The year 2020 has started with the most unfortunate turn of events. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the world on its knees and social distancing has become the new mantra for survival. In order to implement this, most companies are asking white-collar workers (who generally work on Laptops and not plant machinery, etc) to work from home (WFH).
While work from home started for some days, it gradually extended to months, then the end of the year and now we are hearing the news that Google will allow WFH till June 2021. Many companies are even thinking of continuing WFH partially or fully even after the pandemic is over. So this does not seem to be short term in nature and we, therefore, must take steps to make adjustments according to this reality.
These adjustments are required both – mentally and physically. Below are some of the changes that we can make to tide over this difficult period.
- Dealing with the fear of Pandemic, maybe losing a job (sadly this happened to me – I am maintaining a positive outlook) in this economic turmoil, not getting salaries on time, loss of health, or even the life of someone you know might put immense pressure on the mental state. It is therefore important to talk to positive people who can help you cope with the situation – this can be a friend, relative, or even professionals. Also good to do meditation or yoga which can help relax the mind
- Investing in functional furniture for your home office – sitting for a long time working on your laptop in an uncomfortable position might not impact your health adversely if done for a week or two but if this continues for many months – this will to some extent impact your health. Hence it is better to invest in some office furniture which can help you stay healthy and also increase productivity.
- Ergonomic Chairs: This is very important for the health of our backs and is very important (maybe most important) piece of furniture.
- Sitting on end, not going to gyms or even not stepping out of the house has cut all forms of exercise from our lives. It had become popular sometime back that sitting is the new smoking – this is now more prevalent and important than ever. Hence we should make efforts to stand as much as possible. A height adjustable table might do wonders for you in this regard.
I have invested in this type of wall-mounted table/rack – which is perfect for me to keep my laptop and a diary and work. When I don’t need to work on this, I can simply fold this
My brother on the other hand has invested in an electric height adjustable table. The benefits are obviously that you can work on this while sitting also and you don’t have to set it up on different surfaces however this is a little costlier.
- Third thing is to invest in some exercise equipment like resistance bands or weights. It is more important than ever to keep yourselves healthy during this time to boost your immunity. Also we should take this time to invest in our health and become a better version of ourselves for the future.
- Third and most important point would be to give time, guidance and/or support (monetary or otherwise) to family, friends and even strangers and help them get over this difficult time. This is the other side of point 1 and only if people do this, can point 1 be achieved without which nothing matters.
I have written most of this from my experience and am myself following these pointers. Let me know in the comments what you all think of the above points and how are you all coping with the pandemic.
Ravi is an IIM ranker with over 9 years of work experience and has helped optimize the growth and financial performance of companies like BPCL, Sun, Ola, Swiggy, Curefit, and Rupeek. In this blog, he explains how to improve personal finances, do growth hacking through digital marketing or other initiatives, and provides a sneak peek into the financial models of companies – especially startups.