The C-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our Healthy lives, including how we work. Although work-from-home has been gaining steady popularity over the last decade, C-19 gave it a boost that put into an immediate effect. As a result, working from home is the new normal, but it also comes with challenges.
What Are the Challenges of Working from Home?
Although working from home gives you immense flexibility and freedom, you can work however you like without worrying about your manager’s constant scrutiny. Initially, working from home feels like heaven, but once you get into this routine, it isn’t easy.
Spending more time at home makes it easy to feel distracted, especially for those who don’t live alone. According to a study, employees who work remotely full-time are 70% less productive than office-based employees.
Working from home adds stress to your life, which in turn, increases burnout. This can lead to people relying on smoking and alcohol to cope with their new-found stress. However, it doesn’t take long for this reliance to become an addiction and disrupt your daily life.
If you’re in a similar situation, give it up immediately. You can also reach out to professionals at a rehab facility. Visit www.delphihealthgroup.com for programs and services that best suit your needs. They offer services that can help you overcome the problems you’re facing and help you live a better life.
Five Ways to Stay Healthy and Productive at Home
Here are five tried and tested tips for staying healthy and productive while you work from home.
1.) Create A Routine For WFH
Not having a solid work routine is a serious productivity from Healthy killer. If you don’t stick to a way, you’ll find yourself procrastinating during work hours, dealing with work late into the night, and even missing important deadlines. It’s better to follow the same routine as you would if you were going to your office. Take care of your hygiene, have a hearty breakfast, and start working. Change out of your pajamas first thing in the morning, as doing so can put you in the right mindset.
A proper routine can help define the boundaries between work and leisure. Set your work schedule and stick to it to ensure maximum productivity during work hours. Set timelines for logging in and out of work. Make sure your plan includes breaks to refresh yourself during work hours. Using the exact hourly breakdown at home can help you maximize productivity.
2.) Work at A Dedicated Workspace
A dedicated workspace is essential for working from home. While getting all your work done from the comfort of your couch is convenient, it probably won’t have enough space to accommodate all your work essentials. Moreover, you won’t be able to get much done from your couch due to a lack of organization.
You don’t need an entire room to set up a home office. Regardless of the size of your workspace, just having a dedicated and organized space for work can get you in the right mindset. Even if your office is in the same room as your living space, just designating that area as “for work” will help you set mental boundaries around the space.
Apart from that, little things like playing relaxing music, lighting scented candles, or any other work ritual at your dedicated workspace can get you in your work mindset and help you focus better.
3.) Work in A Neat and Organized Environment
After everything is organized in your home office, it is essential to maintain a tidy space without any unnecessary clutter. A workspace that is uncluttered, functional, and well-organized will make it much easier to concentrate on work-related activities.
A clean environment is like a clean slate, so you can work without spending another thought on what’s going on around you. The golden mantra for avoiding distraction is to remove the clutter around your workspace. Once it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind, and you can focus your full attention on work-related activities.
If you work in a cluttered environment, it will affect your productivity and focus. For example, all the empty coffee cups or unorganized laundry piles beside your workspace will not allow you to focus on your work. Instead, you’ll spend time thinking about everything you need to do around the house.
4.) Maintain Communication
One of the highlights of working in an office is face-to-face communication and daily interactions with other employees during breaks or free time. And adjusting to the lack of such communication can take some time in a work-from-home setting. After all, humans are social animals by nature, and it’s essential to keep up with these subtle but essential interactions for the sake of your mental health.
Enjoy casual chat with your favorite coworker over zoom during office breaks or organize after-work informal meetings to catch up with everyone. Keeping in touch with your coworkers when working from home can enhance focus and productivity while helping you feel less lonely and more positive.
5.) Breaks Are Just as Important
Did you know that humans can focus on a single task for no longer than 45 minutes, so focusing on work for long periods without breaks can negatively affect productivity? On the other hand, frequent breaks during work hours allow you to refresh your mind to continue focusing on the following tasks.
You can use tools like the Pomodoro timer to get healthy breaks while you work. It’s designed to maximize your focus for a certain period with frequent breaks. If you can, take a stroll during your vacation, but if you can’t, leaving your desk and moving around the house will also do the trick. Stretching and taking in the fresh air can do wonders for your productivity. Furthermore, breaks can also motivate you to do better and improve your mood.
Bottom Line
Like everything else, working from home also has Healthy pros and cons. One of the significant challenges is maintaining your focus and levels of productivity. However, there are things you can do to make the most of your time at home and work effectively. Following a fixed schedule, organizing your workspace, keeping it neat and tidy, taking regular breaks, and catching up with colleagues can all increase your productivity. Follow these tips to maximize focus and concentration while working from home.