The rapid adoption of remote work culture has recently been quite challenging for organizations and working individuals. While the flexibility to stay at home or move around as you like while actively working and balancing other tasks of the day feels at ease in this work culture, they also come with challenges that could be difficult to cope with.
Productivity has taken a strong hit over time, with individuals losing motivation, focus, and energy to perform their best. But that said, hybrid or remote work cultures also present several advantages for both parties, given the focus turns on effectiveness rather than clocking in long hours. So how do we balance productivity as a digital nomad? Here are five hacks that can help you deliver your very best while you balance work and life from home.
1. Do Not Time Your Work
One of the most common mistakes influencing productivity is rigidly following a schedule throughout the day. Many believe that long hours of getting in the “zone” while working from home is the best way to deliver performance. In hindsight, brief pauses between your work are crucial to ensure you feel refreshed to focus.
Instead of creating a packed eight-hour work schedule at home, list out the tasks of the day. Assign them to different parts of the day and try to complete them well within. Don’t be afraid to take some time off in between whenever necessary, whether for a chore or simply even for a walk. A simple ratio could be a 25-minute work session followed by 5 to 10-minute breaks in between. This way, you can decompress and regain mental stamina for the work. It is referred to as the “Pomodoro Technique” and can work wonders for your performance.
2. Try To Keep Distractions At Bay
Remote workers have difficulty disconnecting from their virtual personal lives, which causes most distractions during work. You may be waiting to join a call with the london virtual office and suddenly start getting notifications from your social media profile. Even while in the background, these notifications or updates could make you curious to try and open them. Once you do, you will undoubtedly end up spending a large portion of your day indulging in it.
Shut off notifications from any personal profiles during work hours. It is preferable to use a work phone different from a personal one, but you can also make some arrangements to turn off interruptions from your accounts until after work. If you are easily distracted, then identify the triggers and avoid them. It could be your family watching TV in the background or walking inside the room too often. Set boundaries to create your workspace to achieve the best performance.
3. Keep Your Meetings Short
Working as a team in remote settings is tough. While regular meetings to stay in touch with your team for updates are crucial, avoid scheduling meetings without a precise purpose. Employees tend to spend a lot of time preparing for update meetings without significantly accomplishing anything along the tasks pending for the day. Additionally, having to spend hours on call to listen to the updates of the entire team can severely affect productivity.
Conduct meetings online for brainstorming, decision-making, or other important tasks that require ideas and involvement from the complete team. Create documents to track the work progress or assign everyday tasks that are easily accessible for different employees. This way, individuals can focus on the work rather than waiting to share the day’s progress.
4. Organize Your Workspace
Remote work does offer a lot of liberty to work from anywhere. But organizing a proper workspace is crucial to make sure you focus on the tasks. Avoid waking up just in time to clock in. Getting into the work zone is hard when you are still sleepy and lying on the bed. Set up a small work corner in your house wherever you please. Make sure the arrangement is comfortable with seating and space to carry out your tasks. Remember to clean up the background as you may require to join meetings often. Moving around every time to find an appropriate place for the video is impractical and a waste of time.
Stack up the necessary supplies like pens, papers, books, or any other material required for work in the workspace well in advance. It might seem difficult if your kitchen table or other parts of the house double up as your workspace, but the process will ensure you are productive.
5. Do Not Skip Your Routine
The key to having a productive day is getting enough rest and following a refreshing morning routine that prepares you for the tasks. So avoid skipping other tasks of the day to complete work. Make sure to wake up early and catch up on exercise and healthy breakfast. Do not skip meals during work hours. You can prepare some simple meals ahead to eat on time.
Set a limit for working hours even during remote work, and avoid carrying them forward after hours. Avoid skipping social gatherings or outings with family or friends after hours to catch up with work. Instead, stick to fixed working hours and avoid doing personal chores during this time to get the best performance at work and home.
Conclusion
Remote work culture can be a challenge for productivity. Coping with the many distractions and overcoming procrastination to finish your tasks in time can be difficult. But with these wonderful productivity hacks, you can stay focussed on performing optimally at work while having enough time to relax and grow.
