Start Early and Mimic Office Time
The schedule that makes you start early, and mimic the office hours works best, as you end up being free earlier too. However, night owls may find working at night to be more productive or comfortable for them.
Maintaining a schedule in a routine, while incorporating regular exercise with it, works best.
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Working from home means that all the chaos of your home (pets, family members, kids, and kitchen noises) is part of your entire workday.
Self-Discipline, concentration and work ethic are needed to successfully navigate this process.
WFH (Work From Home) eventually means you are working from coffee shops, parking lots, from your car while driving, and almost anywhere you can log in to your laptop or communicate on your phone.
No one knows where you are and what you are doing, and that can be an advantage, but also can be misused.
Set pre-determined completion targets and time constraints to finish up your work, otherwise, you will get distracted and the time it takes to complete your work will start to inflate.
Your family and your friends will not understand why you would need to prioritize work, or at what time. They can ask you for the (never-ending) tasks around the house, or come for lunch.
You will need to repeat to them that your work priorities and say 'no' quite often.
Devote a space solely dedicated to work, maybe a desk or a room converted into an office.
This will train your brain to stay on your assignment when you start to work, creating a physical boundary.
It is common advice to get up, shower and dress for work, in your work clothes. This too creates a form of mental transition for you.
If on some days you feel you are better off in your nightclothes, working in a relaxed manner, then, by all means, do that. It is better to do what works best for you.
Clear communication is the life-line of remote working.
Physically, a WFH employee or a freelancer is not part of the office team, so the daily emails, chat or phone calls are the ways to represent oneself. Use these tools in the best possible manner.
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Physical triggers are the literal actions you take that tell your brain "the work day is about to start." For example:
- Spritzing a small amount of cologne on your wrist.
- The sensation of picking up your keys and putting them in your pocket or purse.
- The sound your car engine makes as you begin your morning commute.
It's hard to stay productive when you work from home because many of these physical triggers don't exist.
Integrate regular movement into your sitting-whole-day routine, and give your workdesk a break.
Indulge in the many at-home exercise routines and dancing sessions available online, and share them with a coworker, so you do it together.
- Angry outbursts, irritability, or frustration, even with unimportant matters.
- Loss of interest or happiness in activities such as sex or hobbies.
- Sleep disturbances, including insomnia and sleeping too much.
- Tiredness and lack of energy for even the smallest activities.
- Increased cravings for food.
- Anxiety, agitation, and restlessness.
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
- Avoiding people.