Nowadays many people work from home instead of going to the office. While there were certain reservations regarding this trend in the past, they never proved worth worrying about. Many find their personal space to be more productive than any office environment. They are able to work at their most productive and have more flexible hours.
Working from home is also a real money-saver for those with long commute routes. Companies quickly embraced the new trend. It helps cut costs on running offices without sacrificing productivity. Despite the perks of remote work, some of its aspects can be challenging. There are tips that can be used to improve this experience.
Develop A Workflow
The first thing you have to do is work on your daily routine. The best thing about working from home is that you have a flexible work schedule. You can even study while working part-time and use sites like AssigmentMaster to help them out. Start working as early or as late in the day as you want. As long as there are results – your superiors won’t even notice the difference.
But, it doesn’t mean that people don’t have to follow a routine. Keeping productive and meeting deadlines is impossible without following daily schedules. They should be tailored to your most productive hours to get the best results. As there are no supervisors, you will have to rely on self-discipline to do the job.
For example, if you prefer early mornings when there’s less distraction, start your work day without delay. You should have a clear daily schedule that incorporates work and break time. If there’s no strict timetable for each day, make a general template of a good work day. Leave time for meetings, work, and answering emails.
Separate Professional and Personal Spaces
Designing your environment is a challenging aspect of remote work. Some employees consider their personal space and workspace to be the same. Some of them are lazy enough to work from beds. Needless to say that you won’t be able to do much work under these conditions. There needs to be a clear separation between personal and work space. If your home allows it, create a small office in one of the rooms.
It should only contain work-related objects and devices. A chair, table, and laptop should do the job. If there is paperwork involved – create a special place to store it. Clear your work device, make sure it’s strictly for work-related activity. This means no installed games or streaming service apps. This way you’ll avoid the temptation of slacking off and be more focused on tasks.
To better concentrate, wear formal attire different from your regular clothes. A simple ironed shirt and pants will signal the brain that you’re going to work. Getting down to work in your pajamas is not the best choice.
Track Your Productivity
Staying on top of things requires continuously improving your productivity. There’s nothing complicated about this process. One has to track their daily hours worked, the number of completed tasks, and how long it took to finish them. By doing so you can detect any weaknesses or shortcomings in your approach.
People can find out that the hours of work they chose might not suit them. This exercise also shows if you spend too much time on tasks that don’t take that long. One can use Zapier or Google Sheets to log daily time. Improving your productivity can be turned into a game with rewards and penalties. It will make things more fun.
People working from home can calculate the average number of tasks they do each day. Performing under the number will result in penalties while pushing yourself gets rewarded. For example, you get a favorite snack for a productive day. An underwhelming performance can be punished with less gaming or browsing social media after work.
Use Software Solutions
Some remote workers don’t like using extra software in their work. They rely on outdated methods of writing down assignments and keeping track of them. Luckily, there are many solutions that make aspects of work easier to manage:
- Trello is a perfect app for tracking large projects and working on tasks with colleagues.
- Grammarly provides the necessary tools to proofread emails and documents.
- Todoist and Any.do are great apps for tracking daily tasks.
- RescueTime app allows tracking daily productivity and working progress.
- StayFocused and other extensions lock you out of social media and distracting websites.
Together they create a productive and focused atmosphere at the home office. These tools ensure that you’ll stay on top of things even when they seem overwhelming. These are great solutions for people with average organizational and time management skills. The best part is that most of the software is available for free.
Log Off On Time
Many remote employees face the issue of merging work and home time. Because of this, they stay in front of the work screen longer than necessary. While doing your job is important, one has to remember that they have personal time. If there are no urgent tasks, turn off the computer and spend time on yourself.
It’s important to stay offline even when there are work-related notifications or emails. These can be addressed first thing the next day. That’s why people who work from home should tell their employer or client when they’re available. Working all the time will quickly drain you of energy. There’s nothing more dangerous for productivity.
Don’t Isolate Yourself
One of the downsides of remote work is the isolation from other people. The feeling of loneliness can damage the mental health and productivity of people. It’s important to talk to colleagues, friends, and family members to stay healthy. If you don’t live far from work, try going to the office from time to time.
It’s important to keep a rich social life and spend some time with coworkers outside of the work environment. Next time you’re invited to a bowling alley or a bar, use these opportunities to unwind.
Conclusion
Remote work has many positive aspects that can improve your routine if done right. Follow daily schedules, create useful habits, and use software to help you out. Those who do so find themselves happier, more productive, and with a better work/life balance.
