The art of working remotely



The world is firmly moving towards remote work. The crisis has had an effect on everyone, some are receiving salary cuts, while others are being laid off. To cope with the situation, many people have started looking for  part-time home-based jobs.  

The business landscape has drastically changed across continents, thanks to the superior technology, this paradigm shift has been smooth for most people. After all, working remotely is not a new concept. People from different career fields have been doing it for years. That being said, most of us are used to working from home maybe once in a while. But with countries going on lockdown, we have to slowly get used to the new normal.

Research shows that working from home is a win-win situation for both employers as well as employees. Employees benefit by eliminating their daily commute to work, while employers get to save money on things like air-conditioning, meals, etc. Working from home enhances flexibility in terms of working hours and also makes people more productive.

But at the same time, it is not necessary that every employee feels productive while working remotely. Some of them are conditioned to work due to outside constraints. Be it, meetings that force them to adhere to a schedule, or office hours that dictate the start and end of their day. As a result, when employees work from home, their lack of productivity is one of the biggest challenges that management has to deal with.

So irrespective of whether you are doing a part-time home-based job or working full-time from home, here are some tips that will teach you how to stay productive when working remotely:

Build a designated workspace

One of the most common reasons why employees feel less productive is the lack of a proper work environment. This is why it is important to build a designated workspace for yourself. It could be a spare room that you could convert into a home office, or it could be a separate corner of your house where you set up your desk.

The key point here is to ensure this space is not used for anything other than work. Keep it free from any distractions and organized with everything you might need throughout your day. This is especially helpful if you live with your family. Working in a designated space will let you concentrate better and enhance your productivity.

Invest in some quality equipment

If you are working from home, you would want to be equipped with everything you might need to do your work efficiently. For instance, if you are doing  online typing jobs from home,   then you know for a fact how important it is to have a good keyboard. A good example of typing jobs is doing  online data entry work from home.  

Similarly, if you are into graphic design or illustration - you need equipment to help you create drawings and illustrations digitally. So make sure to invest in some good equipment that can help make your job more efficient.

Use productivity tools

Working as part of a team can seem tricky when all of you are working remotely. Since you will no longer be working under the same roof, you need to find a way to stay productive together. Using productivity tools encourages your team to stay on the same page and remain connected. It can also help you improve your skills. For instance, if you are one of those people doing online  typing work from home jobs,   you can download tools to enhance your speed.

You can also use planning apps like trello, and messaging/calling apps like slack or google hangouts. This will give all of you a common digital worksheet where you can sync up and keep each other updated.

Set some ground rules

This is an important tip for managers and employers. Before people start working remotely, it is always better to come up with a policy that defines the expectations of the employer. You can talk about communication policies, mutual working hours, daily meetings, etc. You can manage a general calendar where employees can set their work schedules for easy reference.

Daily check-ins

Working from home can get lonely at times, especially when you are staying alone during a lockdown. To ensure some normalcy it is important to schedule daily check-ins with your team. Not only is it helpful in providing clarity of work needed to be done, but it also helps in maintaining a connection with your team which is necessary if you have to work together.

You can use methods like video-calls, phone-call, or even instant messages to do daily sync up as a team and make sure everyone is clear on what tasks need to be done throughout the day. Keep updating whoever is concerned as and when necessary.

Stick to a work schedule

Even though you don't have to commute to work anymore, it is still important for you to have a routine in your life. Do not sleep in or open your laptop in bed as soon as you wake up and start working. Give yourself time to get ready for the day. This means, do your morning routine like you normally would.

Wake up early, take a shower, get dressed, have a good breakfast, take some time to read the news, or meditate for a few minutes. It will give your body time to wake up fully and feel ready to take on the day. If you wake up late and start working sluggish, chances are you are not going to work efficiently.

Create daily goals

Another great way to enhance productivity is by setting daily goals and targets. Before you start your day, create a list of everything you need to do - either digitally or on paper. Take a look at your weekly or monthly goals and break them down into your daily tasks. Take those tasks and break them down furthermore according to your hourly schedule. Keep checking things off as you go about your day. Studies show that checking things off from our to-do list gives a sense of accomplishment that humans thrive on.

Take frequent breaks

When employees work remotely, they often tend to forget to take breaks. A human brain can only concentrate for 45 minutes, which is why it is recommended to take short breaks after every hour or so. It can be as simple as getting a cup of tea, or reading a chapter from a book, or listening to some music. These little things are necessary to give your brain time to breathe and then get back into work mode.

What are the benefits of remote work?

This type of work has quite serious advantages. First, it is the ability to travel to other places without a break from work. It is also complete freedom of movement, you become independent of location and can even live and travel with other remote specialists. And especially relevant in the era of Covid-19, this is a way to reduce exposure to microbes from sick colleagues.

Washija, receptix
Washija, receptix

Washija is a content specialist at receptix. She has an mba in tourism and a passion for creating web content. She is an avid reader, a traveler, and a versatile writer. She has been writing on the topics of education, career advice, and related areas for the past 3 years
 



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