A blink of an eye and the year is almost gone. With 2021 at your fingertips, are you really ready to take on the new year?
Evidently, we have gone through a lot as a nation in the past year. With the onslaught of Covid-19 cases in the world, students have been made to go through major adjustments from attending school to e-learning and adults – working in the office to working from home. Thankfully, the year is ending with good news. Phase 3 will begin before the end of December and Covid-19 vaccinations have arrived in Singapore and will be distributed to the public very soon.
We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, normalcy will be returning in due time and we can bid adieu to work-from-home initiatives. But after being cooped up in our homes for most of the year, what lessons can we draw from the countless Zoom meetings and the abrupt intrusion of work and school into our personal space?
Multi-tasking is a Big Sham
Ever watch an episode of your favourite sitcom on Netflix during lunch one day and then decide to leave it on in the background when you resumed work? Did your productivity for the rest of the day take a nosedive? Yes, we totally relate to that.
It might be a lot more tempting to indulge in recreational activities during work hours, but the fact is that as humans, we are not meant to be consciously doing more than one thing at once. If you are paying attention to the show playing on Netflix, you are definitely not concentrating on your work, and vice versa. Work around this by creating daily to-do lists and staying focused on one task at any given moment. Give yourself little breaks in between to scroll your feed on Instagram or grab a snack, but let’s leave the bad habit of multi-tasking in 2020.
You Don’t Need to Turn On Notifications for Every Application
You might think that a little “ding” here and there will not affect your productivity, but the truth is it brings your attention away from your work immediately, and it will always take some time for your brain to refocus on your work again. Imagine this happening 10 to 20 times a day, how much time will you be losing to this little distraction?
To maximise or increase productivity during working hours, try the “do not disturb” mode on your phone, or turn off notifications for unimportant applications like social media applications or group chat messages. A good guideline would be to only allow notifications for work emails, meeting reminders and work calls. Learn how to make this a routine and you might just be able to work overtime less frequently in 2021.
Draw a Line Between Work Life and Personal Life
It is difficult to achieve work-life balance when you are working from home, but having a designated work station will definitely help. It is a good practice to keep your workstation and entertainment area or rest area separated as the change of environment will help your brain “switch off” from work and rest. Also keep an eye on the clock as you work at home, as it might be tough to clock out from an environment where you are already comfortable in.
This good habit can also be practised once everybody in Singapore has to return to work in the office – simply turn off all work notifications after you clock out and focus on resting once you step out of your office. If by any chance you get last-minute work assignments that you are unable to delay, inkmypapers is always here to help you proofread your work or create stellar PowerPoint decks for you.
Are You Ready for Post Covid-19 Life?
The end of the pandemic is nearing and we will all be able to resume our normal lives very soon. Take these last days of 2020 to reflect on the important lessons you have learnt in the past year and take 2021 by storm.
