7 Remote Working Hacks to Boost Up Productivity
This year, many were forced to switch to remote mode. For those who have never worked from home before, the task of organizing their work process has turned out to be somewhat tricky. No matter how much we want to return to comfortable office spaces, reality dictates the conditions in which we have to improvise, adapt and overcome.
We will share with you some time management tips for working remotely and help you find a balance between overworking and underperforming. This is something to think about, especially for those looking for a perfect work-life balance.
Set Up Your Work Area
Most of us are used to associating work with offices because being away from home makes it easier to put personal problems aside. Besides, changing the environment and digging into the working atmosphere increases our productivity.
Create an “office” environment with the most necessary things — a computer, a phone, a notebook, an organizer. Over time, you will associate this place with work tasks only, so you will be able to distract your mind from home affairs and concentrate on work.
Make your workplace as functional as possible by getting the right equipment: a comfortable chair, high-speed Internet connection, high-quality headset, and setting up proper lighting. Try to take into account everything that stokes your productivity and maintains emotional stability. If your company can offer support to create a comfortable home office set-up, do not miss out on this opportunity.
Make a Daily Task List
Many employees are not quick enough to switch to a remote format. Task setting, execution, and control are transferred from offline to online in the same form, which may lead to extremities: you can either switch between rapid-fire tasks or procrastinate.
However, deadlines should be met. If you don’t want to let them haunt you, start with self-discipline. Create a list of daily tasks. Break big tasks down into smaller pieces so that you could solve them gradually, thus avoiding panic and anxiety.
If there are many tasks, list them from highest to lowest priority. And try to collect all the tasks in one place to stay focused. The necessity to double-check different task managers, chats and instant messengers makes it hard to focus on the main priorities.
Use any visual methods to make the work process enjoyable. It is important to see the volume of work that has been done, keep a record of completed tasks and periodically reward yourself.
Restore Your Routines
We do not prepare for work by getting out of bed 10 minutes before the working day starts, gulping down coffee, and working on the tasks while being half-asleep. Give yourself some time to get started. Otherwise, it will affect your productivity.
Recall the things that dropped out of your daily routine after switching to remote mode. Maybe a delicious breakfast used to give you the necessary energy boost and helped you ease into your workday. Or maybe a warm shower to your favorite tune helped you get into the flow.
Get dressed before you start your working day. It is enough to change the warm and soft pajamas for a more formalwork-from-home outfit. And in the evening, you can put on something cozy again. Start and end your working day with your regular rituals.
This will help you divide the day into “before work,” “work,” and “after work” stages and maintain your work-life balance. Otherwise, you will have to deal with burnout and immune system issues, which may bring frustrating results such as poor health, depression, and a strong sense of injustice.
Set Clear Boundaries
Do not forget to limit your working hours. Start working on your tasks on time and finish your workday as scheduled.
At first, it might seem difficult. However, if you schedule the most urgent tasks for the beginning of the day and calculate how much time it will take to complete them, you won’t have to finish up the pending work in your personal time. Set reminders and keep track of your tasks.
Take care of yourself. Unfortunately, not every company’s policy discourages late-night communication and regular overworking, which hurt the results. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how to protect your leisure time by setting boundaries with your coworkers.
Turn Off Notifications
Turn off work notifications at the end of the day and on weekends. Otherwise, you will fail to turn off work mode. Even if the message does not require an instant reply, you will probably get anxious and start thinking about your work instead of relaxing.
The same rule applies to personal communication. It is necessary to patiently communicate to your friends and family members that working from home requires even a higher level of engagement and focus. Therefore, long conversations and message exchange should be postponed until the evening.
Keep Your Colleagues Updated
Regularly notify colleagues about the tasks completed, keep them informed of events. Do not wait until they ask you; take initiative and show responsibility. Sometimes one or two messages are enough to clarify the situation and move on.
However, do not overuse chats and video conferences. No one will benefit if a working day turns into a long and useless online conversation.
Sometimes you need to make a video call to discuss something. Other problems can be solved by texting a colleague. Don’t waste anyone’s time. Plan conferences in advance to avoid a long wait and give yourself time to prepare for the conversation.
Take Breaks and Go Out
Take short breaks to walk away from the desk and exercise, have a snack, or stroke the cat. Remember that there wasn’t a single day in your office when you would just sit in front of your computer all day long. Most likely, you had a chat with a colleague or simply walked around the office at least once a day.
Taking the shape of a shrimp is not the best idea for your spine, take a brief walk during lunchtime instead. We need lunch not only to get some food but also to get some rest and boost our productivity.
Focus on the benefits of the remote mode, such as being able to wear cozy slippers and listen to your favorite music while working. Walking with a dog in a nearby park during the lunch break, sipping at a cup of coffee — why not?
Welcome anything that enhances your productivity and makes the day more enjoyable. Get the most out of work from home as long as there is such an opportunity.
