7 Tips for Remote Working
As experts in remote working, we’d like to share with you some tips to help you better adjust to your new environment. Trust us, we have been working from home since Windows XP over a decade ago.
1. Set an alarm
Your morning routine sets the tone and mindset for the rest of your day. Much like a regular work day, set an alarm to wake up and prepare for work. But unlike a regular day where you have to rush and sit through a commute, you now have plenty of extra time to finish your breakfast or perhaps throw in some physical exercise.
2. Dress up
This mainly has to do with routine but second to that is when a colleague rings you on a video conference call, you are presentable. You may skip the full-on makeup sesh or the meticulous grooming but the one thing you should not do is stay in your pajamas. Getting out of your PJs signals your body it’s time to work and we are less inclined to roll back into bed.
3. Your space
Now that you’re in your preferred room or at your favorite desk ready for work, don’t forget to lock the door behind you and use a DO NOT DISTURB sign. Interruptions are what most remote workers find difficult to work from home.
4. Take a break
Schedule a 10-minute break every hour. Get up and walk around. Stretch. Use the restroom. Check on your children. We know you can’t stay away from Facebook and Instagram. Now is also the time you can check your social media but do try to limit social media usage to within these ten minutes and put it away as soon as break is over. Self-discipline is key.
5. Video calls
Since we don’t have hologram 3D calling yet (though soon), video calls have long been a tool for remote working. Email is a great form of communication but some discussions are best had face-to-face. There are many apps at our disposal for video calls and group meetings – Google Hangout, Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp Video, and Skype to name a few.
6. Lunch time
Just because you can eat and work at the same time doesn’t mean you should. It is healthy for our vision to take a break from our monitor blue rays. Walk your dogs, look at some greens in your garden or simply go outside for fresh air. See Harvard Business Review’s article on how being outdoor during break increases productivity and enhances mental well-being.
7. The power of calendar
Humans will be humans. If there’s a TV next to your desk and since your boss isn’t looking your shoulders in your living room, we may put on Netflix. Use that Outlook calendar to schedule your day. It could be for a to-do list, a phone call, a break, or a reminder to get ready for a video meeting with your boss.
Hopefully these tips will help ease you into a new work environment. I personally find it much more productive to work alone than in an office. It allows me to focus better, get things done quicker, so I can clock out and spend more time with my family sooner.