With the world shifting towards work-from-home culture, we are still ambiguous about how we settle in this new environment. Many of us have lost our A-game at work because maintaining work and managing home while working from home is so much more difficult than we thought. How do we tell our moms that we can’t cut vegetables while being on a meeting call? How do we explain to our kids, friends, and pets that just because you are physically present there, doesn’t mean you can spare time for them during your work hours? We’ve all subconsciously thought that these are okay and bound to happen. But here’s a list of things that should bother you and make a change in it to bring back your A-game!
Why do we end up losing our A-game with work-from-home sometimes?
Office and home are such two different setups. With the change in setup, you’re likely to be uncertain of how to maintain the discipline to maintain your work pace. Some of the most common hurdles that you might find yourself struggling with are as follows:
- Home is to relax, as per our psychology. So work-from-home means we give more time to leisure than work.
- We are near our loved ones so we give them time every time they reach out to us.
- There is nobody to check up on us when we divert from our work to watching random shows and long video calls with our besties.
- That nap that we always want to take after lunch? Now we can take it since we’re working from home and that costs us our productivity.
- We are always in our pajamas which makes us feel so comfy and lazy
If you can relate to the above points then you know you need to pull yourself together and make some uncomfortable changes to bring in your A-game. Don’t wreck your head any further because we’ve made you a list of the exact changes you need to make.
11 ways to fire up your productivity and remain noticeable at work
1. Make a workstation
This is going to make your life so much easier. Let’s say you have around 5 emails to act on but you can do only 3 of them today. So you note down the other two in your to-do list book/board along with other pending tasks. But then the next day you start your work on the couch so that to-do list will go for a toss and you will probably spend your 15-20 minutes figuring out what you have to do today. That board could have really come in handy to save those minutes. Such a pain to keep up with your boss, mailbox, and figuring out what to start with! To solve this, you must allocate a strict workstation where only your work items shall be placed. This helps you declutter your thoughts as well.
2. Dress up for the job
You know what pajama signifies? Comfort and relaxation. But that is not what you need for your job. To be productive and bring out creativity, you need to step out of your comfort zone and feel the weight of the job. So dress up for the job that you have. You will see an instant in your attitude when you step into a work outfit. This will take some extra motivation since it feels odd to wear formals at home just in front of a laptop. But keep an eye for the prize and you shall be able to push yourself to dress up!
3. No house chores during working hours
This is majorly for all the girls staying alone, single moms, moms with a family and babies to take care of, you tend to reach out to chores every time you see something messy or remember something that you were supposed to do for the home or kids. But those thoughts are disrupting your work thoughts. So next time you think of chores, inhibit yourself from reaching out for them. This way you are training your mind that you cannot focus on anything other than work in these hours.
4. Make rules for your loved ones
How often does your pet or kid feature in your video meetings? And that creates small havoc every time thinking how must that have been perceived by your client in the middle of an important pitch. Sometimes it is not even about calls, it is just that they come and ask for your attention because you’re physically present around them. Well, make it clear to all your friends, pets, and family that you’re not available during your working hours. Your bestie can crib and call you after your work hours when you can actually give your full attention to them. They sure will understand!
5. Take power breaks strictly
Breaks are so important to refresh our mind. But don’t confuse breaks with vacations. You need breaks throughout the day to make sure you churn out fresh ideas. Based on your attention span, allot a 15 minutes power break where you can eat something of your liking, make a refreshing beverage or just splash water on your face. A clean face can do wonders to your mood, trust us. Also, don’t forget to add sunscreen to your breaks. You owe that to your skin after so many hours of exposure to blue light from your laptop. The one that we’d suggest while working indoors is Dr Sheth's Oat And Zinc Mineral Sunscreen that has SPF 53 and PA++++ to protect you not just from sun rays but also from blue light damage.
Learn more about sunscreen label terms here.
6. No naps
How tempting it is to hit the bed when you know that your bed is just a minute away from you! But if you give in and take a nap, it won’t be easy for you to get back to that work groove. This will take a toll on your productivity. Try not to indulge in activities other than the worklist during your working hours. You owe this to yourself for progress!
7. Make a to-do list for work
When you start your day, with the new mails waiting for your action, you might forget what you need to do today. So before going to bed, make a list of things you want to work on the next day. Then the next day, start with going through the list and add on the fresh tasks you want to complete today. This list will make your work life so much better by turning your ‘Oh, I forgot that’ to “Yes, it’s done’.
8. Log off on time
Those 8-9 hours are locked for work but after that, don’t bother to entertain work requests. Log off on time and get hands-on to your house chores, self-care, loved ones, and everything that you had abandoned during your working hours. It is important to do this since it will help you unwind and be fresh the next day. This will also help you draw a line between your work and life.
9. Have an active life
With working from home, you hardly step out of the house. Everything that you’d want to survive could be ordered online. But you need to remind yourself to step out for a brisk walk or workout. Sometimes, your mind needs some fresh air and alone time with nature to declutter your thoughts.
10. Eat and drink wisely
While working from the office, you could limit yourself from visiting the cafe again and again. But when you’re at home with a stacked kitchen, how do you stop yourself? Make a rule to get up for lunch break and tea/coffee break only. Make sure to fill your tummy during these breaks to stop yourself from snacking frequently. A religious and timely diet will not only help you stay healthy but also keep you away from laziness which often follows after a good meal. While we are on the subject of staying healthy, you can also try switching your daily shot of coffee or tea with a healthier drink that can equally energise you. We’re talking about Green Tea or Matcha Tea that helps not just your health and energy but also your skin. We’d recommend Cosmix So Matcha Better for this!
11. Communicate
One of the main reasons why your productivity goes down is that there is a lack of clarity and communication with your client/colleagues. So you need to go the extra mile and set up a call to clear queries. This way you’re not only boosting your productivity but also making sure you’re being noticed for the tasks that you’re taking up.
Final Notes
While these changes may not sound dynamic, the effect will be. You may need a weekend to think upon it and make an actionable plan to execute such changes. One suggestion that we’d give you for this is that don’t do it halfway. Make such numerous tiny changes that will accumulate to show a great effect on your productivity. And also, don’t forget to be gentle with yourself while you’re trying to bring back your A-game!
- Divya Salvi
