When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many companies decided to have their employees work remotely. This was because the pandemic was spreading widely and it was advised people start working remotely to reduce the spread of the virus.
Working remotely simply means working anywhere apart from the office. You could be working from the comfort of your home, a library, a coffee shop, outside in your garden. For you to work remotely, you need a laptop or desktop and a stable internet connection.
There are different types of working remotely. Working remotely can be
- Mobile working: this is where one works from another location other than the office.
- Telecommuting: this is working from home but using the company’s equipment like laptop and desktop
- Fully remote: this is working fully outside the office’s physical location.
- Flexible work: in flexible work, the job provides flexibility to work. You can work either from the office or from home.
Working remotely might be here to stay. There are many pros and cons to working remotely. Here are some of the pros:
- There is increased productivity. It has been noted that people who work remotely have better productivity than people who do not
- Working remotely encourages flexibility. People can work at any given time. For remote working, the shifts are flexible.
- Reduction of work absences. Working remotely has greatly reduced people’s absence at work. People can plan on how at the end of the day, they will work if they have other commitments.
- Working remotely means there are fewer office distractions and the employees are focused on their work.
- The company has fewer expenses. This is because there are few or no employees present in the office. This means that the electricity, water, and maintenance expenses will reduce. The employee also does not spend a lot of money while commuting.
Working remotely can also have its disadvantages.
- More distractions especially when one is working from home. Working remotely can affect an employee because of the many distractions one might get
- When working remotely, one might not be able to have a good work-life balance. One might have a challenge trying to balance the two.
- Sometimes working remotely can have a risk in one’s productivity. This is because someone might end up taking longer than expected breaks.
- While working remotely, there is a risk of one overworking. Working remotely means that one always has access to their work machines at any given time. Without proper planning, you might find yourself always on the machine working. This will eventually lead to fatigue and burnout.
- Working remotely leads to increased cases of isolation. Working remotely means that you will spend a lot of time alone.
Are you working from home or remotely this year? Whether you are new to working remotely or from home or you started some years back, working remotely requires a lot of discipline. How can you hack working remotely? Here are a few tips you can follow.
Tips for working remotely
Stick to your morning routine
Your mornings should be just like the ones you had while working from the office. Set a specific time to wake up every day. Depending on your shift, sleep and wake up at almost the same time every day. This will help you reduce fatigue.
Eat your breakfast, freshen up and have the right clothes
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You should wake up early enough, make your breakfast, and have it ready. You can take it either before you start working or as you are working.
Freshening up will wake you up. If you were going to the office, you would shower before going to work. While working remotely, do the same.
It is important to have the right clothes while working remotely. Can you go to your physical work of place wearing pajamas? The same should apply while working from home. After freshening up, make sure you wear professional clothes. This will help you feel like you are in the office hence you will be more productive.
Have a schedule
A schedule will help you to plan your work well. Once you start working remotely, you should make a commotion list. Once you start your work, try your best to follow the schedule to the latter. A schedule will help you to prioritize more important things first. You can also create a calendar to help you with your tasks and to track all your meetings.
Have a working space
While working remotely, especially working from home, it is important to have a working space. You can select a place at your home and set it up as an office. Put everything you need in one place. You do not need to have the working desks that you would have in the office. You can have a dedicated workplace where you will work every day.
Stay away from working in your bedroom. You might be tempted to sleep which will make you less productive. Your working space should be quiet and free of distractions. The working space you choose should also have electric plugs to help you charge your gadgets.
Have the right equipment
If you are working remotely, you will need some equipment to work more effectively. Make sure you have the equipment at your reach. These equipment include
- Your work computer or laptop
- If your laptop does not have a camera, you should have a webcam that you can use during meetings
- A keyboard and mouse. They should preferably be wireless so that you can be able to move around with them easily
- A good chair with a cushion. Good posture while working is important. It will save you a lot of back pain and general body pain. Invest in a good chair.
- Headphones. If you can get noise cancellation headphones, the better. These will help you communicate effectively without people on the call hearing any background noises.
