Ace Working From Home

The cover picture is a myth. In reality, the parent will be sleep-deprived, hungry, irritated, trying to soothe their child and speaking on a Zoom call while ordering grocery online. Working from home - it's not easy, right? But it is the new normal, so you need to make it a little more productive and a lot more tolerable.

As someone who has been a freelancer and worked on individual consulting projects, I've found it difficult to reconcile working from home and working from a workspace.

Here are 8 things that helped me a lot.

1. ALWAYS DRESS FOR THE PART

You go to work in certain attire - whether it be a shirt and trousers, a sari, or a t-shirt with jeans. Put those on daily even when you're working from home. Wear a blazer for a business meeting.

The ritual will help you get into the right psychological mindset and mood for you to work. You know what your real zoom attire looks like. :p

2. MIND YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Work is different from home, and you need to treat it as such. Working from your bed, or jumping out of bed directly into work is a big no-no. Draw a boundary and make a dedicated workspace for yourself that helps you keep work and personal life separate.

I have a desk at home which is the only place I work. On it, I keep:

* My laptop and/or my phone: depending on which device I need for work.

* A notepad and pen: for scratch notes and reminders

* Coffee and water: Despite not having a coffee machine at home, I make some for myself because it's a work habit. I keep them both nearby so I don't have to keep getting up again and again.

* Webcam/headphones: or any other devices that you would use at work.

Make your home workspace as close to your work desk to give you a sense of familiarity and comfort so you can work productively.

(*Opt for a green setting - maybe your balcony or out in the yard or even facing a window - natural light and greenery helps us relax and be more creative).

3. ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES WITH PEOPLE

People at home are not the same people as at work. Obviously.

Convey to your family when you're working, and ask them to respect that boundary and not disturb you. For kids, you could put up a sticky note on your door that keeps reminding them you're at work.

And yet, working from home can be very isolating. In these times, you need to make sure that you are able to maintain touch with your colleagues and work partners, so make liberal use of networking channels such as Slack, Whatsapp, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or whatever you use. Give each other daily updates so you can maintain your sense of teamwork and support.

I simply loved this note from a working mom going viral on Instagram - it's funny, creative and will definitely get the kids more self-reliant.

4. USE THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE

A great way to approach your work for the day is to set yourself 3-5 challenges. Then, pick one and sit down to work on it for 30 minutes. Aim to finish it in that 30 minutes, and then give yourself a 10-minute break. In that break, you can walk around, cuddle your pets, clear your mind and destress. You can even take a moment to feel good about finishing a task. Then, go again with the next task.

If you cannot handle 30 minutes of deep work, that's okay. Start with 15 minutes or whatever is necessary. Work your way up slowly to 20-minute sessions, 25-minute sessions, and eventually 30-minute sessions.

If you apply these techniques, you'll find yourself having a far healthier balance between work and not-work. Try these, and let me know how you got on! Remember, working from home may be the new normal, but that doesn't mean we have to break our heads over it.

5. ZOOM FATIGUE IS REAL ( OVERCOME IT ):

What?? Yet another Zoom call?

Zoom meetings are becoming a new dread for all of us. At a time when remote work needs everyone to stay connected and communicate virtually, it is a boon to have platforms like Zoom / Teams / Meets to sync up easily. However, too many of them or meetings at unreasonable times are causing mental fatigue - especially if they are long drawn out, without any concrete agenda.

It is ok to have space for mental health. You don't have to say yes to all zoom meetings. Try and sort things over a short old school call or text. Email a short paragraph. Ask for the agenda of the meeting beforehand. Set a personal limit - no more than 3 - 4 calls per day. If you are working on something that needs hyper-focus, excuse yourself from a meeting and then get the minutes of the call from a co-worker. Avoid scheduling or accepting calls when your mental capacity is at the peak - it will only leave you frazzled and tired for the rest of the day.

6. EXERCISE HELPS:

Working from home can often blur our boundaries and routine. It also leads to us sitting down at our desks or beds in bad postures for longer periods of time. Taking time out to exercise can give your body and mind a much-needed break.

Take a short walk on the terrace - do 20 pushups - fit in 10 mins of yoga or meditation - watch a 5 min workout video and follow the routine. It will boost your health and productivity levels. No, chores around the house do not count as focused exercise.

Of course....beware of your pet/s - they do not like their hoomans doing yoga. Believe me, I have tried.

7. USE CAFFEINE STRATEGICALLY:

Yes, I am one of those - cannot work without my morning coffee. Maybe your poison is tea. The amazing thing is that we can weaponize the power of caffeine. Instead of drinking coffee or tea throughout the day and ending up extremely jittery or exhausted, aim it strategically.

In his book, 'Hyperfocus', Chris Bailey states that caffeine amplifies mental prowess and concentration - so the ideal time to drink your first cuppa is 10 minutes into your most important piece of work for the day. It will amplify your focus and you will get things done faster and better.

As a personal rule, I avoid caffeine past 5 pm as it disturbs my sleep cycle and sleep is the most important criteria for the next day's productivity. So use your chai or coffee break strategically.

8. DIGITAL MINIMALISM:

I simply loved the book ' Digital Minimalism' by Cal Newport. He shares how we can focus our lives and be less distracted just by reducing our daily screen time. This is increasingly relevant in acing work from home. The temptation to scroll Instagram, Facebook or Twitter is just too much. On average, since the moment we wake up to the time we sleep, we look at our phones for over 250+ times.

Avoid having your day sabotaged by your phone. Have an honest conversation with your manager/ team about the hours when you will be offline. I try to maintain a 10 pm - 7 am schedule. In case something is urgent, rest assured because your coworkers can reach you on call. Having a batch time set to check and reply back to emails also helps in maintaining your focus and attention on the most important tasks of the day.

Here's hoping you all continue to #StaySafeStayHome and be sane and productive even when working from home.

Would love to know which work from home rituals are working for you. Share in the comments.

Cheers.

 About The Author:

Annesha Dutta is a self-declared 'Queen of the Nerds'. Communications creator and content marketer by day at the awesome fintech startup - MoneyTap, headquartered in Bangalore.

She also creates videos on personal branding; career success; Linkedin Tips and public speaking. Subscribe to her channel here - YouTube: AskAnnie.

Annesha has been listed in Linkedin Top Voices India in 2017 and 2018. A TEDx speaker and Distinguished Toastmaster, Annesha has delivered more than 50+ talks and workshops on career advice, business storytelling and employer branding, with a focus on Linkedin content and storytelling. The Anniecast is her weekly newsletter on Linkedin.