild music can definitely relax your mind and help you work more effectively. The same applies to work from home as sometimes you might become a couch potato while working for long hours. You will then start feeling tired and bored and might want to get rid of work as soon as possible. And a rushed work might sometimes won’t be as effective as the one worked on with a relaxed mind. Some music, on the other hand, will keep all your stress away and will keep you motivated throughout the day.
8. Keep your social media interaction limited
Social Media in the contemporary world has become an integral part of our lives. People can’t stay away from this virtual reality nowadays. It has some relevance in our day-to-day lives like keeping us updated about things in and around us. But yet is it an established fact that it reduces the productivity of our work manifold. Sometimes you are bound to keep your social media interaction limited in your office but during work from home, you might find yourself relaxed from all restrictions. You might feel the urge to get in touch with your friends on social media and end up making your work less efficient.
Refraining from social media should be an important tip to consider while working from home. You should interact with it less often or only when it’s too urgent. You can pick a spare time for it like small breaks.
9. Take small breaks at regular intervals
You might sometimes feel bored or disinterested after working for long hours during your work from home. Taking breaks at small intervals might actually help you evade the boredoms and make you feel relaxed. In these small breaks, you can go out for a walk or have some snacks and tea. You can even talk to some of your friends and family members as this might relax your mind.
You can even consider taking shorter and longer breaks. While in the short breaks you can have snacks and tea, in the long breaks you can do some household chores like washing the dishes or cooking your dinner.
10. Prepare your meals before beginning to work from home
The biggest challenge people face while working from home is finding time to cook meals. This is because you can’t work effectively in an empty stomach. You need to keep your body energized and hydrated all the time. For this, you need to take out spare time to cook your meals.
The best option is to prepare your meals before beginning to work from home. You can do the preparation the previous night like cutting the vegetables and storing in the fridge and prepare it right before your work. This way all you need to do would be heating it up over the stove or in the oven, before taking your meals during the lunch break.
The coronavirus threat is real. We all need to stand together and cooperate in order to mitigate the risks. And, most employees have been directed to work from home to keep them safe from the global outbreak. Though most of us might find working from home a totally new experience in the alarming situation, these 10 tips will surely help to make it efficient.
At Colive, we provide the best rental homes at an affordable rate. We have beefed up our safety against COVID-19 at our facilities by taking adequate hygiene measures. We also provide you with a High-Speed Internet to give you the ultimate experience of work from home, considering the current scenario. Facing issues finding clean and well-maintained homes for you? Visit our website and schedule a visit today!
We hope most of you must be working from home in this global health emergency. How is your work from home experience? Share your thoughts in the comments.
