The 2gethr Guide to Working from Home
How to ace working from home with no prior experience
Let’s face the elephant in the meeting room. Working from home has been the source of numberless debates in board rooms and office corridors. While some groups champion this idea, others are not convinced. Nevertheless, with the recent disruptions in daily routine, working from home has become the belle of the ball: everyone wants it, but not everybody gets it.
While working from home is easy for some professions, it’s equally difficult for others, especially when teamwork and heavy machinery are involved. Techies, writers, bloggers, designers, etc. are the ones that benefit the most from this novelty but not construction workers, real estate agents or cab drivers.
Although working in your comfy jammies might sound great, we all need a few ground rules if we are going to get some serious work done.
So, here’s our curated list of a working from home schedule that gets the job done!
1. Wake up, shower, and dress for office at the same time as every day.
No, snoozing the alarm clock just because you are working from home isn’t a good practice. Waking up late and groggy will only fool your internal clock into thinking it’s a lazy weekend but also not allow you to start your workday on a great note thus, leaving you unproductive throughout the day.
2. Set up a home office in a cozy corner to create that focus zone.
This not only helps you focus but also does wonders for your motivation levels. Working from the bed or sofa will only end up in a fling between you and your pillow. Psst! Your favorite coffee mug and colorful stationery will definitely boost your morale and amp up your productivity.
3. Attend all standup meetings via video calls for that human touch you so miss.
We cannot stress enough just how important this is. Having video calls instead of voice calls will not only prevent you from getting diverted but also be the reason to shower and dress up in the mornings. This will help everyone in your team align their tasks professionally and not while dabbling in household chores.
4. Take frequent breaks.
Taking ten-minute breaks for some fresh hour or healthy snacks is essential. These hourly breaks will not only ease your sore break but also help you focus better and be more productive. However, be strong-willed enough not to indulge in Netflix as such breaks are infamous for going beyond ten minutes.
5. Schedule online coffee breaks with your colleagues.
This should be your favorite part of the day when your team or your best work friend and you grab a cuppa over Zoom for some much-needed chit chat. This will make the working from home ordeal sustainable and destress you magically.
6. Log out after your work’s done and relax.
The act of logging out helps your brain understand that office hours are over. After logging out, be sure to relax and spend some quality time with family and friends.
7. Invest the regular commuting time to do something you love.
Most people spend about two to four hours traveling to and fro office. So, why not utilize that time to catch up on that novel or gardening? We believe this is the biggest advantage of working from home — more time to do what you love and balancing your work and life efficiently.
