11 Tips for Working from Home

Introduction 

With covid almost fleeting from our lives, it has made us rely on a few trends. Work from home is a trend that has made people’s lives a lot more convenient. Our office’s work from home norms gives us the liberty of having a great personal life. While there are numerous benefits of remote jobs, you cannot seem to have motivation all the time. Hence, setting up a good structure and disciplining yourself is crucial. These 11 tips will make you have the best work from home experience. Let’s jump in! 

Tips to effectively work from home 

These revolutionary tips can make your life a lot easier and worth enjoying. Here you go: 

• Plan your day 

Working from home means you have to be hands-on with daily chores. With various distractions, you cannot seem to concentrate on the task at hand while the clock ticks by faster. Planning your day in your head would not cut it for you. Hence, prioritizing tasks and acting upon them is key to getting things done on time. Divide your day into three parts and assign windows to them. Here is a simple way to plan your day, which you can branch out to have a more elaborate plan: 

 

Time	Activity	Priority level
No more than 6-8 hours	Office work	Highest
No more than 2 hours	House chores	High
No more than 3 hours	Personal time	High-medium

 

• Setup a designated workplace 

We usually choose our couch, bed, or dining table as an office space when working from home. The work environment is crucial to getting into the working mindset. Working from a bed or a couch makes you lay down and laze around. Hence, invest in a good desk and a chair to set up a small working nook. You need to get information about chairs and do your research before getting one. The chair helps in supporting optimal posture and enhancing productivity. 

• Give yourself short deadlines 

When working from home, you can get easily distracted by anything, especially your phone. It is essential to keep your phone away, stop procrastinating and get work done. Give yourself short deadlines of 30-minutes to an hour to get designated work done. Train yourself to follow the deadlines and work at an effective pace. You can reward yourself with a five-minute screen time once you meet the deadline. 

• Start work early 

With work becoming a frequent thing, people start their work later on in the day. Hence, they have to work all night to finish their tasks for the day. You can feel burnt out if you work all day and night, giving you no personal time. Hence, it is essential to wake up early and work during office hours. 

• Set up a routine 

Routines are important to have whether you have to work from home or not. Train your body to work on a specified routine as it helps keep you disciplined. Wake up at a fixed time and go to bed at a particular one. It helps things get done faster and more effectively. Here are a few tips for setting up a routine: 

• Fix your sleeping pattern 
• Plan things around your tasks 
• Have fixed time to eat meals 
• Be an early riser 
• Work according to a plan 
• Make things interesting 

• Invest in a good computer 

A fast laptop is key to having a smooth and productive day at work. Most workplaces don’t provide laptops; hence, you have to use your own. A laptop that hangs a lot can deteriorate your productivity. You can find a lot of affordable laptops under $700 that work faster and more effectively. Make sure to buy one that suits your profession the best. 

• Minimize distractions 

You may have a lot of distractions around you, killing your mood to work altogether. Hence, it is better to keep your distractions away and focus on work. Are you tempted to scroll on your social media or watch Netflix series? Before you give in to your temptation, tuck your phone away. Use noise cancellation headphones and connect your laptop to WhatsApp to see messages. Some ways to minimize distractions are as follows: 

• Set small deadlines 
• Keep your phone out of reach 
• Use a quiet area in your house to work 
• Use noise cancellation headphones 

• Maintain connection with your colleagues 

A lot of software allows you to keep a connection with your team. Use the one your company uses to ensure everybody is updated and performs optimally. Here are three benefits to staying connected to your team: 

• Using collaborative software ensures everybody is on the same page and working productively. 
• Online moral support helps you meet your deadlines faster. 
• The communication gap is filled, leaving room for lesser to no mistakes. 

• Keep your body moving 

Working from home means sitting in a chair for more than eight hours. Your body can become extremely stiff, causing back issues. Hence, it is crucial to indulge in exercise such as walking at the end of the day.  

• Have a social life 

People can often get depressed when working from home by watching the screen the whole day and not having anyone to talk to. It is essential to go out with people you enjoy to have a fresh perspective. Go out with your friends or family each weekend to have fun conversations. Here is how you can socialize: 

• Go out with friends 
• Don’t hesitate to talk to strangers 
• Sign-up for social media friendship groups 

• Separate your personal and professional life 

Having a separate personal and professional life is crucial to performing well in your career. Working from home does not allow you to do so often, making you fail in accomplishing daily goals. Hence, manage your time between work, house chores, and relationships effectively. Don’t give much attention to your family or roommates in-office hours. 

Is working from home better than the in-house environment? 

Working from home has undoubtedly given many people the opportunity to work without giving up their personal life. Parents enjoy working from home as it gives them the flexibility to be more active with their children. However, it has its fair share of drawbacks that can’t be overlooked. Hence, the work from home benefits depends upon your life situation.