I am a stay-at-home mother of a 4-year old, who has always preferred to work-from-home. For me, the opportunities have been endless, as I love working as a freelancer. Believe me it’s a great gig to have. And juggling life’s responsibilities on a daily basis has made me highly skilled at multitasking.
My desire to have a career while being available for my kid has parlayed into landing a job that has melded to a working parent’s schedule and at the same time, has made me capable of fulfilling the financial needs of my family. It’s been 3 years since I’ve been working steadily as a freelance writer and during this time, I have realized that this option can help people like me kick butt working from home.
Work From Home – This is What Your Neighbours Are Doing & You Can Do It Too….
Since the situation is not the same and going haywire, amidst the coronavirus spread, many of us are dealing with this in a hard way. Truly, you may not be a fan of working from home, but this is what many of your neighbors are doing as the city is in the lockdown state.
Twitter, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and many other companies around the globe have rolled out mandatory work-from-home policy, during the massive spread of coronavirus pandemic. Today, tens of millions of people are being forced to work from home. So, be prepared, because working from the ‘home office’ will be the new normal for many of us for a while, given the latest announcements done by the government and the gradual increase in the number of COVID-19 cases every day.
Working From Home Productively
If you are among those, who would be working from home for the first time, this means you have to figure out how to stay focused on any task in a new environment and make your time more productive.
Don’t worry! There are many ways to bring in results and avoid going stir-crazy. This ability to work flexibly is one of the top contributors to a healthy work-life balance and that’s all what we need to understand, for now.
There are no hard and fast rules to follow, but this is what I do to increase my productivity at work, while taking care of other things at home, simultaneously.
- I’ve created a proper office space at home. With this, I mean a table, a chair, a docking station (if required) etc. and this is worth the effort. Avoid yourself from sitting on beanbags, sofa or at the comfort of your bed, because it will not only affect your body posture, but will also have an impact on your work efficiency.
- As best you are able, choose a quiet place of work. Doing this might sound challenging, especially if you have kids, but always remember, great ideas grow in sustained quiet.
- If possible, move your workspace, near a window with adequate light. Good natural light brings in positivity while working. And you can also have a sneak-peak at what’s happening outside.
- Prepare a schedule and plan your office time. Remember “I can work anytime” attitude does not help and your work may start piling up. Allocating time to your work, while dedicating some time to your household chores can do wonders.
- Don’t stay in your pajamas, all day. Always wear something comfortable while working that will put you in the active work-mode.
- Conference calls with your teammates and colleagues throughout the day and a check-in on co-workers will keep you motivated.
Right now, in this chaotic period of uncertainty, perfect days at “home office” are hard to come by. Some days you will be full on energy, other days you might be off. Some days will start early, some days you might run late. Some days your kids will derail you, some days not. So, do not try to create an industrial model of working from home. Just be open to life's currents, stay productive and stay safe at home.
Read more about how Cabinet Secretary has slammed all the rumors about the extension of the lockdown in India.
