The recent global pandemic has pushed many professionals to work from home. It is a new way of operation for many people. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to adapt to this new way of operations. If you have never worked from home, here are a few tips on optimizing your remote work life.
Scheduling
Since you are working from home, you need to develop your schedule. It would help if you were self-aware to help you create a program that works for you and your work. Identify the time you are most focused and appoint high-energy tasks to that time. If you have high energy, you are more productive.
Early birds handle the most demanding jobs during morning hours and leave the low-energy jobs for the afternoon or night. This approach works for night owls, who work more at night and rest in the morning. However, it would be best if you remained disciplined to achieve your work goals.
Self-Care
Many experts who have been working remotely for years agree that self-care is essential. By taking care of yourself, you become more productive. Most people often forget to look after themselves, which reflects on their work’s quality and productivity.
Self-care is one way to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Here are the primary ways you can look after yourself as you work at home:
- Get enough sleep
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Exercise regularly
- Take a walk for fresh air
- Indulge in a hobby
Minimize Distractions
Most people agree that it’s challenging to work from home. There are pets, kids, and lots of entertainment which may distract you from getting any work done. You can set some rules to allow you to have uninterrupted working time. A home office isolated from the house activities may be a good investment.
Other distractions such as social media and notifications negatively affect your productivity. Turn off desktop notifications, put your phone on silent, and facedown to help you work effectively. If you stick to your schedule, you may even have more done than initially planned. You can get more family time and more time to do other things if you reduce distractions while working.
Socialize with Colleagues
Socializing doesn’t mean video conference work meetings or operator-assisted events. Some companies may have a strong remote culture, bringing employees together outside work. However, if you are not part of an organization, try and socialize with like-minded professionals on chat apps. You can also attend small social events with friends and colleagues.
If you don’t enjoy socializing, look for ways to feel included and connected. Feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disconnect may affect your productivity, especially for extroverted personalities. As an introvert, you should try and nurture new or old relationships not to isolate yourself completely.
Take Sick Days
Being home doesn’t excuse your sick days, especially if you have a compensation package for the same. If you do not take sick days, it’s like throwing away money. Additionally, communicate with your managers when you feel ill at home and record it in your work file. Also, avoid working or logging into your work portal when feeling sick. It reduces your productivity which may affect your output.
Train and Learn
As you work from home, try and be proactive about online training courses. Don’t pass up opportunities to learn new programming, software, or soft business skills. Attend all your organization’s scheduled training sessions for your benefit.
There are many online training sites you can learn from independently. With the rapidly shifting economy, there is nothing like too many skills. Enroll in coaching programs to learn how to be more productive in your work. There are free webinars about everything. Take advantage of such opportunities.
Communicate
Maintain frequent and clear communication with your colleagues and clients. Keep reminding them of your schedules and deadlines. You can rely on a web event organizer such as Connex to manage all your online communication affairs.
Poor communication can be caused by dropped calls or static. Partnering up with a communication specialist may save you a lot of misunderstanding. Proper communication also improves productivity in the company.
Be Motivated and Positive
As you get used to working from home, maintain a positive attitude towards the learning experience. Also, find something to keep you motivated.
