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tips for working

As the Coronavirus outbreak spreads, companies worldwide are taking precautions and asking their employees to work from home. Here are some amazing tips that will help you work from home and at the same time be productive

1. Start early & be focused

Working from home is a great blessing in disguise. You don’t have to navigate through a sea of traffic before you get to work. When you are fresh, you can get more things done in less time. So start with the most difficult task that demands more concentration and attention from you.

2. Have a dedicated workspace

Reserve a room and dedicate a table and chair for your official work. Working from your bed is certainly not a good option, as it may make you lazy and take afternoon naps in the morning.

3. Get wired!

Equip yourself with the fastest broadband connection, the latest browsers, a desktop or laptop with decent configuration, and audio and video conferencing tools that are needed to collaborate with your colleagues. Poor internet connection or low system configuration may throw a spanner in the works.

4. Structure your breaks

Taking time to cook, taking your dog out for a walk, babysitting, online chatting, and frequent coffee breaks should certainly be avoided. You need to commit yourself to work for some fixed hours.

5. Use cloud-based file sharing

As you are working from home, you may need access to some important files. So having an account in cloud storage drives like OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and pCloud will be of great help. You can now easily share your work with your team with a mouse click.

6. Create a to-do list

As and when you interact with your colleagues, please make a note of all the action items by creating a to-do list. It helps to keep track of all your official work without missing any action items.

7. Choose the right tool

Amidst the outbreak, the share prices of Slack and Zoom have already zoomed due to increased demand for collaboration tools. Given the fact that multiple tools are available in the market, choosing the right application to get your job done might be a tough task. While in some cities, working from home has been made mandatory, organizations have expressed their productivity and security concerns.

I have been using Clariti to improve my own productivity without compromising the security of my organization. Ever since I started using Clariti, I stopped using other tools for email, chat, cloud storage, and social feeds. Clariti connects all my related communications automatically, based on context, in real-time through a powerful feature called Workspace. Working with Workspace helped me get more organized, have quick access to any information, and get more things done in less time.

Besides, Clariti also supports powerful features that are needed for collaboration such as flagging emails and chats, to-dos, chat from email, instantly sharing emails or a group chat with an option to include or exclude other participants on the fly. Most importantly, I have the flexibility to arrange all my conversations the way I need them.

8. Dry run your preparedness

Before you commit to working from home, test your preparedness. Save all your passwords, bookmarks, emails, and other relevant details that are needed to work from home. Recently, in India, Flipkart asked its employees to work from home for three days to test its own system preparedness for working remotely using digital/video tools.

You may not have the necessity to work from home for a longer period, as the Coronavirus may soon have a natural death! In the meanwhile, I hope these tips will help you stay productive working from home until your employer is ready to call you back to the office, of course after ordering thermal guns and loads of hand sanitisers.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Working from home can be a great way to get things done without the distractions of a traditional office. However, it can also be easy to fall into a rut and feel bored or isolated. To keep your work from home more interesting, it can help to mix up your routine and try new things. For example, instead of working at your desk all day, try working in different rooms or even taking your laptop outside. You can also try listening to music or podcasts while you work or taking breaks to move around and stretch your muscles. By making small changes to your routine, you can help keep your work from home more interesting and prevent yourself from feeling burned out. 

Working from home can offer many benefits, including a flexible schedule, decreased commute times, and the ability to work in comfortable surroundings. However, it can also be challenging to stay focused and productive when working from home. There are a few things that you can do to help create a successful work-from-home environment. First, it is important to designate a specific area of your home as your workspace. This will help to create boundaries between your work life and your personal life. Additionally, you should establish regular work hours and stick to them as much as possible. Finally, make sure to take breaks throughout the day and give yourself time to step away from your work. By following these simple tips, you can set yourself up for success when working from home. 

Working from home can be a great way to increase productivity and get ahead on projects. However, it can also be easy to get distracted by household tasks or personal errands. To stay focused while working from home, it is important to establish a dedicated workspace. This can be a separate room or simply a corner of the house where you can set up a desk and chair. It is also helpful to set regular work hours and stick to them as much as possible. Letting friends and family know when you are working will help to avoid interruptions. Finally, take breaks throughout the day to stretch your legs or grab a snack. By following these simple tips, you can ensure that you stay focused and productive while working from home.