A lot is going on in the world right now. With the global pandemic, the mandatory quarantines, and the lockdowns, humanity is trying to redefine what’s normal. Working from home seems to be something everyone in the working class is trying to get used to. Most say that they would prefer to continue doing it even in the future. Some seem to believe that doing your job from home will affect productivity. Here’s an analysis on the matter.
Pre-Work Routine
Usually, when you are getting ready for work, you wear a formal outfit and make sure you look appropriate for a professional setting. Then you set out to your workplace which for most people takes anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour. But when you are working from home, all of that goes away. You get to slip into comfortable pyjamas and your workplace is most probably your couch. The time spent commuting is also saved. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Surprisingly, this only works for some people. A lot of people struggle to find a private space in their homes where they can work in peace. They also can’t get used to working in their pyjamas- clothes that they have always associated with rest.
The Line Between Personal and Professional
When you aren’t doing your job from home, the distinct line that used to exist between your personal and professional lives starts getting blurred out. People can be of two extremes. They might never start doing their work because they are too comfortable in their surroundings or they might never stop working because the whole concept of work from home makes them feel like they are always at work with their home being their workplace. It gets very hard to find a balance.
Stress Levels
When you work at an office, you have distractions from your coworkers. When you are working from home, you have distractions from your family/flatmates. Of course, at home you have options. You won’t have any distractions if you have a dedicated spot at home for working. You also don’t have to worry about the outfit you are wearing when you work at home. This reduces the amount of stress you experience because you would be the person in control of your surroundings. On the other hand, you might get lonely. The conversations you had with your coworkers at the office that acted as a stress relief will not be the same when done over text or phone calls.
Work Schedule
If you are used to working in a non-work from home environment, you must have had a fixed schedule. You clock in at a particular time. You attend meetings at around the same time every day and you work till you clock out. But with home-based work, you will find that you don’t have to stick to that schedule. You get to clock in and clock out whenever you want as long as you show results to your boss. There’s a certain kind of independence that comes with doing your job from home. Of course, this could mean you will find it hard to stick to any schedule or get things done but once you start getting used to it, you will probably see your productivity rise.
The general advice when it comes to the current sudden work from home situation is to try and maintain your routine and stick to it so you don’t slack off and get zero work done. Like it or not, home-based working is here to stay, at least for the remainder of the year. Might as well start getting used to it.
