Who said that remote working is easier than in the office? That’s a controversial point. Indeed, in the office we carry out work tasks, at home we immerse ourselves in household chores and relax. But now a lot of people have to combine life and working from home.
Quarantine forced us to reconsider the usual way of life, habits, work format. This is a kind of challenge for us and a new experience.
I want to share some useful tips:
how to combine home and work and not go crazy;
how to organize your workday in order to get everything done;
how to overcome procrastination and enjoy the results of remote working.
Let’s start.
1. Early To Rise
Most probably these lines aren’t being read by the larks, who are used to getting up before dawn. We all have different daily routines. However, if you get up at least half an hour earlier than usual, this will already be a big breakthrough. This way you can praise yourself for a small victory over habits, calmly have breakfast, and plan the next day according to priority.
2. Former Schedule
If earlier you came to the office and started work at 9 o’clock in the morning, then you shouldn’t deviate from this rule when you are working from home. This will help you not to get sidetracked from the usual work schedule and to maintain the same efficiency.
3. Working Environment When You Are Working From Home
Obviously, for many people the working environment is very different from home, but it will be much easier to tune in to work if:
you change your pajamas to a more casual outfit;
make the bed;
choose a permanent and most convenient place for work in the house;
clean up the room in which you are working so that the mess doesn’t distract you during the day.
Just try to complete at least some of these points and you will see how your mood will change and effectiveness will increase.
4. Suitable Workplace
It sounds corny, but a table and chair motivate us to work remotely better than a sofa. That’s how our subconscious mind is arranged: a sofa or bed is associated with relaxation, and a table and chair remind us of a working environment.
5. The Calendar
Have you noticed how much simple planning makes life easier for us?
It’s much easier to sketch out a list of tasks for tomorrow in the evening, then to get up and calmly analyze and correct it in the morning while drinking your favorite coffee, than waking up and trying to randomly remember what brilliant ideas came yesterday and what needs to be done today.
6. Time Control
Try breaking your work on tasks into several sets throughout the day. For example, 25 minutes of hard work, then 5 minutes of rest Pomodoro Technique. Such sets can be done 7-9 times during the day. Try it, you will notice how your work efficiency will increase significantly.
Simple time management rules will help you competently organize working from home and in the office.
7. Taking Notes
Write down any good ideas that occur to you during the day. It is advisable to do this with plain paper and a pen. If you write a task plan for the workday, and then cross out everything that is done from the list, it will bring pleasure from the results of the past day and will be an excellent motivation for the next one.
As practice shows, the habit of writing down ideas and plans brings good results in the end. Perhaps what has come to mind today will tomorrow become a masterpiece or a revolutionary solution.
8. Quiet Time
Our family, especially children, need not only our presence at home, but also attention. And we simply have no right to deprive them of this. However, it’s worth introducing the rule: everyone spends 1 hour a day in complete silence.
Everybody can sleep, play, read, but most importantly, in silence. Such a pause will allow a remote worker to take a break from noise and work productively.
9. Keep In Touch
Individual Work
Usual gatherings and meetings have now switched to online format. There are many tools for holding online conferences that will help you stay in touch with colleagues, customers, partners.
Teamwork
If you work in a team, then you just need to be constantly in touch with the guys. It is very important to have online meetings at the same time every day. Just 20-30 minutes of communication will help you stay up to date with the latest developments in the work of the team, talk about your achievements, problems, and help others. It is very useful and pleasant to see and hear colleagues during self-isolation. Plus, this will maintain a sense of involvement in the overall process.
10. Gadgets’ Assistance
Let your gadgets become indispensable helpers. If you can’t independently control the time and breaks, set yourself reminders. So you can free your head from unnecessary information and better concentrate on tasks.
11. All In Good Time
Avoid checking social networks and don’t do other entertainment throughout the workday, because it can be done in your free time. It disperses concentration. Everything has its own time and place.
12. Harmony Between Rest And Remote Working
So that the monotony of life during quarantine doesn’t plunge us into sadness, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to sit back. There must be harmony between work and rest. After workday, we need to rest. But relaxation can also be active and beneficial to the body and soul.
Read, do physical exercises, if possible, take walks in the fresh air. Do what you didn’t have enough time for earlier. Thus, you can have a good time and recharge with new positive emotions that will inspire you for new achievements.
13. The Rule Of 3 Minutes
This rule applies to any activity. If any task can be done in no more than 3 minutes, don’t put it off for later, but do it right away. Everything consists of little things, and if each thing is put aside for later, eventually you’ll be swamped by the avalanche of tasks, that will be extremely hard to deal with.
In Conclusion
Now we are experiencing a truly unique period in the history of mankind. Pandemic, quarantine, self-isolation. Yes, they have brought some limitations to life and work. But every cloud has a silver lining. We have a great opportunity to reconsider our attitude towards ourselves, the world around us. We have become more united. There is time and the opportunity to spend more time with family and friends. We can stop in this fast rhythm of life and finally hear ourselves, our inner self.
If your inner self tells you that you need to change something – take action! If you need the help of highly qualified specialists to expand a team or develop a project from scratch, we will be happy to provide it to you.