6 WAYS TO MAKE WORK FROM HOME PRODUCTIVE| WFH NORMS|

During pandemic transitions into the new normal working from home has become a mandatory method of operations. It has a lot of benefits and today almost half of global businesses offer some sort of work-from-home option. Many employees appreciate the flexibility and comfort that remote work provides. But adjusting to working from home if you’re used to being in an office environment isn’t always a cakewalk. Feeling disconnected from their coworkers, some people struggle to maintain their usual productivity level and also maintain communication channels with stakeholders. 

Best benefits of WFH –

1. Flexible Schedule– One huge benefit of working from home is that your schedule can be a little more flexible. Want to meet up with a friend during your lunch hour? Need a walk around the block to clear your head? Want to sneak in a workout during the time you would have been commuting? In most cases, you’re free to go for it! The flexibility of working from home especially appeals to people who have children (or even just pets, or senior citizen to take care). If you’re needed for anything, you’re already there.
2. Financial Benefits -Working from home can save you a lot of money. Think about all the small expenses you incur on a daily basis when going into the office. Gas for your car, public transportation, parking, tolls, lunch, coffee, and more all add up big-time. Add in childcare and business clothes and the cost rises even higher. 
3. Higher Productivity -When you work remotely, you can create your ideal work environment. At home, you control the room temperature, noise level, and lighting situation — you won’t have to deal with the distractions of a typical office. The freedom to make these small choices will make a big difference in the quality and quantity of work you can get done. Your productivity may even extend past office work.

6 Ways to make work from home super productive for yourself:

Adjusting to working from home can be difficult if you’re accustomed to being in the office. Here are a few proven ways for success and ease.

1. Daily Workday Schedule -Sticking to a daily schedule is an essential step to succeed while working from home. Working as per your Outlook or Google calendar can make things easier. You could also use a Pomodoro tool. Blocking out time for every activity and meeting makes it a priority. Whether you need to work in shifts due to office requirements or a 9-5 schedule adhere to the same on regular basis. Taking breaks along with this is also necessary to avoid any monotony or burnout. You could take a walk-do yoga, have a chat, or timeout for meals preparation. Also understanding what is the most productive time in your day can also help you. 
2. Dress code for activities -Being in the work mode starts with how you dress for the day. Putting on nice clothes just to sit on your couch might feel like a waste of time, but in reality, getting dressed in work clothes puts you in the right mindset to be productive. Whether you wear business casual clothes or putting on jeans and a nice shirt that’s not a T-shirt is more helpful than staying in your bedtime attire. In addition, getting ready in the morning like you normally would ensure that you are ready to hop on a video chat or take a last-minute meeting at any time. 
3. Create A Designated Work Area– Setting aside a specific place to do your work each day will help you be more productive. This also helps you set physical boundaries, communicating to your spouse, children, or roommate that you aren’t available when you’re working. And when you’re done working at the end of the day, you can leave the room and shut the door — leaving any work stress at the office. How can you set up the perfect space? Find a desk and a comfortable chair. Then make space for everything you need — whether that’s a printer, headphones, or some things you want, too (think a family photo, scented candle, or colorful stress ball). This can help you create an area that’s both functional and fun — somewhere that you look forward to going to each morning.
4. Minimize Interruptions & Stop Multitasking -Working remotely comes with a unique set of potential distractions and interruptions. Whether it’s your child calling your name, the mailman ringing the doorbell, or your phone chiming with a text, it’s all too easy to give in to these interruptions instead of focusing on the task at hand. Minimize these disruptions by silencing your phone, getting some noise-canceling headphones, and keeping your kids and/or pets busy with a new game or toy. This is also where it comes in handy to have a designated workspace. Completing one activity at the time not only increases focus it also allows you to complete things in order. Multitasking is a tempting option. It becomes even more appealing when you’re working from home. Simultaneously sitting in on a conference call, folding laundry, and mentally starting your next project might make you feel productive. But actually, it’s just the opposite: Multitasking as per research reduces 40% of your productivity and is injurious to the brain. 
5. Avoid Procrastination -You might be tempted to put off your hardest piece of work until the end of the day or even the day it’s due. At that rate, you’ll just procrastinate — and when you do finally get it done, the job won’t reflect your best work. What’s more, if you complete the hardest job first, you’ll feel more confident in your abilities.
6. Communication For WFH-Communication with your coworkers becomes a lot more difficult when you aren’t physically side-by-side. But although it’s difficult, it becomes more important, too. You can always share your work hours with your associates for convenience or set up a calendar, have daily check-ins with project leads or team members through the office communicators, optimal use of the video chats, etc. Keeping communication channels open is the fundamental need of productivity in modern times. Also, several tools are now available to make this journey more impactful for yourself and others. (Asan, Zoom, MS Teams, Toggl, Hubstaff, Google workspace, Freedom etc. (Watch out for our next post on this one.)

How are you making WFH useful? How connected are you with your network? Are you getting sucked into other activities? Are you also aligned to your teams and company vision while doing your work? Are you getting siloed due to WFH? Do share with us your perspectives of this new normal?