When the pandemic started over a year ago, many businesses asked their employees to work from home to prevent the spread of the disease. Even after a year, many companies still have work-from-home arrangements with their employees.
While remote work is not new, the pandemic was the first time for many employees to experience this work arrangement. If you are one of these employees, you might not be aware of how you can make your remote work arrangements comfortable to increase your productivity. Here are the ways you can facilitate your work-from-home arrangement and increase your productivity at the same time.
Follow a Regular Work Schedule
When people work from home, they normally have a lot of time on their hands. They may even end up working past the eight-hour shift that they used to follow when they were still working on site. While it can be challenging initially, you should follow the same schedule you had before the pandemic.
To facilitate this, you can set up a clock in your workspace so that you can refer to it whenever you are unsure of the time. You can also use a time tracking app that allows you to know when you are most productive during the day. This allows you to make sure you have no meetings during this time. You can also send the information on the app to your boss if he asks for a productivity report.
Follow a Morning Routine
Following a morning routine is also important for you to increase productivity. You should wake up at around the same time you used to before the pandemic. During the pandemic, you’ll likely have a lot of extra time before you are supposed to clock in for work. You can use the time to exercise or go for a short jog around the neighborhood.
Once you get back home or finish exercising, you can take a shower to freshen up. You can even install a water softener at home so that you’ll take care of your skin and hair while taking a shower before your workday starts. This is particularly true in areas where the water supply is mainly hard water.
You should also make sure to have a good breakfast before you start working. Aside from giving you the energy you need for work, eating your breakfast is also a good way to lose weight. It will let you avoid overeating later when you get hungry.
When you follow a morning routine before work, you get to prepare yourself and get the energy you need for the rest of the day.
Set Rules at Home
During the pandemic, schools also closed to protect the children from the virus. This has changed with the increased vaccination efforts of the government. Many schools plan to reopen when the new school year starts. But if your children will still take classes from home, you should make sure to set rules inside the house.
You should let them understand that you are working from home and that they should not disturb you during that time. Having a separate work area, such as a den, will facilitate this since you can tell them not to enter the room while working.
Take Regular Breaks
One thing that some employees forget when they start working from home is that they are entitled to taking breaks during the day. You should make sure to observe this and take two 15-minute breaks as well as a one-hour lunch break. Taking a break allows you to remain productive throughout the day. Stepping away from your desk allows you to refocus and regain your energy to work. It also facilitates the processing and retention of information.
When you take a break, you also get the chance to cultivate healthy habits since you’ll have time to take a proper lunch or exercise for a short while. Additionally, you’ll notice that your creativity level will increase when you take a break. When you let your brain rest for a while, you can gain a fresh perspective on the project you are currently working on.
Go Outside
When you are taking your break, you can also go outside of the house. The natural light and fresh air will do wonders for you. You may have done this as well before the pandemic started. You may have even visited a nearby coffee shop to get yourself a cup of coffee. Even though the end of the pandemic is drawing near, you should still observe proper health protocols, especially if you are not yet fully vaccinated.
Working from home can be challenging if you are not used to it. But following simple guidelines will help increase your productivity while you are working remotely.
