In early March this year, dealing with the coronavirus meant working at home. The entire planet moved to mandatory work at home to protect the health of employees and communities alike. The remote work culture represented an adjustment for many, which was one of the biggest and most dramatic experiments in history. More than half of jobs are compatible with teleworking. People in all kinds of industries, ranging from healthcare to education, are hoping to work remotely for the rest of their careers. Well, it seems that their wish will come true.
Small and medium-sized business owners have made massive investments in digital tools to enable employees to work at home. Many have widely used the downturn to divert resources to technological renewal and innovation. As you can imagine, going back to the old normal is a step back for companies. They will want people to continue to work at home. The vast majority of employees will not go back to the office post-coronavirus, even if a vaccine is found and everything becomes a bitter memory. We might better get used to the situation.
If you are new to working remotely, the following tips will help you stay productive. You will do it like a pro. Whether you are an employee or you have recently launched your business, you will find the following pieces of advice extremely helpful.
1. Structure Your Day Like You Would in The Office
When you are not at the office, you are tempted to procrastinate. You use all sorts of lines to convince yourself that it is okay not to do what needs to be done right away. So, you end up working less than you normally would at the office. Or perhaps you put in more hours than you should. You are in the never-ending working mode, which can turn out to be exhausting. Either way, it is necessary to be conscientious, diligent, and produce good outcomes. Plan your workday ahead of time. This will help you get your productive groove on.
Set aside a spot in your home where you can work undisturbed. Not only does the workspace need to be organized, but also it should be free of clutter. You should not be surrounded by stacks of paper and endless clutter. Most importantly, use a task list. It will help you prioritize tasks and create order. If a meeting gets canceled, you can easily determine what the best way to spend your time is. When you are done, you can return to your previous commitments. Even if you have the liberty to set your schedule, you should stick to the traditional working hours.
2. Minimize the Distractions of The Internet
Task switching and routine variance can lead to significant disruptions, which can kill your productivity. Nevertheless, it is important to be aware of the other distractions linked to working at home, such as kids and other family members, phone calls, noise, household duties, and so on. And let us not forget about the World Wide Web. If most of your work is done on the computer, it will be very hard to resist the temptation of logging into your social media accounts or checking your latest emails. Allow yourself a little bit of fun before and after the work day ends.
When it is work time, it is work time. Jet Saini of Drip Digital has found that it is useful to use a website blocker. It will protect your time, as well as your browsing experience. Choose the problematic sites that waste your time. Facebook is a great example. You follow too many people and subscribe to way too many pages. Of course, if you keep Facebook open, you will switch back and forth to see if there is anything new posted. It is paramount to overcome the temptation of distractive tech. if you are struggling with the distractions of the Internet, get an extension for your browser and set the maximum amount of time you would like to spend on each site.
3. Reach Out to A Colleague When You Feel the Need to Chat
Surprisingly, our work colleagues make us more productive. Social interactions alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, which in turn can affect the workplace performance. You beat yourself up about it and work less than you are supposed to. The point is that social interactions facilitate closeness and cooperation. When you feel the need to chat with someone, do not hesitate to get in touch with one of your colleagues. What if you do not have a best buddy at work? There is surely someone with whom you can discuss. Communication is essential because it allows people to be productive.
Since you cannot meet in-person, the only option you have is to rely on digital communication technologies like Skype and Zoom. Speaking with discretion prevents misunderstandings. In a face-to-face encounter, you are able to understand someone’s viewpoints and feelings. When you are hiding behind a screen, it is a completely different story. Proofread every message you send because the tiniest error can make a big difference. If you use the phone, pay close attention to your tone of voice. You should make the interlocutor feel at ease, not do the opposite thing. Do not be too loud or forceful. You do not want to give off the wrong impression.
To sum up, working from home is the future. Learning how to be productive and focusing on what matters is one of the biggest challenges of teleworking. If you are struggling to work productively, do not worry because you are not the only one. It is difficult, if not impossible to match the productivity you have at the office. But that does not mean that you should stop trying. Do your best to stay focused and efficient during these tough times. It will take some time to get used to it, but you will eventually master productivity. Figure out what works best for your personal circumstances.
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