Working Remotely: A New Challenge and 4 Tips to Manage It
While working at your office, you had never thought that there would come a day that you would have to work from home, right?
To all the newly remote workers, we welcome you to this new and exciting way of life!
We understand that at the beginning it won’t be that exciting, but it can be as rewarding and as productive as working in your office if you consider making some changes.
“Remote Working Challenges” – As a technology and digital marketing company, we want to support our team and clients as much as we can in the face of remote working challenges. Here are several helpful ways that will help you to stay productive, and more importantly, sane. So, wash your hands and keep reading!
1. Create a Working Space
Work time is time to concentrate, it has always been this way! No matter where you are, creating a designated workplace to fire up work-related thoughts is essential. But lots of remote workers “work” with their laptops on the couch or while sitting in bed, which is fine for a few hours here and there. But if users suddenly need to work eight hours a day for multiple days from that same location, a couch and laptop aren’t going to cut it.
Also, remember that not everyone has a dedicated room to work that is quiet and lets them concentrate, especially when others in the household will most likely be home due to the same pandemic. At least, set up a place where you can focus on your work-related tasks.
2. Host Remote Coffee Video Meetings with your Team
Working from home is not for everyone. Many people crave the human contact that has been lost since working from home, but just because your team is temporarily working remotely doesn’t mean the days of coffee chats are in the past. Use this as an opportunity to get your team online and connected with one another.
Make sure to have an everyday coffee video meeting with your team to give yourselves a minute to take a breath and connect with one another on a more human level where you can also discuss your projects as you would do in a normal day at your office. (Yes, turning on your camera is required rather than just your voice. PJs, however, are not!)
3. Create a Routine
When working remotely, it is very easy and tempting to wake up and jump right into work — especially if going to the office doesn’t require getting out of bed. In fact, maintaining a routine is more important than ever when you work remotely.
What you must do is to prepare your day just like you are going to the office. Wake up early, do not skip your morning shower just because you can, wear something else than pajamas and maybe put on some makeup just like you would do in a normal day.
Also give yourself enough time to do what you need to do to switch from home brain to work brain – make coffee, breakfast, meditate, exercise, whatever it is that is helpful for you. Create a peaceful and pleasant workspace as much as you can and try to eliminate distractions.
It may be a challenging adjustment at first, but you will get used to it very fast.
4. Avoid Distractions
The good news is, when you work from home, you avoid co-workers dropping by your desk and other office interruptions (Let’s have a coffee in the breakroom!). The bad news is you’ll likely have to deal with other kinds of interruptions and distractions, whether it’s your cat meowing or your kids asking you to play or watch a movie together. There’s no way to avoid all interruptions from your family, pets, or even friends. It’s important to be clear, though, about the kinds of interruptions that are okay and which ones can wait.
Overcoming these distractions is just a matter of self-discipline. Learn to recognize what takes you off task, and perhaps find a way you can incorporate it into your breaks. That’s what having a flexible schedule is all about. It’s all about finding the right balance!
I know that YOU came here because you were experiencing struggles from remote working, but remember that you are not alone. This is a whole new world for a lot of professionals, so it’s normal if you’re still adjusting and figuring out how to navigate the work-from-home reality.
We hope that at least a few of these tips will be helpful as you shift your habits and learn new ways to keep your work on track.
What are your thoughts on working remotely? What are some unexpected challenges showing up for you? Let us know in the comments!
At MI Group we help startups, entrepreneurs, small and medium size businesses leverage remote work opportunities to grow their business. If you need help on how to use the best tools while you work remote, signup for a free 30 minute consultation session.