Adjusting to an office environment can come with its downfalls in the sense that it might be a shock to the system to be surrounded by people all day and the long travel times to be in the comfort of your home a lot more than you are used to.
Productivity might work better for you if you are a remote worker at heart. This style of working is becoming more and more popular and sought after by businesses and employees. It allows you to work during periods when you feel most productive, whether you are an early bird or a night owl. This style can completely change your productivity, career progression and lifestyle for the better.
Conquering the co-free zone is just the beginning and here are my top tips for thriving as a remote worker.
Time of Day
We now have greater flexibility to work when we’re most productive because more people work remotely, from home, or in co-working spaces. At last, we can focus on the things that enable us to produce more and better work. Blocking out the noise and distractions from a busy office can ensure you’re getting work done before schedule, which is always the dream.
Everybody has a circadian rhythm, which is an internal body clock that differs slightly from other people’s. This is what makes us either morning larks or night owls. You may be better suited to a specific time of day depending on how your body clock functions internally. While this might not work for some offices, if you explain and prove that you work more productively during certain hours, your supervisor might be able to make certain exceptions.
Surroundings
Adjusting your surroundings to make you more productive is easy to underestimate, but it can actually make a huge difference. For example, if I work better in clean areas that make me feel comfortable, maybe you could ask for diffusers, lovely-smelling candles and desk organisers as a perfect gift idea for women who work remotely.
Making sure your surroundings are a distraction-free zone will help you maintain focus and get in the groove of getting stuff done. If you have a busy house, you might need a designated space or somewhere you can have the freedom to shut everything out. Try some noise-cancelling headphones if you are in dire need. Some research shows that listening to classic music can help with productivity and drown out all the noise of a busy house.
The best part of working remotely is that during the warmer months, you can transition between the outside and the inside. This way, changing the scenery will be a huge serotonin boost and keep morale up on those days when work seems hard to concentrate on.
Managing Workload
Something I sometimes struggle with is staying focused on one thing at a time and trying to do a little bit of everything at once. This usually happens towards a deadline or when I feel overwhelmed with how much needs to be done. This isn’t the best for productivity levels so if I could share anything with you, it’s that you need to manage your workload.
Try chunking your tasks together and setting a time frame to complete them. This will encourage you to stay on one thing but it’s better to see it all mapped out. The tasks seem less overwhelming and give you some structure to get started.
Working remotely can come with panic about where to start; you no longer have colleagues or your manager right next to you to just ask. Organising your work at the beginning of each month will help you create a routine and be stress-free during your remote working life.