The world has been instructed to follow social distancing and follow a stay-at-home policy to combat the spread of the Coronavirus disease. Companies have urged their employees to work remotely and while doing so from the comfort of your home is like a dream come true, the truth is that not everyone likes it. Many of us are still trying to adjust to this sudden shift. Working from home can be distracting, and not as productive. It needs us to put in efforts and be more creative. Here are few things we recommend to focus and enjoy working from home.
Work from home has its own perks. Many have access to Wi-Fi, which means we can work from any corner of our homes. Many prefer working in bed or a couch. Getting too comfortable makes it hard to concentrate. Instead, set-up a work desk. Get a large table and place it in a separate room, if possible. Arrange the office laptop on it and add some accessories on the table. Here are a few must-have accessories for your work desk. You can even choose to decorate the desk with colourful note holders, some greenery or with interesting quotes. Decorate the desk the way you like it, but keep things simple and clean. If you don’t have a large table at home, a coffee table or a stool can also be used as a desk. 
Once you have the desk ready, it’s time to learn some work-at-home practices. A flexible schedule is the biggest advantage of working from home. While it is true, you still have to treat it like a job and help your body and mind adapt to the new environment. To complete tasks on time and focus, create a structured routine – schedule work, set work hours and break timings. Make sure you schedule it to balance your work and personal time. Having a flexible schedule helps relieve workspace stress because you spend time with your family, friends and follow hobbies. 
“Focus” is one the biggest weaknesses when it comes to working from home, especially for those who are new to it. According to Alan Hedge, who researched the Ergonomic Workplace Design for Health, Wellness and Productivity, one should integrate the “20-20-20 rule and mini breaks to concentrate”. This means work for 20 minutes and break for 20 seconds. Within those 20 seconds, focus on a distant object 20 feet away. Luckily, your smartphone can also help block out distractions. There are tons of apps to help you manage your schedule efficiently. There are two popular apps – “Focus – Be Productive” and “Brain Focus Productivity Timer”, which we think you should check out. If not, you can choose to jot down your To-Do list on a notebook and use your smartphone to set a timer.
Many of us love listening to some music while working. Apps such as JioSaavn, Spotify and Gaana have a wide streaming assortment. For those who find it distracting, we recommend listening to quieter genres of music or choosing not to listen to music. Even the tech giant and the billionaire, Bill Gates wrote in a blog post – “I stopped listening to music and watching TV in my 20s. It sounds extreme, but I did it because I thought they would just distract me from thinking about software.”
As a part of a large organization, there are might be video conferencing calls with your team. One of the popular video conferencing apps we recommend is, JioMeet. It’s a HD video conferencing app available for both, Android and iOS devices. It is easy to get latched on to your PC or laptop. Don’t do it. Sitting in one place for long hours is bad. Celebrate the cubicle freedom – walk out of the room, spend some time with your family, play board games with them or help in the kitchen. If you are alone at home, give yourself the time to follow your hobbies. It could be some of the best therapy to keep you occupied and happy.
We hope you adopt these methods when you are working remotely. In addition, ensure you exercise daily to stay healthy, both mentally and physically. Hopefully these few tips will make you a happier, productive person through these weeks.