Have a stable internet
Working remotely means that you will not rely on the office’s internet. You need to get stable internet or Wi-Fi. This will enable you to work and meet your deadlines. You should choose an internet service provider that has a good reputation for providing good services. If your internet is buffering, always seek an alternative as you communicate the problem to your provider.
Avoid distractions
If you are working remotely, you will get distractions. There will be people in the house moving around or your kids might need your attention. You might be tempted to start cooking or cleaning. You can also start visiting other non-work-related websites.
You need to have discipline while working remotely. Set time aside before you start your work to keep everything in place. You can also have someone else in the house to assist you with running things. Try as much as you can to turn off any electronic devices like the TV and radio while working. Also, make it known to the people around you that while you are at work, you expect zero distractions.
Take your breaks
While working remotely, you might end up forgetting to take your breaks. These breaks are very important. If you can, go for a walk during your break or do some indoor activities. During your break, you can also take the time to make some snacks during your breaks.
At your break time, bond with the people around you. If you love fitness, take this time to watch do and some wellness activities.
Be productive
Productivity is important to your employers. If you are working from home, you need to make sure your productivity is good. If you are a manager, ensure your team meets the needed hours, they attend and the work they are doing is of good quality.
Make effective communication
Communication is important when it comes to working remotely. This is the only way you can pass something to your team. Communication can be made using different channels. You can use your telephone, WhatsApp, Hangouts, etc.
You can also have team meetings with your teams by using Zoom, Google Meet, BlueJeans, and other applications. Make use of these channels to communicate with your team.
Communication will also help you to stop feeling isolated while working remotely. Since most people are working remotely, find a time that is favorable for everyone.
Respond to emails, chats, and messages as soon as you get them to avoid having a lot of backlogs. If you are joining a meeting, follow these practices during the call:
- Have your camera on at all times. Having your camera on will help you be more attentive during the call and it helps to maintain a professional image.
- Always have your microphone muted if you are not talking. Any background noise might cause a distraction.
- Dress professionally. When you join a call, make sure your attire is the correct one. Being too casual will tarnish your professional image. It can also distract other team members or clients during the call.
- Have a neat background. Your background should be clean and neat. This will help your teammates not to be distracted during the call.
Set Boundaries
Have boundaries while you work remotely. People at home should know that if you are on shift, then you should not be distracted. You should also try not to respond to any messages and calls that are not work-related. Concentrating too much on them might make your productivity low.
You should also set your boundaries with your teammates. They should know that after a certain time, you are not going to answer any work-related issues. Share your schedule with your teammates so that they can know what your schedule looks like. If you are away on leave, your teammates should be aware that you would not answer any work-related issues.
Work-life balance
Working remotely can make you glued up on your machine for long hours. This will eventually make you miss many things. Be sure to set time outside work. During your working hours, socialize with your colleagues.
Interact with people outside your working hours. Leave your house and go to the supermarket, beach or hotel. Call your friends and family while you are not at work.
Take your paid time off seriously. During your planned leave at work, stay away from your computer or phone. Switch off any work-related notifications. Communicate this to your team.
Take care of your health
Your health is more important. Prioritize your health. When working remotely, one can spend more than expected. Spending a large amount of time sitting can affect your health negatively. Take some time away from the machine. Take a stroll and do some exercises. If you feel unwell, seek medical help immediately and take some days off if necessary.
You should also take care of your mental health. Working remotely has caused many to have mental illnesses because of the stress they get. Do not let yourself get there. Talk things out. If you can, reach out to a counselor and get the needed help.
Remember, if you do not take time to rest, your body will do so. If your schedule or your work is not going as planned, do not give yourself pressure. Eventually, you will finish the given tasks. You can also talk to your manager if you feel overwhelmed and ask for guidance.
Conclusion
Working remotely can be both good and bad. It will all depend on how you manage yourself. As most companies are moving to work remotely, you will probably start working remotely. Working remotely is good because one will be flexible, it leads to increased productivity, and the expenses incurred will be lesser. If you get the opportunity to work remotely, why not take it. With the tips above, you will make working remotely work for you and you will enjoy it.