Tips to work from home and stay productive during the Coronavirus Outbreak

23 Mar 2020

Tips to work from home and stay productive during the Coronavirus Outbreak

Many of us are spending a lot more time at home right now since many districts in India are under lockdown due to corona virus outbreak.The expectation to work is the same, but the environment is not. The key to work-from-home is to create an environment that allows you to focus on the tasks at hand. Whether you are working from home for the first time or it’s just a refresher, here are some tips on how to stay productive while working from home.

Have a separate Work Space

Just as you made your office workspace your own, you need to carve out workspace of your own at home. Establishing a distinct work environment is important.

If you already have an at-home office or desk, carry out your day to day work from there. If you don’t, try to create an office space that is comfortable for you to work.

Psychologically, this will help you to create a distinction of sorts between your work and family life and responsibilities, and it also will help others at home that while you are at your workspace, you should not be interrupted.

Add some life to your space if possible by keeping small plant or flowers or may be a fish bowl.

Make wise use of Technology

Working from home requires an increased dependence on technology. If you work in an environment that requires many face-to-face meetings, your team can incorporate video conference using video calling app such as Skype.

Even people, who have most of their work over emails, can feel the effects of isolation. You can talk to your fellow team mates if they are comfortable over Skype calls even if it is just for some time sharing laughs with them.

May be use of some noise cancelling head phones will also help depending on the type of work you do.

Consider your dressing

While many of you are tempted to take advantage of working in sweat shirts and t-shirts, wearing a formal dress that you usually wear while going to office can help you get into the right mentality.

Wearing the right kind of dress will give you a feel of confidence to complete your day to day tasks.

Take small breaks

Just because your home has also become your office doesn’t mean you should stay still the whole day. It’s important to take small short breaks in between, ideally every 60 to 90 minutes.

Give your eye small breaks like looking at something pleasant to your eyes or do some quick eye exercises like staring at an object 20 yards away for 20 seconds.

Short exercise or activity break during the day can boost overall well-being and your performance.

Keep your workspace clean and keep distractions away

It’s very important to keep your working space de-cluttered. Keep all of your belongings like work papers, your work files, books you read or the coffee mug you have used organized.

Keep away things that can remind you of your house hold chores. Shut off the notifications which you feel might distract you (Facebook, What’s app, Instagram and so on…). Use these only when necessary.

Finally, make a list of all the chores you need to accomplish in the coming day and strike out the things that you have completed. Do not postpone your work as it will only increase the list of unfinished tasks at desk.

While you work from home,make sure to keep yourself protected from Coronavirus by following some preventive measures:

Coronavirus is believed to spread through person-to-person contact. The Department of Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)recommends the following measures;

  • Avoid Handshakes, greet with Namaste.
  • Wash your hands with soap often. If you went out for any important reasons, wash your hands thoroughly or use sanitizer once your back home.
  • Avoid touching your Eyes, Mouth and Nose with unwashed bare hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Keep your home disinfected. Use sanitizer or any disinfectant to clean commonly touched surfaces like Door knobs, kitchen cabinets, countertops, switches, and so on…
  • Close your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow.

Stay in contact with your supervisor to ensure you have everything you need to be successful while working from home. It’s not only important to finish the tasks on time but also important to keep yourself protected. Stay at home and stay safe.

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