A remote working day is a day you spend working within the comforts of your home (or while staying in a resort). This setup works for some employees, while it hinders some employee’s productivity. Luckily, you can plan a remote workday so that you can manage your time and energy which can lead to a productive day.
The key is to develop beneficial habits. And here are seven habits that you should be building for a productive remote workday.
Setting a routine
If you want to ensure your productivity while working remotely, you want to make sure that you have a realistic routine. A routine is crucial because it helps you to be sure that you can do everything timely as you need. However, it would help if you were sensible because remote work is unlike working in an office. Sticking to a routine, even when working remotely, allows you to get things done without hassle.
If you’re working from home as well, you can expect that there will be a lot of distractions. Therefore, if you’re going to set up your routine, make sure that you also accommodate the frequent distractions in your life.
Organizing your workspace
When you’re working remotely, one of the things that you have to consider is your workspace. People have this image of people working remotely in a hammock by the beach working on their laptops. Although that is certainly possible, it doesn’t mean you do it all the time. Depending on where you’re working, you should find a place that has a comfortable chair and desk and good lighting. These are the minimum requirements that you should expect from a productive workspace when working away from an office.
For instance, it won’t be ideal for you to work on the bed while working from home.
Prioritizing tasks
No matter what happens on a remote working day, it would help if you focused on the most necessary and urgent tasks. We can get easily distracted by other tasks that we encounter when we are working remotely. That’s why you must learn how to prioritize tasks and accomplish the more important ones first. You should plan out all the things and tasks you need to do first before sitting down and tackling the day.
The best time to organize what you are supposed to be doing for a working day is the night before it happens. That way, you can start the next day knowing your purpose and goals so you can get started immediately.
Eliminating distractions
I mentioned before the importance of being realistic when it comes to creating your routine. That is because many people would make a routine without considering possible distractions. As such, they go off schedule. With that in mind, always think of what possible distractions you are likely to encounter every day. That way, you can eliminate them or manage your energy around them. After all, you want to set yourself up for success.
You can do that by having a private space where you can work without any interruption. Try to avoid places that have TV or radio. You might also want to place your phone somewhere that’s not as easy to reach so that you aren’t at the beck and call of phone notifications.
Dedicating an uninterrupted time
Knowing your work style can help you figure out how to work in the most productive way possible for you. By acknowledging and taking into account your work style, it will be a lot easier for you to find the time to do uninterrupted work. Some people find themselves picking up the pace after lunch, while others find that the morning is when they are most productive. If you know which type of person you are, then make sure that you carve out the time and reserve that for more profound and more complex work.
Uninterrupted work doesn’t take you the entire workday, but this is when you’re most productive, and you can achieve a lot. Therefore, create a work environment with as few distractions as possible.
Prioritizing wellness
What’s great about a remote working day is that you can have more time to do things that you probably wouldn’t be able to do if you’re rushing to get to the office. One thing that you can do more of is a wellness activity. Taking the time to exercise or do any wellness activity can help increase your productivity and energy levels. That’s why you should try and do some wellness activities before starting your workday.
Keeping in touch with colleagues
One thing that you’ll miss when you work remotely would be the weekday interactions you used to have with your colleagues. Your colleagues can be a subconscious factor that helps motivate you because you don’t want to seem unproductive in front of them. However, when they’re not there, you probably don’t have someone keeping you accountable.
That’s why it’s a good idea to stay in touch with your colleagues. Maybe schedule a work-together video call every once in a while.
Think of it this way: productivity lets you get things done immediately. As such, you can spend time on other things. This can be your hobby or your dream business.
Whether you are working in an office, at home, or on an island, the key to productivity is to develop the proper habits.
