5 tips to get things done and stay active when working from home
Working from home has its perks, but for some, it could mean reduced productivity or physical activity...
As we continue to move away from the notion of a traditional workplace, remote working is increasingly popular. Working from home has its perks – you get to cut out the commute and avoid the hassle of having to iron your work outfits.
But when working from home for a prolonged period of time, we can struggle with productivity, consume more junk food and a reduction of physical activity. To overcome this, here are five tips to consider when working from home!
1. Draw boundaries with space
Create a proper workspace in your home so that when you step in, it puts you in a psychological frame of mind to get your work done. If you have the luxury of a separate space you can step into, close the door to prevent being disturbed. Add touches to make this space more conducive for work, such as a ergonomic chair or a speakerphone to make conference calls easier. Add a cheery plant to brighten your mood, and enhance air quality.
Remind your family members that when you’re in this space, you’re at work and that they should not bother you there, just like they would not disturb you when you’re working in the office.
2. Get dressed for work
This might be counter-intuitive to the idea of working from home, as one of the perks is being able to answer your emails in your pyjamas. But getting dressed and ready, even if it’s not in a work outfit, helps to put you into a different frame of mind to start working. This also signals to your family that you’re going to be working, rather than just taking spending a relaxing day at home.
This also means that when you turn on the webcam for video conferences, you won’t be sharing your bed head look with the rest of your team.
3. Plan your time
When working from home, it’s easy to get distracted by household chores and lose track of the work tasks that you’re supposed to do. To get around this, schedule all your tasks. Set aside time in your calendar for work, to have lunch, take a break, or walk the dog. This also ensures that you don’t fall into the mode of never switching off.
When a random chore pops up in your mind, such as watering the plants, don’t drop what you’re doing to attend to it. Instead, jot down what needs to be done and when you’ll get to it. Then, go back and focus at the work task at hand.
Stick to the plan, and you’ll find it a lot easier to get both work and household tasks accomplished.
4. Stay active
It’s easy to become more sedentary when working from home because you’re not walking or moving around as much as you would have when you go to work. This lack of physical activity could decrease your ability to focus and you might feel tired more often, on top of the usual health issues.
There are exercises that you can do at home to stay active . For instance, briskly walking or lightly jogging in a nearby park, or even doing some yoga or body weight exercises in your room are some easy alternatives.
Schedule in some time in your calendar to keep active and keep the weight off.
5. Make better choices with food
With food delivery services so ubiquitous, it’s easy to just reach for the phone and order lunch in when you’re working from home. Rather than that, try cooking simple, healthy meals. These could be lightly grilled or steamed proteins like fish or chicken, simple salads or a stir fry, which are relatively quick to prepare. Cooking your own meals also provides a bit of a mental break from your work, recharging you for when you sit down in front of the computer again.
When it comes to snacks, rather than reaching for chocolates or cookies, try alternatives such as healthier fruits and nuts. Substitute sodas with naturally sweetened fruit-infused water as well.
Making mindful choices might involve a bit more work, but it’s better than the hours spent running to work those calories off.
Try these tips out to be more productive and stay healthy while you’re working from home! It might take some doing and effort, but the results are worth it.
If you’re looking for more expertise about creating productive, engaging workplaces that enable a variety of working styles, including remote working, reach out to us today!
These tips were originally shared by Sodexo with Lianhe Zaobao.