Meetings in PJs and hunched over laptops in bed? What not to do in WFH mode

​No, there is no lockdown (thank God!). So, you can still step out for coffee, hang out with friends and head to the mall (though as a conscientious citizen, you would do well to consider traveling by public transport or carpooling). It’s only restrictions on travel to work for now; if at all.

​The Delhi government has already adopted it in part; announcing a two-day WFH every week for its employees. Whether it will be implemented by other state governments and public and private sector companies remains to be seen.

​But if it does become the neo normal (yet again!), are you and your home WFH ready? Make sure to learn from past experience.

​“The perception of senior management is that when people work from home, they are less efficient than people working in the office, because they think the employees might be slacking,” says Kiruba Shankar, CEO of Breathe Digital, a fully online marketing and branding consultancy firm. The onus then lies on the employees to disprove that myth and to set the right expectations from the start.

​When it comes to health, Sandhya M, an independently practicing physiotherapist with 13 years of experience, says, “Right after Covid ended, I had to make many home visits for young professionals who struggled with wrist pain, trigger finger [a condition characterised by the locking of the finger], and even pain in their lower back. All of this was owing to sitting at their work desk for too long.” She attributes this to bad posture and bad seating.

​So how can you balance professional and private life when ‘bringing work home’ acquires a whole new meaning? Here are 10 tips on how to keep your sanity and stay healthy while you hit the WFH mode (if called to)!

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​Be Proactive: Make sure that whatever work is assigned to you gets done on time. This will show your boss you aren’t wasting time at home, and will likely make them stop questioning you. It sets a tone of professionalism.

​Maximise your productivity: Someone could be an early-bird, another could be a night-owl; and the advantage of WFH is that it allows for greater flexibility to decide in which hours you are the most productive. So, figure out your circadian rhythm and maximise the “golden hours” of your productivity. Then the quality of your work will speak for itself, say industry seniors.

​Keep a dedicated workspace: To ensure maximum focus on your work, make your home workspace more comfortable. Make it a place you want to go and work in. Add a comfortable orthopaedic pillow for your back on your seat, or warm lighting that sets the mood, maybe even a scent diffuser to help you lock-in and do your tasks. But ensure that you sit only in that place to avoid any distractions. (Bed is a big no-no; you might as well nap away your work day and get nothing done; true couch potato energy).

​Set boundaries about your work-timing if you live with family or roommates: This is so there are no distractions or disturbances and so that you aren’t called away to do a household task. This requires you to set expectations from yourself too that work time is sacred and must be followed.

​Discuss your work timings with your boss or supervisor: This gives clarity to your shift timings. Make it clear that you will be unavailable after the agreed-upon shift hours, because that is your private time or family time. This is important for your own sanity and to distinguish between work and home.

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​Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Your eyes are under a lot of strain when you stare at a screen for long hours when you WFH. You can mitigate this by following the 20-20-20 rule, in which, every 20 minutes, you look away from the screen for 20 seconds and refocus your eyes on something that is 20 feet away. Make sure what you’re looking at is not another screen. Also, remember to blink while you work, as staring at a screen for too long can give you ‘dry eyes’. Making sure your PC or laptop’s monitor is directly in your line of sight without you having to bend your neck can also help relieve tension in your muscles.

​Have a routine: Starting with logging in to work on your devices can help you get into the mindset of wanting to work. Keep this as a regular practice even during WFH to help maintain a routine, and also so you don’t end up staring blankly at your screen, wondering how you got to this point in your life.

Remember to exercise every hour or so: Sitting on a desk for hours at a time can put a lot of pressure on your eyes, spine and arms. To combat the slow erosion of your joints and your will to stay employed, take a moment to stand up from your work desk, and do some basic stretches every half-an-hour or so. Posture is also extremely important, so make sure you get a chair that has good back support and helps keep your spine and neck upright. Failure to do so might end up as a ‘pain in the neck’, quite literally. Or what experts call “tech-neck”, where your neck develops soreness, muscle tension, spasms, or even painful knots that may lead to tension headaches and migraines.

​Dress for work: We’ve all seen the meme, and maybe even been the meme of the guy on a work video call with a button-up shirt and tie, paired with boxers hidden underneath the table. While that can sound tempting, even dressing up like how you regularly do for work can motivate you and give you a sense of normalcy. Keep the fashion light and presentable, ensuring that what you’re wearing is office-chic instead of pyjama-chic, even while keeping it comfortable.

​Have a wind-down routine: Starting your day off on a good note is great, but so is winding down from work. It may feel like you’re ‘ON’ 24 hours of the day, especially during WFH, where there is no clear physical boundary between work and home. This is why it is extremely important to wind down, log off from work, turn off your devices for a little bit and take a moment just for yourself. Indulge in a nice, long bath, watch your favourite show, or hit the gym; but find some time for me-time. If you have family and pets, spend some quality time with them.

​It might not be easy to follow every single one of these suggestions; but in whatever measure, each of these can help give your day some semblance of an office workday and keep the line between home and work from blurring into nothingness.