Working from home can prove challenging, especially if you were used to working from the office. Although you have the freedom to sleep in, have a homemade lunch, and be in the comfort of your pajamas, many people often struggle to stay fit and healthy. The tons of distractions at home also make working from home quite a chore too. Planning your time well and creating/following an active lifestyle can help make your work much more manageable and time at home worthwhile. Outlined below are a few tips from Medicare Supplement Plans 2021 on how you can stay healthy and productive even when working from home.Â
1. Create/Have a Morning Routine
You are better off with a morning routine than without. Normally, you would wake up early, take a shower, do your hair, have your morning cup of tea/coffee, do a few chores, then drive/commute to work. Working from home, however, eliminates most of these, meaning you can roll off your bed and straight to your computer. As tempting as this might seem, it would be best if you kept the usual routine and continue engaging in positive activities. Make a habit of waking up early, take a shower, do your regular morning duties, then put on the right working clothes. You don’t necessarily need your full suit on, but rather have a working routine to help keep the fire burning. The main idea is to set the right mood for work, even when working from home.Â
2. Get Dressed
While you may wish to work from your bedroom rocking your pajamas, this will only affect your productivity over time. That said, you need to get into real clothes immediately after the usual morning routine. Doing so prepares the brain for work, hence much better placed to produce more than if you were in your sleeping attire. In addition to this, putting on decent clothing means you won’t have that awkward moment if the manager, or your boss, decides to hold a video conference/chat out of the blues. It’s much better to have decent clothes on, even when you wish to stay in shorts.Â
3. Have A To-Do List
There are times when you will have more than you can handle on your plate. It is at that moment that you should create a to-do list from the top to lowest priorities. It is by prioritizing your tasks that you can do so much without feeling drained or losing focus. You might, however, want to limit your priority list to not more than 5 items; otherwise, it will take a toll on your productivity. Be sure to handle the most urgent and priority tasks first before engaging in any other.Â
4. Have A Dedicated Working AreaÂ
Do you have a spare room/space that can be turned into a home office? Can you convert an unused part of the house into an office? You can create a working area from a space in the wardrobe, bedroom, kitchen area, or even the living room. Having a dedicated space you can call an ‘office,’ makes work more manageable. Your mind will automatically switch to ‘work mode’ each time you step in the space to get some job done.Â
5. Make A Schedule
Have a planner in place to help manage your time more effectively.  Use the planner to block off times to handle more demanding tasks, and times for housework, personal calls, movement, and lunch. The worst mistake you can make when working from home is not having a planner or timetable to govern your time. It’s easy to find yourself online all through the day and never get any work done, especially if you don’t have a plan. That said, have a plan/schedule to dictate what should be done, and at what time. Be sure to step out of the office as soon as you are done with the day’s assignments.Â
6. Take A Break Between Tasks
Don’t give in to the temptation of having your lunch in the office or workspace. It’s better to honor the lunch break and enjoy your lunch in the company of your family. In addition to this, lunch hour isn’t the best time to have some work done, but the right time to get some rest. You also want to take a few minutes break between tasks. This will help reduce pressure on your back and mind as well.Â
7. Have Your Meals Planned Out
While working from home might be exciting for many, there’s a good chance you will miss even the most important meals of the day. Chances are you will remember you didn’t have your lunch way past 3.PM, or not remember at all. Planning your meals and time well can, however, help ensure you don’t miss/skip any. Be sure to have a balanced meal at least once in a day for a healthier you.