How to work effectively from home
For over a year and half, the whole world has been working remotely, and we all thought it would only be for a maximum of 4 weeks. The dream of so many people, especially those working in corporations, has come true … only to make us realize how much we love our office, our boss, our teammates, and how effectively we work outside the home.
However, it seems that some of us will be working remotely for a long time. Therefore, I thought I would share my experience with you.
1. HAVE A LOWER EXPECTATIONS
Quarantine and working from home (often with children) are not a period of life in which we must write a book, learn a new language, teach a new language to a child, cook healthy food every day and keep the apartment in perfect order.
Accept that you probably won’t be as productive as you were working from your office – especially if you have children at home. Working full-time, raising children and teaching children are three different jobs. You can’t do them all right at once.
Behavioural research shows that our level of happiness depends largely on expectations. The easiest way to become unhappy is to have high expectations and then become disappointed. Lower your expectations and be less ambitious. Prioritise the tasks to be done and see what can wait.
2. APPLY YOUR WORKING TIME
Set your working hours. The advantage of working remotely is that you can adapt your working hours to your natural rhythm. It is best to inform the household members at what hours you intend to work, so that all domestic matters can be done before. Plan your meals and time to play with your kids. Knowing the plan, our loved ones should respect that without disturbing us.
3. TAKE CARE OF WORK HYGIENE
It is a good idea to work in a designated place, i.e., in a specific room, not on the couch. Choosing one room will make it easier for the household members to understand that we need peace and quiet. The couch and the bed are for rest, and let it stay that way. We will also rest more effectively, by using them appropriately.
For the same reason, it is better to sit down to work freshly showered and in normal clothes. Of course, we do not have to wear a suit, but I do not recommend pyjamas … we will deal with the tasks more effectively.
4. MAKE YOUR TASK LIST
Organise your work, by making a list of tasks. Write down the things you need to do and arrange them in order, first choosing those to be done immediately and finishing them first. By estimating how long it will take us to complete them, we can motivate ourselves more and increase the efficiency of our work. Check everything you’ve done on the list – it will improve your productivity. Some people, focus on work cycles as part of the “Pomodoro” method, where they manage a 5-minute break for every 25 minutes of work. This solution will ensure that we will not get tired of tasks performed too quickly, and at the same time we will work much more efficiently. We can plan a given number of cycles for a single task. It is important to stay disciplined and not extend the breaks. A longer rest may affect our rhythm of work, which will make it much more difficult for us to return to full speed.
5. FORGET ABOUT FACEBOOK, TURN OFF MESSENGER
Don’t get distracted by browsing your social media accounts or shopping online. During the hours that we have planned our work, let’s focus on it. The sooner we deal with it, the more time we will have to relax.
6. APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT FOR WORKING FROM HOME
Our workplace needs to be well equipped. We absolutely need a laptop and a smartphone connected to a good quality internet connection. A printer with a scanner function is also a good idea, as it may happen that we need to print, sign, and return a document or order. In addition, let’s not forget about professional video and audio conference equipment. Regardless of whether it is an internal meeting or a conversation with the client about the project – it is good for us to use the highest quality solutions. It puts our work on a higher level.
Behavioural economics follows the principle of a little BIG change, which says that even small changes can have a significant effect.
So, if you want to change the way you work to be more productive, implement small changes. Do one thing different every day and see how that change has influenced your well-being, concentration, and efficiency. Over time, it will improve your work enormously, by introducing small changes regularly.
