Tips to make your remote working experience more productive.
Photo credit: Freepik
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear working remotely is someone working from the comfort of their bed in pajamas. Well, you’re not alone. Working remotely means working outside your usual office environment. Whether you’re starting a new remote job or already working remotely, it is definitely a new adjustment.
Here are some simple tips to make your experience more productive:
Workspace
Do: Have a specific area in your home where you can work conducively. It can be a home office, spare bedroom or a private corner. Make sure to keep it organized and tidy.
Don’t: Avoid setting up your workspace in bed. It isn’t good for your body posture and you might end up going back to sleep. Avoid working areas with distractions.
Work schedule
Do: Create and maintain a work routine. Wake up early and get dressed up. Have a list of what tasks need to be completed by the end of the day.
Don’t: It is not a day off so working in your pajamas isn’t advised. Procrastination because of your flexible working hours should be out of the question.
Equipments
Do: Ensure you have the devices needed to help you work. It could be a laptop, good internet connection, desk and chair for your designated workspace. If you live close to the busy streets or have a neighbor who loves playing loud music then include headphones to block out the distractions.
Don’t: Even if you love to work with music playing in the background, you shouldn’t turn on the TV. Instead switch to radio. Good internet connection doesn’t mean logging in to your social media unless it is during break hours. Minimize being unnecessarily online on social media for too long.
Communication
Do: You may be working remotely but you aren’t on your own. Connect with your team members by having meetings and sharing files related to work/ tasks or even have a casual conversation. There are tools such as Zoom, Slack or Google Meet that make it easier and faster.
Don’t: It’s been a while since you hanged out and checked up on your colleagues or team. However, don’t do it during working hours. You can wait till after work or schedule a day and time to do it.
Taking breaks
Do: Taking breaks in between working hours refreshes your body and brain. The break can be 10-15 minutes every one or two hours. During your break time get a healthy snack, do some stretches/exercise or have some family time.
Don’t: Avoid extending the break to catch up on some news or TV show. Try not to give in to your compulsions on binge-watching. If you do, you’ll just pile up more unfinished tasks that you could have completed earlier as scheduled.
More interesting reads:
Is your team struggling with working remotely? Here is what you should do.
Our experience working from home: does it get better or worse?
