Top 6 tips for working from home effectively during Covid-19 pandemic
Since the beginning of the year 2020, COVID-19 measures taken by our government have forced many of us to bring the work home. While the idea of shifting our workspace to the most comfortable zone i.e., home, is exciting, WFH might end up being the hotspot of all your stress if we don't balance between the two important aspects of our lives - WORK and HOME. Many of us, from time to time, would have wished for an opportunity to work from home. However, the situation of being confined within the four walls of our homes, without any physical interactions with colleagues, poses a very different challenge for all of us.
What worries us most is that we don't have the sight of an end to this situation yet. It is also possible that a new culture of Work from home will emerge where employees are expected increasingly to work from anywhere based on the current secured infrastructure and the extended office concept. Working from home becomes new normal, and we must learn to balance between work and home with a little bit of the application of mind. It also saves a significant amount of time, which otherwise would have been lost on travel and other preparations to go for Work.
Therefore, it's important that we understand how to deal with and prevent stress while working from home. We need to learn to adapt to the change in the environment. The better we adapt, understand, and plan for the current scenario better will be our future possibilities, which will eventually make our Work less stressful and more meaningful. Like everyone Initially, it was not easy for me, but some good planning and tracking, I am getting through this successfully. So here are a few tips that helped me get into the new normal and reduce my own stress level.
Plan your day
This is the first tip, which means this is the most important tip I can give you. There is a famous saying Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail. One of the main reasons for stress at Work is unproductiveness or not being able to meet the deadlines. So, write down a 'to-do list' at the beginning of the day and strike them off once a task has been completed. Trust me, Striking down the completed give you immense satisfaction and motivation to complete the pending task for the day. Breaking the day into smaller tasks helps you prioritize and focus. You should discuss with your clients or manager about the most priority tasks and their expectations to prioritize your daily routine accordingly. So that important tasks get accomplished.
Be flexible with the time.
We all have a family, and they are the source of our joy and the motivation of why we work hard. When we bring our Work to home, we are literally adding a situation into their comfort zone. So you should be flexible with our work schedule so that we don't have to compromise the happiness and freedom of our family members. The method I use personally is, I start my day at 4 AM, a major chunk of my Work gets done by the afternoon. This might work well if we have small children who are missing school and getting bored at home. Remember, always keep the same work-time schedule and let your colleagues know.
Working Overtime will not help.
Now you are working from home, that means time for traveling and preparations to go to the office are saved. But that doesn't mean you work more. Working more than what is expected from you can do can lead to too much stress in the long run, not only for us but also for our team members. It is not expected that we work 24X7 just because our Work moved home. Plan the Work for 9 hours and have a bit of flexibility to move things around. Remember, there is always another day!
Take breaks, and don't forget socializing.
Since you suddenly start working from home, you're cutting off a lot of the social life you are used to having throughout the day that helps you feel less lonely and break up the work stress. Battle this by keeping in touch with your coworkers throughout the day through calls, text, Zoom, or your company communicates. These little interactions can go a long way. When the world is facing a pandemic, and everyone is freaking out, it's more important that we reach out, connect, and support each other.
Create a "home office" environment
This is one of the most important tips to stay productive while working from home. Find a small clean, and quiet corner at home to create an orderly office space. Choose the place where the internet signal is strong and where there is less disturbance. A comfortable chair, table, and quality headphones with mic are also very important. It is our office, and we need to pay some attention to how it needs to be.
Communicate and Be available
It is not appropriate to disappear from Work without informing; the same goes if you are working from home. So, always be available, especially during your work hours. Remember, with more flexibility comes great responsibility. If you have a situation, communicate that to your boss and coworkers. Dropping mail to coworkers is a great idea.
Working from home is the new normal. Sooner we accept this fact and adapt well, easier it becomes to address any source of stress. If planned well, it can turn into one of the most enjoyable experiences!
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