The global pandemic has changed the way we work, socialize, and approach things in our lives. If you’re one the many who has transitioned from office life to working from home, then you are part of the few lucky ones!
The world’s economy has dipped down because of fewer economic activities, and having a job in the midst of this situation is still something to be thankful for.
But working from home, sweet as it may sound, also presents some challenges. Working on an office setting can be a singular experience, with all the conveniences that you may not have thought of before.
Working from home is a different beast entirely, that’s why you need to do these helpful tricks to make the transition smoother:
5 Helpful Tips To Make Working From Home Work For You
1. Use online tools for quick PDF edits and conversions
PDFs or portable document format is the file extension that you will frequently encounter when sending, receiving, and sharing files. Most of the time, you will need to edit these documents for something – maybe add information, delete confidential data, convert to more editable formats, etc. To make things more streamlined, instead of using a third-party PDF software that will get a sizable amount of your ROM and use your RAM, go for an online, web-based, alternative tool instead.
The truth of the matter is, you will only be needing a PDF tool every now and then, so installing one is a moot point when browser-based applications like PDFBear got you covered. With online PDF tools, you can split files, password-protect it, convert HTML to PDF, among others. You can also repair broken and corrupted files on the go. That’s convenient for you!
2. Set ground rules for yourself and the space you are working in
Most people would approach working-from-home as they would working in an office setting. While this is a great idea, it can prove unsustainable very quickly. So instead of making sure that you work like you are in the office, set some ground rules instead of the ways you should work at home. Set a schedule for waking up, preparing yourself for work, and etc.
It’s also very important to notify your family of the boundaries you need when you are on your designated workspace. It could be very embarrassing to have family members walking around while you have a conference call, or that odd noises come out of your end because of children and pets.
3. To improve focus, block social media sites while working
Social media is many things, but it’s never good for focus and concentration. Working from home will take up all your focus because of inevitable distractions, so don’t add social media to the mix. If possible, get a social media blocker on your work laptop setup. There are sites that do this – lock you out of any social media site on your preferred time so that you can easily focus on your work.
4. Make sure that everything is at an arm’s length from you
Prolonged sitting may not be good for you in the long-run, but having everything at an arm’s length while you are in the zone creates an environment where you can duly focus on the task at hand. So water bottles, snacks, pens, notebooks, and other trinkets that you need to deliver a job effectively should be in your table’s drawers or on the table itself. This will save you time and effort on finding a random note from a notepad to reference for meetings.
5. Take a break, and savor it
Just like you would do on a normal workday at the office, make sure that you keep your mind fresh and engaged by taking a much-needed break. Take your lunch for an hour or longer than that if you need to. Take a nap in between to prepare the mind for another workload. Whatever you need to do to relax, do it. It will increase productivity at the end of the day.
Takeaway
Suffice it to say; you don’t need to do all of these to make things work for you. Just cherry-pick what you think would, and you’re good to go.
