The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a complete shutdown all over the world. People who work full-time are now spending a lot more time at home, including weekdays. Most of us are still working from home and although this means greater flexibility in terms of timings and lesser chances of physical burnout, it seems as if working from home is harder than we thought.
Many individuals are witnessing a decrease in their overall productivity, and that’s understandable as transitioning to your laptop from your pillow can be a really difficult thing to do. But it doesn’t always have to be. In this article, serial entrepreneur Vishal Jain has shared some tips for increasing productivity while working remotely from home.
For those who don’t know, Vishal is the founder and CEO of Sunshy Group of Companies, a corporate group that holds other companies including Sunshy Digital Media Agency and Realstagram. Vishal is also a member of one of the Forbes Council. Here’s what he had to say about working from home:
Start Your Day With Exercise
The majority of people tend to underestimate the effectiveness of exercise in getting you charged up and ready for work. When you’re working in an office, your preparation and commute can help you get ready for work; but that’s not the case with work from home.
“To make things easier for yourself, replace your morning commute with a walk or simple exercises. Ideally, you should spend at least 15 to 20 minutes exercising to increase your blood flow and get your mind working,” says Vishal, adding that you should also have a proper breakfast before you start work or else you will find yourself taking breaks very often to eat.
Dedicate A Proper Space For Work At Home
For most people, working from home actually means working from their bed or couch – and that’s not good. Since Vishal is a business owner, he has to work round the clock. For this purpose, he has set up a study room in his home. He believes that it is extremely important because “if you work from your couch or bed, you will find yourself slowly slipping for a nap after every hour”.
Dedicating a proper space for work at home does not only make you more active, but it also helps in preventing unwanted interruptions from your family or roommate(s). Even a simple desk and chair will help you bring the office environment at home, and this can increase your productivity to a great extent.
It’s Okay To Take Short Breaks
While working continuously is good as it helps you build a flow that leads to greater productivity, at times, it can also lead to serious burnout. Fortunately, this can be avoided by taking short breaks twice or thrice during work.
Ideally, you should use these breaks to drink water and eat something to refreshen yourself. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with work, try to make a to-do list during your break so that you can sort out your work easily. But what Vishal wouldn’t recommend is watching a series during these breaks, as chances are that you will end up spending an hour at least on it, and this will add to your pressure only.
At The End Of The Day, Log Off!
Perhaps the most important tip that Vishal has to give is “create boundaries”. Once you’re done with your tasks for the day, it’s time to log off; not just from the laptop, but from work completely “Working from home does not mean you need to think about work all the time. At the end of the day, you need to keep work aside and relax so that you can be more productive the next day,” says Vishal.
Creating a stable work-life balance is crucial, as too much work can lead to burnout and lower productivity. Similarly, too much relaxation can also lead to piles of work and this can lead to more stress. Thus, you need to maintain an intricate balance between work and leisure.
Working from home can be a little difficult and at times, it can take a toll on your mental health. However, you need to stay consistent and focus on what’s important to ultimately achieve your goals.