Mauritius, here we all are confined to our humble abodes. While some of you may be totally off duty, many will have to work from home as I have for the past 11 months! From personal experience, I know it isn’t that simple and in fact, it’s quite challenging considering the many possible distractions at hand (kids, family members, house chores, foooood). Here are 5 useful tips to help you work from home efficiently.
1. Set a Healthy Morning Routine
This is the time to do it! We always say we would love to have the time in the morning to be able to do this and that. Now is the time people, make the most of it and work on setting your morning routine together with the family. Wake up early, breathe, read, exercise and eat a real breakfast. After two weeks you will see it will become a habit and you will be able to do it even when going out to work. You may have less time but it will be easier to transition back to your schedule if you have already developed a healthy routine.
2. Dress Up!
Yes, put on an outfit and brush your hair just as if you were going to the office. I know it’s so tempting to work in the so-cozy pyjamas but nooo, it’s a mistake here as eventually this will make you feel pretty low and lazy. You are a professional so even when working at home you have to look like a pro. When I just started working from home, I was getting this question often: ‘You said you will work from home today but where are you going all dressed up?’ and my response: ‘Yes, I’ve prepared myself for work :-)’. It’s really motivating and puts you in the working mood right away. Well, I must admit there are days where I do end up working in my gym outfit though.
3. Define your work space & hours.
Set out a space where you can go everyday just for work and set your hours too. Communicate with your family members so that they know where and when you will be working to avoid disturbing you. You need to be strict with yourself on the time set or else you can end up working way more hours or you can spend too much time floating around getting very little done.
4. Schedule your day.
Sounds simple but this is essential as it’s easy to get carried away when working at home with all the distractions around. Schedule your day and make checklists of what you need to get done. For example: I always keep the first 30 minutes to plan my agenda for the day and list down my priority tasks, the next 1 hour is to check and reply my emails and so on… Set your daily targets and stick to them.
5. Take breaks & Exercise.
Try to take 15 minutes break away from the computer every hour and use this time to do some exercise (stretching, arm circle, knee bend, leg raise, etc), drink water, eat fruits & nuts and get some sunshine. Don’t forget your lunch break, it’s important to nourish your body well and you can even relax a bit after eating.
Working from home is no excuse to be lazy. You are a professional and you should take the steps to act like one. To sum up, be reachable, get dressed, connect with the outdoors and you are well on your way to a productive life in the same place you sleep. Above all, enjoy it!
Eat Smart. Be Healthy.