Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the term work from home has become very common and almost every working professional must have experienced it by now. Work-from-home means working from the home instead of going to the office.

Your overall roles and responsibilities just remain the same as they were when you went office, just the location has now changed. For many people working from home has proven to be a boon as their overall work efficiency has increased. Majorly for married women having kids, this has proved to be a golden initiative as now they don’t have to leave their kids alone with someone else while they are at work. Apart from that, for elder people also, this has been a golden initiative as now they don’t have to travel long distances in metros or buses and can work from the convenience of the home itself. But for some people who don’t have a segregated/separate cabin or working space, this has proven to be very disadvantageous as they can’t pay that much attention to the work while they are constantly surrounded by their family members and unavoidable noises. Due to this, they face issues such as turning on the camera or mics while in a video call. Apart from that working from home has made many people lazy. Earlier for an office reporting time of 9:00 AM, in metro cities like Bangalore, Gurgaon, Delhi, Noida etc people having offices far from home, had to leave around 7:30 from home. But now, they just wake up around 8:45 and are ready for the office. Many tech giants and firms such as Twitter etc looking to the benefits of working from home for the company as well as working individuals such as reduced office costs due to less consumption of electricity, fewer sweepers, fewer punes, less investment in maintenance of printers, computer devices, internet, furniture etc and looking forward to parameters such as productivity of employees didn't get affected and employees are enjoying the flexibility of work-from-home, have given an option for the employees to continue work from home even after the pandemic took a halt. Here, are some good work-from-home practices that a person can incorporate to make work- from-home a smooth and enjoyable experience:

1. Maintain a schedule

Maintain a schedule and stick to that else you might end up working more than the required hours as compared to even when you went office. Allocate a fixed number of hours in the day and pay complete attention to your work during that time. Decide your office hours. Do take a shower and get dressed before starting to work as it might be possible that you get so engaged in the work throughout the day that you forget completely this essential thing from your daily schedule. Personal hygiene is very important and everyone must heed attention to it.

2. Invest in Good Furniture

Some people become prone to back aches due to a lack of proper working equipment at home. They don’t have a proper chair for sitting. Taking care, of correct posture while sitting is important else it might lead to chronic and incurable problems. Thus, it is recommended to invest in good and comfortable furniture. “Tech Neck” is the common term used for slumped posture and strain you can get from hunching in front of the screen all day long. Avoid working on beds/couches. Your seat should be adjusted to such a level that your monitor screen is at a 90-degree angle with the display and feet placed flat on the floor and your back straight. Thus, it is highly recommended to invest some money in good quality furniture.

3. Get all stuff you need to work efficiently

Do arrange before in hand all the things that you will be required to work efficiently while being at home. These include a computer, keyboard, mouse, good quality noise- cancellation earphones, a desk, a comfortable chair, good lighting for video calls, video calling software etc.

4. Plan breaks in your work time

No one can focus all long day. Our brain isn’t designed to work for endless hours. It needs short breaks. Taking short planned breaks recreates your mood and gives you the energy that is required for the next shift. The pandemic has affected the mental health of people a lot. Thus, it is necessary to take care of it. Some ways of recreation or taking a break can be having your lunch, watching your favourite web series or movie at that time, taking a walk or spending time with your family etc.

5. Dress properly

Now, working from home doesn't mean that one should be casual in clothing. It leaves a poor impression while you are on a video call with someone. Make sure to wear a properly ironed formal dress. Many people complain that they are unable to focus on work from home, wearing formal regular office clothing induces the same feeling as you are in the office, thus increasing your overall focus and efficiency.

6. Arrange for snacks before in hand

Everyone feels hungry while working due to the mental and physical exhaustion they get due to the workload. Stock up your groceries before in hand, so that you don't have to rush for the same while working.

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