WORKING FROM HOME

Even Prince Charles is working from home! In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and Duchess are now in self-isolation at home in Scotland. I never knew he drove to an office through a busy traffic! I thought he and his mother always worked from home!! So that makes us equal! In this gloomy atmosphere of Coronavirus induced quarantine that is surely a moral boosting thought.

When you wake up, hurriedly freshen up, stuff your breakfast in breakneck speed and have to rush out of your home to work, working from home can seem like a dream. Well, in light of the recent  Coronavirus outbreak, that dream came true for 1.3 billion Indians and another few billion in 130 countries!

True, the economy has gone to the dumps and if and when we make it through this crisis we will have to dig it out of a hole, but all businesses are not doing badly. The E-commerce sites, the E – conference call sites like Zoom, the E-learning sites and the E-fitness sites are booming with new businesses. Netflix and other entertainment sites have never had better days! But the rest of us are trying to pick up the pieces of our livelihood, working from home!

  

Working from home has a lot of benefits as well, and for many people, it has already been the norm anyway. You can better utilize the commute time and by staying off the roads you are reducing your carbon footprints. Less traffic in the roads will mean fewer accidents and less traffic jams and clean air and cleaner cities. But it can be a difficult transition for those who are new to it, and working from home certainly has its own obstacles. One of my patients, who routinely works from home, shared some tips, tried by him and his species who have some experience in remote work. I hope these will be useful and will help you make the best out of this new situation.

1. Wake up and get started

Not having to commute is nice, as it allows you a little bit more sleep. Avoid this temptation. Your commute offers an opportunity to shake off the sleepiness and your transition into a work mode is complete. We have to make it on time - we have to act now or we’ll be late. Adopt the same approach to working from home. Wake up, make some coffee and just get started with some exercise.  It’ll help you get rid of that morning sluggishness the same way driving or catching a bus / metro would have done.

2. Pretend you’re about to leave

There is some lure in working in the same pajamas you’ve been wearing for three days straight. But it wears off. If it’s working for you, that’s great. But if you feel it gets you into a lazy zone, simply stop doing it. Wake up, shave, if you do and get ready, as if you’re about to go to the office. You can shower, put on nice clothes and have your morning coffee once you’re ready. If there is chance of a conference call then at least your top half should be formally presentable.

3. Have a Dedicated Work Space

Not everyone has an extra room they can make an office out of, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use the space you do have and make it prime for working. It can be the kitchen table, a desk in your bedroom, or even a table on the balcony or yard. Make this your allocated workspace, and keep your work-related essentials there.  I prefer my home library in the background, it gives a study like feeling!

4. Time table is a must - time the big tasks for productive hours

No one is productive for 8 hours straight. Our motivation naturally ebbs and flows, and for each person, peak hours of productivity differ. Outline a plan for your day, and time the bigger and more complex tasks for the period of the day when you know you’ll be in the right frame of mind for them. Leave the more logistical stuff for the slower hours. Managing to complete a few small things will give you a sense of accomplishment and readiness to tackle the heavier ones.

5. Take two breaks at least

Don’t overdo it. ‘Taking a break’ in your home can cause some of us to feel guilty, as it’s so easy to fall into a trap of an endless halt. Try to change this way of thinking. Schedule as many breaks as you would have taken in the office, and try to have them away from your desk and without a screen involved.

6. Use Technology to Your Benefit

We live in quite amazing times. There is so much technology at our disposal, running a whole life from the comfort of our homes is easier than ever. Communicate with your colleagues as much as possible. You can use a document sharing platform like Dropbox or Google docs. Everyone can access it and share their work. Knowing where everyone stands in terms of work will make you feel connected, and will help shake off isolation or a sense of working in a void.

In your work place you accidently run into colleagues and friends. Technology can be a helpful tool here again.  Message the people you would usually talk to about non-work related things. Give video calls if you feel lonely, seeing people’s faces and hearing their voices makes all the difference sometimes.

7. Cut out the technology that distracts you

Technology has a ‘dark side’, too and social media can be a big distraction. In order to stay productive with all these temptations, experts advise logging out of all your social media accounts during work hours. There are private browsers, like the ‘incognito’ option on Chrome that keep you logged out automatically. 

8. Find the Right Music if it helps

Music works differently for everyone. For some like me it is a distraction, and for others - a helpful tool. My work is my music but others who do monotonous tasks, or during the morning hours when they need a kick you can choose anything from a religious hymn to lyric-free background music. There are many ‘study beats’ playlists available on YouTube and other music streaming apps.

If you feel even that is too much, but you still need something to break the silence, there are also ‘white noise’ apps that some experienced home-workers find useful.

9. Communicate Expectations with Your Housemates

Whether you live with your family or housemates, you will need to be clear with them about your situation and your expectations from them. Let them know what your working hours are, and the kind of cooperation you will need from them. Make sure that your working station allows them to feel comfortable in the house as well while respecting your space. And no, you cannot leave your work and go to the bazaar just because you are home.

10. Cooking

Working from home means you might not have the option to grab something quickly from outside, especially under the Coronavirus restrictions, when many restaurants and cafes are closed and leaving the house at all isn’t recommended. To be as efficient as possible, prepare lunch the day before, just like you would prepare a lunchbox to take to the office with you. You can even do it for a couple of days ahead. It will give you peace of mind, and you won’t have to hassle over food and waste your work energy. If your wife does it for you, do not forget to thank her.

So, now that you have to work from home, make this a disciplined effort.