This article contains ideas on How to Work from Home Without Stress.
Wondering how possible it is to work from home without feeling stressed? Well, it is important to understand that productivity is not determined by the place or location in which work is done. Numerous factors may make working from home a herculean task. Such includes distractions, disturbance from children for those that are married, etc.
In pandemic times such as this, where virtually everyone has been compelled to stay at home, working from home is inevitable. While some organisations who have remote workers before now, may not feel the heat, others who do not operate on such policies, may find the recent happening very inconveniencing.
I understand it can be difficult to adjust and probably adapt till the curfew is over, but then, either you work from home or an office, your work goal can still be achieved once the right things, facilities are put in place.
Working remotely is not so difficult. Below are ways / how to work from home successfully.
STEPS ON HOW TO WORK FROM HOME
1. Put your devices in order
The first thing that will determine how productive one is as a remote worker is the availability of technological devices. Technology is everything where work is concerned. In working from home, you will have any and every device possible.
Having a phone or laptop with access to the Internet is a must-have. Show me a dedicated and happy remote worker and I’ll show you a person who has access to all forms of devices with access to the internet.
Get all necessary documents to make working from home easy. It helps you connect with any and everyone through video or audio means. If you’re working on a project with a team, having these devices helps you connect easily with them.
Also, ensure you have all the necessary apps and software installed on your device. Microsoft applications, Skype, Google Docs and, WhatsApp features and a host of others, are very useful.
So, having the important and required devices is the first way to work comfortably from home.
2. Create a Schedule
There is this common saying that “Failure to plan is planning to fail”. Creating a schedule as someone who works from home gives you a guide on what to do and when to do it. It also helps in striking a balance between work and life.
You will know when it’s time to work when it’s time to go for breaks and at what time to call it a day from work. The flexibility in working from home gives room to maintain a balance between work and family life.
If you know the importance of a time table, you’ll know the importance of creating a schedule.
3. Ensure to Have Adequate Bandwidth
Bandwidth is simply the rate of data flow in digital networks. Having all necessary documents is not all there is, but having access to the internet.
Except you’re working for a company that takes care of the data, you have to ensure you have enough bandwidth to cover everything needed for working from home. Having adequate bandwidth will allow for uninterrupted video/ conference calls but having a small bandwidth doesn’t support the use of some online features.
4. Have Laid down Rules
This is basically for those that have other people in their space. A good example is someone married with children. Be it single or married remote worker, so long as you have people who are around during your work time, have a laid down rule, stating the do’s and don’ts during the work hour
In the case of those having children around, these rules may not be adhered to always. At this point, you will need to come up with smarter ideas. Think of a way to keep them busy during your work hours.
It can be getting them to watch interesting programs on TV, playing games or reading a book. Anything at all to keep them busy.
5. Know what works for you
Adedolapo Wright [1] wrote in Head Start Africa Community “One of my productivity hacks as a stay-at-home mum is getting fully dressed before picking my laptop. There is a sense of urgency and commitment that it helps me give the manuscripts on my desk before my cuties return from school”.
It can be difficult to work from home and still get an office outlook. Distractions are bound to occur. At this point, it is important to discover a workable strategy. If getting fully dressed and well kitted will work the magic, go with it. From experience, working from home in pyjamas can make one lousy. Get dressed.
If getting isolated from others will help you work better, do so. Whatever helps you to be productive at home, do it.
6. Take breaks
No doubt, working from home can be very flexible. Unlike in a traditional office setting where there is a stipulated resumption and closing time, it takes a lot of discipline to maintain such while working from home.
Depending on individuals, there is no set time to resume and close from work as a remote worker. In some cases, people tend to overwork because they’re working from home. It is good to be dedicated to work but it is important to go for breaks like you would have done if working in an office.
Taking breaks helps for strength renewal and brain refreshment.
7. Stay Connected
Working from home can be very boring especially when you don’t have people around to interact with. Unlike in a normal office setting where there are different colleagues around.
Some companies that encourage working remotely, usually create an avenue where colleagues meet up to issues and probably socialize.
Staying connected with other colleagues as a remote worker is advisable. Working alone can be a bit dicey. There are times you may be confronted with a challenge you do not have a solution to, there are times you may be getting something wrong and seeking a solution from colleagues may just be the only way out.
So to say, you cannot always do it alone, do not shut others out, seek the help of others when necessary, speak out when in confusion. Technology has made this easy. You can get connected through video calls, chats, Emails etc.
8. Don’t be too hard on yourself
My first experience of ever working from home was just terrible. There, I had an important task to sort out and by the corner, I also had home responsibilities that required my attention. It was overwhelming.
In trying to combine both at the same time, I became so stressed and almost broke down but I was hell-bent on having both done. Well, I achieved my aim but ever since, I have learnt to take one step at a time, do the ones I can and leave the rest.
Also, being someone that works with my phone, sometimes I find myself drifting. There are times I would want to concentrate and at those periods that’s when I will stumble on a funny Facebook post, or a friend’s chat will pop up.
Times like this can be very tempting and it takes more than just discipline and focus not to give in to this temptation. Oftentimes, I find myself pushing work aside to satisfy myself. Doing this helps me to focus more when I finally get back to work.
While you have a workload to attend to, try to loosen up a bit, after all, those in offices get carried away to do other things in-between work. Don’t be overly rigid.
9. Know when you are more productive
Another way to work successfully from home is to identify ones primetime. It is important to keep track of this. There is nowhere it is written that one must work in the mornings alone. What if you’re less productive in the morning hours? I always say this, what works for Mr A may not work for Mr B. When are you more productive? Is it in the morning, in the afternoon or at midnight?
I have come to discover that I work best early hours of the morning while people are still in bed. I don’t follow what others feel is the norm. I aim to work and produce results and the time I do that is very irrelevant to me. Know your prime time and work with it.
Why stress myself working in an office when I can do so from home, in a more flexible way. Not only is working from home flexible, it saves me the stress of commuting and not having to deal with traffic fatigue.
Bottom Line
In Conclusion, depending on how you view it, working from home can be fun irrespective of the challenge in trying to create a workspace in a home setting and still have an office feel. With these few tips, I have put together, working from home is made easy, more enjoyable and less boring. Give it a try.
Reference
[1] Facebook. (n.d.). Facebook.com. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://www.facebook.com/groups/HeadstartAfr/permalink/3152534111426783/?app=fbl
