Sonali Desai
Within the
domestic space, how many of you have managed to create a work corner that’s
truly work-friendly? Are you able to walk the tight-rope of work-life balance
now that you’re confined to home?
Even work from home can be confusing: there is clearly a lack
of physical boundaries between work and family dynamics. In 2014, Harvard
Business Review published a study conducted on two groups at a call centre
company. The results showed that employees who worked from home were much
happier and productive. However, the researchers still favoured employees
working only for one or two days a week from home.
Evidently,
it’s tricky. So, here are some work from home tips you could follow while we all wait for the
lockdown to end.
1)
Create an exclusive workspace: Get creative
and build a space in your living room or any
room where there is natural light and air. If you have kids, lock your room and
work. It’s advisable to fix your working hours, even
if it’s not assigned by the management. If you
live in a small apartment, your workspace doesn’t
have to be in a separate room. It can be a dedicated corner that you use for office work alone. A comfortable chair is a must, and a few decorations to
keep you energised. This workspace will ensure that you fully disengage at the
end of the day.
2)
Take a break: Remember those coffee breaks? Surely, you
don’t have to miss them. Fix your break timings too and ensure that you
follow this time religiously. Starting from breakfast, lunch, coffee/tea
session and evening snacks, you need to
strategise your day like it’s a project. It
will require a lot of discipline. Your weekend
should tell you whether your weekdays are functioning professionally or not.
If the relief associated with “Thank God, it’s Friday” is still something you look forward to, your work week was productive.
3)
Social media distancing:
Now that there’s no one to watch over you, it’s tempting to go online whenever
you feel bored. This habit might ruin your entire day, especially if you don’t have
the discipline to stop after a while. Even news channels can be very
distracting and frightening as news updates on coronavirus will only cause more
worry and fear. Limit the use of TV and mobile to work efficiently from home.
4)
Do not overeat: Now you
have the entire kitchen at your disposal. If you’re staying with family, piping-hot
meals are served on your table. Do not make that mistake. Turn off the laptop
and join the family for a meal and stick to your timing. Steer clear of junk
items, stay hydrated and don’t overeat.
5)
Work-life balance: It’s still applicable. In fact, it gets more real now.
Striking a balance between your work and family can get challenging as days
pass by. Initially, it all looks good. But soon, the professional role gets
blurred and the best way to balance it is to stick to your work routine like
before. You could still use the travelling hours for yourself to do some
exercise, cooking or catch up on reading a book or, watch a movie.