Congratulations on your new gained freedom, the WFH Freedom, which was rare until the last year. But with freedom comes responsibility. Yes, the responsibility to remain extremely productive and creative to deliver and take the utmost care of your mind, body, and energy to achieve a better work-life balance.  When your personal and professional life is under a single roof it becomes difficult to draw a line of demarcation between the two. Where WFH on one side, can be a boon it can be troublesome if not managed properly. It’s therefore important to make it rewarding by keeping high productivity, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and keeping intact with our relations. We all are working remotely now and would be facing a lot of challenges; however the same keep on varying because of the nature of work and lifestyle we follow. Still we keep on grappling with issues common and usual for all of us. Based on my experience of remote working during the lockdown I suggest the following tips and best practices for working from Home. 

1. Follow a Morning routine – Set a wake-up alarm and start your day with meditation, yoga, or a little body exercise. This increases happiness, enjoyment, interest, and confidence levels and helps you coming as a more productive version of yourself.
2. Make a To-Do-List – Take a pen and notebook and write out the task you need to accomplish the next day. I prefer to make the next list before going to bed. It helps you in saving the morning time and makes you leave the bed with a goal and excitement to complete it.
3. Set weekly goals – In addition to To-Do-List it’s good to have an activity for the entire week. I usually chalk out a plan of all weekly goals on a weekend and align all workday activities by keeping track of deadlines and targets.  
4. Choose an appropriate working space – This seems to be an important step in the journey of WFH as it is prudent to focus on the task, which could only happen when your working area is free from distractions. If you are not able to assign a proper area at least assign a desk with required peripherals to work with full concentration.
5. Set your working hours – The best part of WFH is flexibility concerning working hours. Try to identify the time when you are more productive and build the work schedule around that peak productivity periods. I have assigned a time slot from 10 A.M to 1 P.M and 3 P.M to 5 P.M where I find myself more productive and focused.
6. Avoid working in PJs – People usually prefer to be in their PJs while WFH; I was going through an article wherein the home lady talked about having less laundry work because of WFH. I believe The mental association you build between your work makes you more productive. It is so advisable to do all preparation of setting alarm, making breakfast, wearing nice clothes because it will help you remain in the right work mind-set. Also it keeps you ready to take any video chat or meeting with colleagues.
7. Use quality technology – Learn to get the best technology for WFH. Proper devices, internet, tools for messaging, calls and videoconferencing can help you do your job comfortably and efficiently. It also keeps you connected with your co-workers and monitors your contribution to the team efforts.

Oh my! Tired of work and related efforts to make it productive, it’s obvious. As the famous proverb says, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”, said indeed. People may get bored if they don’t get time off from work, so you need to have some fun and gamify your WFH experience. Below activities can make the remote work experience fun and enrich –

1. Take short breaks – Too much of work and over-commitment to it dwindles the productivity of a person. Breaking the continuity and rhythm with short breaks for taking coffee, snacks, enjoying nature from balcony or terrace, lighter chat with spouse or kids can help you regain and maintain your productivity levels.
2. Reward Yourself – Linking your work with rewards like finishing a no. of projects before lunch, treating yourself with ice cream, or your favourite snack after you finish answering emails can help you stay motivated and keeps you feel fulfilled.
3. Stay Socialized – Disconnect and Isolation are common problems in the WFH environment especially for extroverts. It’s therefore important to stay connected with friends, colleagues, neighbours through common chat platforms, meetups, paly an online game, group singing. I see one of my LinkedIn connections enjoying dual singing with one of his colleagues and sharing his experience to stay elated during your daily work schedule.
4. Work on your hobby or learn a new skill – With no commute on weekdays and having little space for an outing on weekends allows you ample amount time to concentrate on your hobby and learning a new skill like a new language, culinary skills, painting. This will help you cure potential boredom during and enjoy your stay at home.
5. Listen to music – Listening to music throughout the day or during work helps you keep relaxed and lively. Spotify is an audio streaming platform that lets you pick and listen to millions of songs and podcasts in multiple languages. 

We can also opt for other activities like taking a stroll on a call, taking sound sleeps by setting a bedtime alarm/, and staying connected with family and friends. 

The above is based on my personal experience and the strategy I opted for WFH. You can figure out what works best for you if you don’t agree with the above. Sometimes the answer is available or you might need some inspiration from other people in the same boat. Working from home is awesome so whatever you do make sure that your day ends with smile and relaxation on the face so that you remain charged up to take up the next day of WFH. 

Stay Safe, Stay Home, A Happy WFH