Tips to Make the Most of Working from Home
With the rampant spread of COVID-19 in Malaysia, and the implementation of FMCO starting in June, many people are forced to adjust to working from home.
If you are working remotely or working from home for the first time, you may find it quite a challenge to adapt to this new way of working. To help you ease into this transition, here are 3 simple but yet important tips to ensure that you can stay productive at work.
#1 Draw clear lines
The most important thing is to draw a clear line separating work and leisure. You can accomplish this simply by establishing a specified, well-equipped office area.
Make yourself a fixed office area, whether it is in a proper study room, at a corner of the bedroom, a countertop in the kitchen, or even on the dining table.
When choosing the location, you should consider the following:
- Ensure the space chosen is relatively secluded to avoid distractions from passerby.
- Find a spot by a window where you’ll be able to enjoy more natural light.
- Ensure the surrounding environment is neat and suitable for any virtual calls.
The last thing you’d want to do is work on your bed right after getting up in the morning. By doing so, over time, you may find it increasingly difficult to distinguish between work and leisure.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t work on the sofa or other spaces occasionally. In fact, it may even be a great idea to do so for a change of pace and atmosphere from time to time. But as an overall principle, do avoid working in these places.
#2 Build a regular schedule
One of the best parts of working from home is the flexibility of time. Additionally, without the need to commute as you normally would, you’ll find yourself with a fair bit of extra time on hand.
However, with this flexibility comes responsibilities. More often than not, we see individuals taking advantage of working from hope to slip in some extra sleep. Fortunately, being responsible individuals, they compensate by finishing up work later in the night.
What starts as an honest need to catch up on sleep often becomes a bad habit in the long run. With that said, we strongly recommended to maintain the same working hours.
Try to determine a fixed timetable, including the time to start work every day, the time for a break, and the time to end work. By keeping a strict schedule, you’ll feel more in control of your time and daily activities.
It’s easy to forget the time at work, but it is also necessary to leave the office area occasionally, even if it’s just a few minutes in the sun or having lunch. Also, it’s important to turn off the computer regularly so that you can maintain a controllable work-life balance.
#3 Communicate
There will always be times when you may need to juggle between working and taking care of your children or perhaps parents. It is necessary to take time to communicate and explain to them the boundaries and your work requirements.
It is crucial for you to pinpoint your major distractions, and knock them out before you settle down to work. Without any pending issues hanging over your head, you’re more likely to focus on your work.
Lastly, talking to your family can relieve all the pressure caused by being stuck in the house. It is common for us to want to bottle up our emotions but it is important for us to also remember the virtues of open communcation.
In fact, beyond family, it is also great, to practice honest and open communication with your boss or colleagues to ensure work efficiency.
As this epidemic will continue to change the global working environment, it’ll be a great idea to adopt these 3 tips and discover new ways of working and smart using technology.
