Updated: 4/10/2020 | Healthy Habits to Create When Working From Home
Working from home is becoming a popular option thanks to the rapid advancement of technology. As nations continue to put measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease, most organizations are making it easier for employees to work from home.
Healthy Habits to Build When Working From Home
Regardless of whether you work from home on a full-time basis or few days in a week, it is important to form healthy habits as they will not only improve the quality of your work but also your life. Working from home is an opportunity to prove that you can work without being monitored and deliver results. If you’ve been trying to work from home but failing to get the results you want, this article is for you.
#1 Have a Designated Workspace
You need to have a home office to increase your performance and productivity levels. Instead of putting yourself under temptations by working in bed or near your television, consider creating a working space in your home. It doesn’t have to be a big room. But it should have no distractions.
Plus, you shouldn’t use it for any other purpose except working. Showing up to work every day in your home office will make you disciplined and enhance your focus. All these factors will affect the quality of your work positively.
#2 Create a Schedule and Stick to It
As you work from home, you’ll have to be strict with yourself. It’s very easy to get distracted since nobody is watching you. To avoid wasting time and energy, you need to create a schedule. A schedule acts as a guide. It helps you know what you should be doing and when you should be doing.
By setting your hours and sticking to them, you’ll improve your productivity and performance in the long run. For instance, if you are a morning person, you can set your start time to 8 am and finish at 4 pm. By doing this, you’ll beat procrastination and submit your work before the deadlines.
#3 Plan Out Your Day
Knowing what you’ll be doing during the day will help you stay focused and achieve your goals. You have to plan your day in advance to manage your time effectively. The best time to plan your day is the night before or after waking up. Write down everything you’ll have to do during the day. And then organize them in order of priority.
The ABCDE method is a great tool that will help you prioritize your tasks. An A- task is a high priority task. A B-task is a priority task but not as important as an A-task. A C-task is something you do for fun. It’s not a priority task. A D-task represents all tasks that should be delegated while an E-task represents all tasks that should be eliminated. You should never work on a B or C-task when you haven’t completed an A-task.
Failure to plan your day will make it easier for you to spend a lot of time on low-priority tasks. Yet, high-priority tasks are the tasks that pay off in spades in the long run.
#4 Take Short Breaks
It’s important to take short breaks after completing your tasks. Your body and mind need time to rest and recover the lost energy. According to this study, if you don’t take a break, your productivity and performance will suffer. After working continuously for two or three hours, take a fifteen-minute break.
Allowing your mind to cool down will make it receptive to new ideas that can improve the quality of your work and levels of health. Taking a break doesn’t mean watching TV or chatting with your friends. You can engage in beneficial activities such as meditating, journaling, drinking water or basking for a few minutes. You need to set clear boundaries between break time and work time.
Related: Yoga for Students to Increase Concentration and Memorization
#5 Eliminate Distractions
Distractions are the number one killers of productivity and performance. As you work from home, you will find yourself surrounded by different kinds of distractions ranging from your mobile phone to your loved ones. Distractions lead to procrastination and stress in the long run.
Before you start working, you’ll have to eliminate all distractions in your environment. This means turning off the television, putting your phone in a different room, informing your loved ones about your plans early enough, turning off notifications on your computer and using website blockers when required. Remember, a distracted mind cannot produce anything good.
#6 Nothing Can Replace Face to Face Interactions
Face to face interactions are relevant in our modern world. It’s important to keep in mind that nothing can replace face to face interactions. If you are working from home, it’s important to schedule some time to meet with your clients and colleagues in person. Get out and go to the office at least once a week. Your social skills are still relevant in the 21st century. Do your best to avoid getting lost in the digital world.
#7 Use Different Mediums of Communication to Your Advantage
The rapid advancement of technology has made it possible for you to communicate using a wide variety of mediums ranging from text messages to video calls. There are certain mediums that you just love using all the time. It’s important to use different mediums regularly to enjoy the benefits. The medium of communication that you’ll use will depend on the type and urgency of your message.
#8 Reward Yourself
When you complete all the tasks that you had in mind, reward yourself.
Don’t wait for the big win to reward yourself. Remember, small wins add up to a big win overtime.
Reward yourself by taking a road trip, vacation or eating out with your loved ones. Rewarding yourself will help your mind associate completing tasks with pleasure.
Final Thoughts
By forming and keeping these healthy habits strong, you’ll enjoy working from home without sacrificing your productivity and performance.
If you’ve just started working from home, take baby steps. Keep in mind that everyone is different and you’ll eventually find your WFH groove.
Once you develop healthy habits, you’ll be able to easily commit to your goals and be very productive working from home.
Guest Writer Bio: Alyssa Johnson is an experienced content writer and proofreader. She loves helping freelancers and employees who work from home improve their productivity. During her leisure time, she mentors employees or walks her dog.
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