Remote working simply means working right from the comfort of your home. This is a far cry from the usual scenario in the career arena, where work is almost always completed in the office. Especially with today’s global workforce, this remote work scenario is becoming the common key player. For parents, in particular, or even students who wish to earn extra cash on the side, remote work is heaven-sent because of the convenience it brings.
In this time of pandemic, so many workers might have no other option than to relocate their work offices to their homes. This decision can stem from a mandate of their employers, or it can simply be their preference, for the safety of their family. Working from home, however, also often presents a lot of challenges, particularly ones involving managing your time and everyone else in the household.
You’ve come to the right place as this article will give you insights on the best practices you can implement as you begin working from home.
#1 Maintain Regular Working Hours
One of the biggest challenges with working from home has to do with creating a schedule and making it fit alongside all the other responsibilities you have at home. It’s a tad bit different than when you’re in an office, where you have set working hours. Distractions are, therefore, not that extreme.
Hence, it’s a good idea to start your adjustment to remote working by keeping regular working hours. This means creating that set time in a day where you do nothing else but work. Don’t expose yourself to any other distractions, such as household chores. A fixed schedule can help you create a good balance between your work and personal life at home.
#2 Create A Morning Routine
Apart from having a fixed schedule, it would also help to create a morning routine. This is one of the hardest things for you to have; it can be easy to slack off and wake up late, for instance, because you think you’ve got all the time in the world.
Creating a morning routine helps you have a good start. It’s your morning routine that indicates what time you’ll start work, and what else you have to do in the day. This morning routine is even something you can do comfortably at home, especially when you’ve created a home office that’s not just functional, but also a relaxing haven for you to spend long hours working in.
Moreover, a positive morning can help set everything in order. Waking up earlier than everyone else at home, for instance, gives you that extra time to just breathe and relax before hitting your work responsibilities.
#3 Plan Your Workflow
Once you sit down in your home office to start remote working, always begin by planning your workflow.
You can do this using a traditional, old-school planner. There are also software and other digital tools you can use, like Gig Worker, to help you create a workflow plan in your computer. Having this set workflow remains as one of the best ways for you to ensure that you get work completed throughout the day. Otherwise, you might end the day without anything done. This can affect your effectivity as an employee, considering your contribution to the entire team. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean that you have to be less effective.
As you go through this planning process of your workflow, you may want to consider the following:
- Complete the hardest work first, so that you get this over with immediately, without having to rush any other deadlines you might need to meet in the day.
- Give yourself rewards and breaks throughout the day so you can continue to keep yourself motivated, no matter how difficult the work day might be.
#4 Set Ground Rules With Everyone At Home
Another one of the biggest hindrances to a smooth workflow when it comes to remote working has to do with the people surrounding your home. It can be so easy for everyone else to distract you or ask help from you just because you’re around. It’s different when you’re in the office and everyone else is working.
To combat this, set ground rules right from the outset. Everyone at home, including your children, should know what they can expect from you, especially during working hours. For instance, you can set an absolutely ‘don’t disturb’ time during the hours that you’re reporting for work. Remote working isn’t easy, but it’s doable, only if you’re on the same page as everyone. Your spouse and children should also help out with the work division, especially if you’re homeschooling your children as well, and if there isn’t anyone else at home to help with cooking and chores.
#5 Break Up Your Day Into Different Parts
While it may be tempting for you to work long hours, this isn’t going to be the best way for you to go about remote working. Because you’re not in an office setting, it’s easier for you to slack off or lose productivity.
To maintain work efficiency and lessen the possibility of a work burnout, it would be best to break up your day into different parts. For example, you have to work eight hours in a day. Rather than force yourself to a straight eight-hour working schedule, break this into different sections. You can have three hours in the morning, four in the afternoon, and then one early in the evening, for example. That way, it’ll be easier for you to balance everything else you’ll need to accomplish in the day.
Conclusion
With all of these tips, now you’re equipped to easily adjust to working from home. Especially at this moment when there seems to be no end in sight yet as to when some sense of ‘normalcy’ will come, you’ve got to get yourself ready to just jump right into remote working. As daunting as the possibility may seem, it’s one that’s workable. Starting with a few changes in your lifestyle and in your schedule, breezing through your work-from-home success is now workable.
Comments are closed.