7 Essential Work from Home Tips During COVID-19 Lockdown

While working from home you may encounter constant interruptions and distractions. Here are some effective tips to work from home during COVID-19 lockdown and enhance your productivity.

Some 2.6 billion people around the world are in some kind of lockdown amidst the coronavirus outbreak. To contain this global pandemic, almost all the companies around the globe have rolled out mandatory work from home policies. For those who have never worked remotely before, it can be a tough assignment to stay motivated as well as productive.

While working from home you may encounter constant interruptions and distractions. When you are trying to balance your work-life and personal life in one place, there will always be intrusions that can turn down your productivity. Taking the edge off this transition can be an uphill battle but not so when you go along with some of the tips.

Work from home tips during COVID-19 lockdown

1. Get Organized with Your Workspace

If you do not have a home office or a workspace for the office work, you might want to consider one. This will not only cut off the constant interruptions but also enhance your productivity and concentration. Protect your workspace by talking to your family members or roommates about the hours you are working. It is inefficient to setup new workspace every day, make sure it is a place where you're least likely to be interrupted.

2. Schedule To-Dos and Plan Your Day

To get yourself occupied with productive work, plan your work before you start the day. Prioritize your projects and schedule time for each of them. Moreover, you need to set goals for what you will achieve in that time. It is better to be proactive and identify the long-term goals and work them into your daily or weekly routine. Having said that, don't make a daunting to-do list that threatens your stress level.

3. Take Scheduled Breaks

Since you're isolated and compelled to stay in one place, you might end up staying on your computer all the time. You simply have to take regular breaks not just to refresh your mind and body but also to spend time with kids and other family members. As you occasionally take coffee breaks in your office, while working from home you need to take quick breaks as much as you can. You don't have to be working all the time, take a stroll in the backyard while listening to your favorite singer.

4. Be Accessible and Communicate

When you are working remotely, your employer, clients, and customers need to trust that you're actually working. Essential tips to build a trust among the ones you're working with:

• Tell your team how and when they can reach you
• Update daily logs to project your progress
• Promptly respond to emails and calls
• Create a system for sharing documents

Also, keep in touch with friends, relatives and talk to those whom you haven't for long time.

5. Self-Care is a Must

While working from home has its benefits, we must create a distinction between our work and personal life. You simply cannot ignore your physical and mental health under any situation, and especially when you're confined to home for this long. Don't disrupt your sleeping and dining schedule. Think of eating healthy and avoiding junk foods as much as possible. Also, stay hydrated, in case you forget to drink water, fill up the water bottle and keep it at your desk. Breaking up the day and moving your body enables you to refresh and maintain a good mental balance.

6. Keep Learning

Don't let working from home restrain your professional development or slow down your learning. You have more time than ever to learn the things that you always wanted to. Meanwhile,subscribe to blogs or get enrolled in online courses. Consider online certification programs relevant to your profession.

However, it doesn't have to be just a professional thing you want to learn, it can be anything like learning how to play an instrument or writing poems, anything you want.

7. Stay Positive

Amidst the daily news about the deadly pandemic, staying positive and not letting stress and anxiety overcome you should be a priority. Feelings of anxiety, isolation, stress, and frustration are common during lockdown. It's all OK and normal. Remember, we’re all in this together. This is the time to constantly keep in touch with family members, friends and colleagues. Social distancing doesn't have to be social isolation.

Finally

The lockdown in Nepal will continue for few more days and is necessary to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. In that case, you might have to work from home much longer than your expectations. So, don't burn yourself out trying to "just get it done" as quickly as possible.