Remote work is an integral part of today’s reality and yet many find it quite uncomfortable. After all, your communication with colleagues is limited, you don’t have a proper workplace, and something can distract you at any moment but what if we say that you can deal with all that and stay as productive as earlier?
Finding a place to work remotely, getting rid of distractions, keeping in touch, and using focusing techniques, these simple steps can help you stay motivated all day long. Check this ultimate guide for working remotely, and you’ll always be successful at fighting procrastination.
How to Get Things Done When You Work Remotely
Working remotely is a challenge in itself. You have less space, no one can see you working (and that makes you feel guilty), and it’s hard to focus with so many distractions around you. To get things done in this environment, you need to forget about the office and use your creativity to work efficiently. Here are a few tips on how to achieve that.
Find a spot where you can concentrate
Find a place where you feel comfortable. Comfortable doesn’t mean it has to be cozy, it just needs to be quiet. Some people work in cafés, others prefer small offices, and there are those who work from home. It also depends on the type of work you do, for instance, if you write, you should find a quiet room with good lighting.
Create a workspace for yourself
This is especially important if you work from home. A study conducted by Jellies found that “67% of remote workers say they work better in a dedicated space, while 56% of employees say they need a separate space to concentrate in”. Having a separate room or office will help you concentrate. If you don’t have a separate room, try not to work from your bedroom, as it’s full of distractions and temptations. The best room in the house to create into a workspace is probably the garage, as no one really goes in and out of there which means you will have fewer distractions. You want to make it a nice professional environment, so you may need to spruce it up a little as well, for example, if your garage door hinges are always making noise when you open and close the door, you should replace them.
How to be Productive as a Remote Employee
Productivity is one of the biggest challenges when working remotely. The lack of communication with colleagues, limited space for working, and the constant feeling of guilt can lead to demotivation, procrastination, and low productivity. Here are a few tips on how to deal with all that and stay productive.
Block as many distractions as possible
We live in an era of constant distractions so you need to block them all. It’s crucial to separate work from your personal life. Don’t use your personal phone or laptop for work as you’ll constantly be distracted by messages or calls from friends and family. If you have a separate workspace, turn off your phone and put it in another room. If you don’t have one, find a quiet place with no distractions and turn off everything except your laptop or computer. As for your laptop or computer, you should disable notifications, close all tabs except the one you’re working on, and put a Do Not Disturb sign on your door if needed.
Use your creativity to stay productive
Working remotely forces you to be more creative in your work. You can’t just call someone to ask them about something, you need to figure it out yourself. Use this as an advantage! For instance, if you need to find an important document, use Google Drive’s search tools instead of sending an email and waiting for a reply. Also, this challenge will make you even more productive.
Create routines
Whether you work at home or in an office, having a routine can help you stay productive. A routine can also keep you disciplined because it’s easier to stick to it than to constantly decide what needs to be done next. Ideally, a routine should consist of 3 things: a time when you start working (for example, 8 AM), a time when you stop working (10 PM), and tasks that need to be done during those hours (for example, responding to emails, working on the project, etc.).
Take breaks
It helps you gather your thoughts and relax a little bit and if you don’t you can get burned out. It’s hard to take breaks when working from home but not impossible, for instance, you can switch between working on the computer and making a cup of coffee or chatting with your roommate/partner/family members.
Work on multiple projects at the same time
If you work remotely, there isn’t much space for working and it can be hard to stay focused only on one project. That’s why it’s good to have multiple projects so that you can move on to another one when inspiration for the first one runs out.
How to Deal with Being Distracted When Working Remotely
Dealing with distractions while working remotely is especially hard because they can happen at random times. Of course, we don’t mean that you shouldn’t interact with people or go outside during the day, just try not to let any distraction distract you too much. Here are a few tips on how to deal with being distracted when working remotely.
Block social media platforms and websites full of distractions
People are usually most distracted by social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. If you want to stay focused 100% of the time you should block these websites on all devices except for the one where you work. Of course, there are ways to limit notifications for these platforms without blocking them completely. Try using apps like Cold Turkey or LeechBlock that block distracting websites for periods of time (you can set them up according to how long you want to focus). As for social media platforms, a better alternative would be using separate apps for each platform, for instance, if you want to use Instagram, install it onto your phone and use it only when needed.
Try not to focus on something that makes you feel guilty
For example, if someone from your team asks you about something via Slack or chat and you don’t reply right away, it might make you feel guilty. Try not to give in to these feelings and instead try telling yourself that this person won’t think less of you for not replying immediately, after all, they know that you work remotely.
Don’t feel bad about taking breaks from work every once in a while
You need them as much as anyone else does otherwise your productivity will decrease significantly and stress will kick in. Make sure that your break will last at least 15 minutes so that they will actually help improve your mood and boost your productivity afterward.
Summary
Working from home or working remotely from anywhere can be difficult, especially for you out there who have never really done it before. It can go from being something you know, to something that is filled with distractions and that is no way you can get work done. You need to find a space where you can do your work productively without any noise and distractions. First, you need to pick a place where you want to work and set up an office space for yourself. You want to make sure that your motivation stays up, the best way to do this is to create a decent routine and reward yourself by taking breaks. Distractions are something that you should try to keep to a minimum, whether it be by staying off social media or putting your phone on silent. Hopefully, after using some of these tips you will find working remotely easier than before.
Leave a comment
