Working from home is the new norm for many organizations. It has changed how the world was previously working.
From large to medium to small organizations, many companies are offering their employees the facility of working from anywhere. According to a report by Prof. Nicholas Bloom of Stanford University in his study at Ctrip found that for WFH employees productivity increased by 13.5% apart from savings in terms of travel costs and workspace costs.
In fact, according to a report by MoveInSync published in Economic Times, ‘An average Indian spends 2 hours on the road which constitutes 7% of their day.’ Indians spend more time in daily office commuting than any other country in the world. The ‘Travel Time Report Q1 2019 vs Q1 2018’ report is based on the data collated from the rides on the MoveInSync platform across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR.
However, many employees also experience high levels of stress and work as working from home has diminished the line between working hours and personal space. Women especially are bearing the brunt of work-from-home as they are struggling to strike a perfect balance between work and home. Many employees also feel isolated and disconnected from their work. They withdraw from the team dynamic and suffer from stress and anxiety. That’s why it is vital to maintain contact with your co-workers and to cultivate a sense of belonging.
Employees feel that they have to be available 24/7 for work and feel mentally spent at the end of the day. There are issues concerning the lack of factors like recognition at work, absence of people who care and share, evaluation of progress, decreased employee engagement, and in turn, employee performance.
So what can you do to make your work-from-home more productive?
Here are 5 steps you can take to make your work-from-home experience productive:
1. Set Boundaries
Make sure any roommates, family members, and dogs (well, maybe not dogs) respect your space during work hours. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you’re home. If you share space with another work-from-home adult, you may have to lay ground rules about meeting times, shared desks and chairs, and quiet times.
2. Take Breaks
At the workplace, we tend to take frequent breaks and have people around us. We can communicate with our teammates, and get to interact with people. But when we are at home we feel guilty about taking breaks. So, don’t let the feeling of guilt take you over. However, rather than just opening YouTube and watching some random videos, go out for a walk, enjoy the fresh air, or spend some time with family members.
3. Prepare Meals the Night Before
Preparing your food a night before ensures that you can use your meal times to eat and that you aren’t performing non-work tasks that spend energy better used at your desk.
4. Join a remote-friendly company
If your work can be done remotely, but your current boss or organization doesn’t allow you to work from home, you might need to get a new job. When looking for a work-from-home job, you can use the same methods you used in finding your regular office job. This includes channels like job sites, local job ads, and social media platforms.
5. Start Your Own Business
Another way to enjoy remote working is to start your own business. If you have a business idea you can work on it with the help of a business mentor and turn it into a successful venture. There are many businesses like candle making, tiffin service, and online businesses that you can start with minimum or zero investment.
Working from home is a boon for many. But it is also a fact that for many it is a cause of anxiety and stress. However, we have shared a few amazing tips that can help you use work-from-home to increase productivity.
The idea of managing a business is easier said than done and we completely agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program that comes with Foundation courses, specialized courses, and value-added courses. To know more about our courses, visit: www.badabusiness.com