Even before the global pandemic made working from home a routine , increasing numbers of people were already saying goodbye to their monotonous schedules at offices. Skype, FaceTime, Slack, Zoom, Google meets—not to mention texting and email—it’s no longer necessary to be in an office full time to be a productive member of the team. In fact, many kinds of work can be done just as effectively, if not more so, from a home office.

But, there are certain disadvantages too, for ‘Work from home’ and many people have alleged it to make them more lethargic. They are finding themselves unable to concentrate on their work with the focus they had before. The ‘homey environment’ have made them lose a boundary between home and work. Also, we have our family and loved ones at home who are always looking forward to spend time with us. The pandemic has made all of us so. Drawing a line between personal and professional times during the day has became difficult for us. But, still one has to manage and then the inability to manage leads to stress levels. This is not just a case for working people, but also students who are not able to give proper time to their studies at home. 

Let’s look at some methods to effectively work from home: 

1. Monitor your time: Firstly, just find out properly on where you lose most of your time. You can even make a ‘What do I do in my day’ sort of video to carefully notice where are you spending or wasting your time and which other necessary activities are being compromised due to this. Also, find out that when you are working, what thoughts or distractions are degrading your performance. All of this might sound a little weird, but it’s true that before starting to improve, you need to know the flaws. Only you can help yourself in this process. If you find your mobile phone a major distraction, then try switching it off during your work hours. If you’re working with your phone, try switching off notifications. After finding, try avoiding and coming on track. Here are some methods to do so. 

2. Set a time table and schedule: The ultimate guide to a productive life is properly planning your time according to your priorities. Broadly, set a schedule and stick to it most of the time. Having clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day helps many remote workers maintain work-life balance.

Creating a routine that guides you into the chair is another. A routine can be more powerful than a clock at helping you get started each day. Set ground rules with other people in your home or who share your space when you work.  Manage your schedule instead of letting it manage you. Ask for help when you need it. Delegating tasks is a sign of a confident, productive worker. 

3. Fix a working place: To set clear boundaries, you need to fix a place at your home and try giving it a workplace ambience. This is essential to make you feel you’re at work and then you have a home to return to after work. Also, you need to make your loved ones understand not to disturb you there at your work hours and . If you share a space with another person who’s working from home, you may have to negotiate quiet times, meeting times, and any shared equipment, like desks and chairs.

4. Avoid procrastination: ‘Every day spent procrastinating is another day spent worrying about it.’ Avoiding procrastination will come from your inner self. It will be something you need as a ‘self motivation’ which tings you every time you’re wasting time or procrastinating.

5. Stay connected: Prolonged isolation can lead to weakened productivity and motivation. Make a point of scheduling regular coffees and meetings with colleagues, clients, and family members. Go out and chill when you are stressing out much. Hanging out with friends and dear ones on some weekends refreshes the mind. You can also get involved with professional organizations.

     ~Deepti Jain

Growth Central VC