5 Effective Tips to Work from Home

As the novel coronavirus is rapidly spreading across the globe, more and more companies decide to ask their employees to work from home. Whether you’re ready for it, here are five practical strategies that can help alleviate the problems caused by the transition to remote work and stay productive.

1. Leave time to wake up

When working in the office, morning commute helps wake you up and feel ready for a day’s work by the time you arrive at the office. While at home, the distance between your bed to the workspace is so close that there is not enough time to be fully awake and ready for work. Therefore, let’s try to wake up at the usual time. And the saved commuting time can be used to do some morning stretches, breath the fresh air, and grab a cup of coffee to get out of the morning sleepy and anxiety. 

2. Create a schedule

Unlike in the office, it is easy to blend work and life together when working from home. However, while working at home, you can manage your own time without being disrupted by temporary tasks assigned by your superior. You can create a daily routine like when to start work and when to break up, and stay on the plan.

3. Choose a dedicated workspace

Rather than casually working on a bed or a couch, we highly recommend you to set up a dedicated workspace. Separating the leisure and work zones helps you quickly get into the right mindset and be more focused while working. Moreover, an ergonomic workstation can support your 8-hour work, relieve physical stress, and improve work productivity.

To set up, you can start by placing the monitor position. Place the top of the screen at your eye level and about an arm away. You can use reams of paper to raise the height, or use a monitor arm to conveniently and freely adjust both height and distance. For a laptop, you can use a laptop riser to increase the screen to the proper height. Furthermore, attaching an external keyboard and mouse is important, for the original one is connected with the monitor so that it will be hard to find appropriate postures.

The next step is to arrange the height of the desk and chair. According to ergonomics experts, when sitting, make sure your shoulder is relaxed and not in an awkward position. Besides, your elbows should be bent to about 90 degrees, as well as your feet should be flat on the floor or footrest. It is easy and optimal to adjust to achieve your neutral postures if you have a full height-adjustable desk and ergonomic chair. But if you are in a limited budget and don’t want to replace the existing furniture, a desktop standing desk converter is also a good option.

4. Find out the most productive time

Some people do their best late at night, while others perform their best in the early morning. Compared with the former 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, working from home gives us more flexibility in choosing our working time. Due to you are not productive all day long, try to recognize your most productive periods, and plan your day accordingly.

5. Keep moving

Working from home and staying seated for too long can lead to a lack of activity, which will affect your energy level and sleep quality. To cure for static postures and sedentary behavior, remember to switch from sitting to standing frequently, move your body and take a short break every 30 - 60 minutes, according to researches.