
Recently, as a by-product of the COVID pandemic, all corporate eyes have been on remote working and how employees can best utilise their additional level of comfort and freedom to increase their productivity. It is, of course, possible, and even likely, that professionals working from home may not be able to fully channelise their focus, naturally impacting their productivity. On the flip side, it is also possible that the employees don’t take enough advantage of the added levels of comfort, causing burnout and ultimately reducing their effectiveness in the long run. With the battle on the pandemic taking as long as it is, it is advisable to look for a long term, sustainable ways of maintaining the work-home balance, while working from home. Even if not for the pandemic, work from home is a popular option available for many employees across the world, and it is essential to make full use of this opportunity. Here’s The Circle’s take on how best to maintain the perfect work-home balance.
Setting Goals
Setting goals, both professional and personal, will be the logical first step for you to find the balance. The goals, ideally, should be both short-term and long-term. Daily, weekly and monthly goals will not only offer direction on what to do on any particular moment but will also serve as benchmarks to hold yourselves against and to keep a regular track on your progress.
Keep in mind that the goals that you may set should not only be professional goals or work-related goals but should also consist of personal goals and milestones. Family time, personal improvements or movies to watch - personal goals can be just as important as work-related goals. Other than the obvious increase in productivity from setting and working on goals, it also ensures that your brain has one less thing to worry about, helping you improve your mental health.
Demarcating Personal And Professional Time
While it is true that you can technically work whenever you want to as long as you get things done in time, this also has a tendency to encourage an attitude of complacency and procrastination. Most folks would recommend that you maintain a strict schedule for when you work, and for when you spend time with your family. While it may not seem like much, setting up a schedule that complements your goals has a significant psychological impact, and will almost act as a substitute for actually going to your office as far as productivity is concerned. This, along with the next tip, will be a major boost to your productivity, giving you more time for your personal goals. Keep in mind that you customise your schedule based on your preferences, your goals and your ability to adhere to the schedule. It is easy to fall into the trap of creating “too strict” a schedule, which is not realistic, resulting in a lack of motivation to adhere to the schedule, with the obvious negative impacts that follow. Ensure that you also give yourselves enough time for sleep, you are a human after all.
Set Up a Dedicated Area for Work
Setting up a specialised area for work is absolutely essential if you want to focus on your work at hand. When working from home, it is easy to forget that you’re supposed to be working and get distracted. The line between the professional and personal have a tendency to get fairly blurred, affecting both your personal and professional lives. More than anything else, setting up a dedicated area for you to work from helps you set a veil, helping you see the line between the personal and professional clearly. It has obvious impacts on your concentration levels, focus and ultimately increases your ability to work and function better, as an employee, as a family member and as a human being.
While working from home is definitely a solid choice for employers trying to achieve maximum productivity by allowing employees to work from the comfort of home, it may not always be the ideal solution. It is true that increased levels of comfort can increase productivity, however, it is necessary to understand that an office space can provide an environment that induces higher levels of focus and concentration, especially since we’re all conditioned to work from a dedicated workplace. Human have a necessity to network and socialise too, which can’t all be achieved by staying at home. At The Circle, Gurugram’s best coworking space, we’ve offered the optimal mix of all of this and more, helping your employees achieve the maximum possible productivity. We look forward to hosting you post the lockdown! Contact us, book a tour and see for yourself precisely how much your organisation can benefit from our coworking spaces.
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