Is your company embracing remote work? Or are you perhaps considering taking on a remote work opportunity?
Whatever your situation may be, remote work may seem quite intimidating at first because it is drastically different from working in an office. For those who are new to it, productivity and heightened stress may be issues.
Employees working from home need slightly different tactics so they don’t compromise their well-being for the sake of remote work productivity.
Have A Dedicated Workroom
This is the most basic requirement for working remotely full-time. You need to designate a space that’s solely for work.
Ideally, this should be an enclosed room with a door and not an open area like your living room, or worse, your dining table. If you’re doing this full-time, invest in it.
Setting up a dedicated room for remote work gives you a clear boundary between your work life and personal life. This is incredibly important for many new remote employees who often end up blurring the line between the two.
Once your workroom is set up, avoid working in other areas of your home, especially in the bedroom. You’ll thank us a few months from now.
Set Clear Boundaries Between Work And Personal Life
The key to being happy while working remotely is setting a boundary between work and your personal life. Setting up a workroom is only the first step.
You need to make a conscious effort to completely separate the time you spend on work from the time you spend on all other aspects of your daily life. Working day in and day out is a recipe for burnout.
Make sure that you clock out at the end of your shift and spend time doing things you enjoy like bonding with your entire family. Choose activities that will help you de-stress such as exercising and taking a warm bath.
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Optimize Your Work Environment
They say that your environment is a reflection of your mental state. Thus, a cluttered, unorganized desk will make your mind feel cluttered and unorganized.
This is, in a way, connected to the first tip we gave. If you have a workroom, you can keep it free of elements that have to do with your family or hobbies.
Without those, you will not be distracted by concerns from your personal life, and you’ll be able to focus solely on work.
Before you start working remotely, try to replicate your office desk. Keep only the usual items or equipment you need to do your job, and add a plant or two to keep your workspace fresh and welcoming but clean (but if you thrive in organized chaos, that’s fine too).
Establish A Routine That Works For You
Routines are established for efficiency. They are especially important for remote employees because it’s highly tempting to respond to or work on tasks assigned by a colleague in a different time zone.
But working in a “reactionary” manner leaves you unorganized. You’ll end up working on unimportant tasks while neglecting the things you were supposed to prioritize in the first place.
As you can see, establishing a routine is not just about having breakfast and taking a shower before opening your laptop. It’s also about how you handle the responsibilities that come with your job.
Establishing a routine means having a system for prioritizing tasks so you don’t get sidetracked and miss your deadlines.
Set Breaks
Without other people around to invite you to lunch, you are bound to forget the time during what experts call a state of “deep productivity.”
You might forget to eat and even drink water, which isn’t good for anybody. Breaks are indispensable in any type of work; that’s why they’re mandated by law.
Set an alarm to remind you to take breaks every now and then. There is no right or wrong way to do it—opt for what works for you.
Some people prefer to take short breaks every 30 minutes or 1 hour, while others prefer to work for 3 hours before taking a relatively longer break.
Try out which system is best for you in your new work environment. What’s important is that you give your mind a few minutes’ rest.
Communicate Properly
Always set a time to communicate with your colleagues. Use your team’s communication channels to convey messages.
Not all new tasks, project updates, and feedback can be communicated via chat. Likewise, not everything merits a video call.
As much as it’s important for each team member to be on the same page, it’s also crucial to use the proper channels to relay your messages accurately without affecting anyone’s productivity.
Control Your Schedule
Because remote employees need to communicate often, they find themselves in a string of meetings.
Their days are busy, but they are unproductive because they are operating in what Paul Graham calls the “manager’s schedule,” which is filled with singular tasks that can be accomplished in an hour.
Unless you’re a manager or someone in a higher position, that type of schedule will not work for you.
If you are an employee or a “maker,” you’ll need to block off hours to focus on one task. Scheduling multiple meetings in a day means disrupting your productivity.
As a remote employee, you probably know when you’re most productive. So to optimize your productivity, avoid scheduling meetings during that time.
Keep those hours free to accomplish as many tasks as possible.
Say Hello to Mother Nature
Finally, get yourself some fresh air (and possibly a bit of exercise) by stepping out of your house for a few minutes after work.
You can hang out in your backyard, go for a short walk around the block, or use this time to run some errands if you really have to get them done.
Going outside is a good way to keep you revitalized and prevent burnout.
Your remote work productivity ultimately lies in how well you take care of yourself outside of work. Visit our online store today for more relaxing bath salt options.
