20 tips for remote work
We all desire to work at a place that has a congenial atmosphere, where we can work in a relaxed manner. Someplace where we can feel comfortable and where else can it be, than our own ‘ home sweet home ‘.
Home is a place where we can work to our maximum capability because we are used to the surroundings.
This is the reason why most people prefer work from home jobs and there are even more reasons to love it, such as:
a) You won’t waste your time commuting everyday.
b) You don’t have to sit continuously at the same place as in an office
c) You don’t have a tight schedule. You can choose when to work.
d) You don’t need to rush in the mornings, packing lunch, getting ready etc.
e) If you have some repair works at home or if some one is ill, you can attend to these while working.
Given so many advantages of working from home, no wonder many people prefer this form of employment. This is especially good for stay-at-home mothers, students and for employees whose office is at remote location.
Advantages are always accompanied by some disadvantages as a rule, this is also true for remote work. Even though on the surface it may be very appealing but there are some practical problems people generally face while working from home. A visitor may drop in unexpectedly, noisy neighbourhood kids may start playing or some raunchy youngsters may be in the mood for a party. All these circumstances are unavoidable. It is not in your hands to control these situations, but you are very much in control of how you manage your work and avoid distractions that eat your time and productivity.
Here are my 20 tips for working efficiently from home
- Wake up early
Morning time (around 4:00 am) is the perfect time to do your work. It is the quietest time of the day. There are no noisy people around, no phone calls and visitors. Waking up at that time also affects your mental state. It makes you calm and serene which helps you to be focussed on your work. Good concentration levels assure you of optimum utilisation of time. You can do more work in less time. If you are distracted during work, you may be able to complete, say 2 hour’s work in 5 hour’s.
- Plan your schedule the night before
Nothing makes your day productive than a well-defined task list. Before you go to bed at night, take a notepad and write down tasks to be completed and also alongside the task jot down the time at which to complete the task. Having such a To-do list actually clears your brain and makes you organised. After completing each task put a tick mark next to it. Nothing gives you more satisfaction than seeing your target has been achieved.
- Set aside a couple of hours
Based on the time taken to complete your tasks, dedicated the required number of hours only for that task. Avoid all sorts of distractions during this time. No e-mails, WhatsApp, Facebook or calls and chats. Inform your family beforehand about this and ask them not to disturb you in this time.
- Create an office environment
Place a table at your favourite spot in a room. Get a comfortable office chair. Organise your desk with paper clips, notepads, sticky notes, staplers etc. Whenever you go there you will get a feel of office environment and will get in the mood to work. Don’t change the place often. Working in the same place for a long time will automatically get you in the mood for work as soon as you go to that place.
- Create proper communication channels
If you are working remotely and have a team to work with, you need to have proper communication channels. Without clear and concise knowledge exchange, results can’t be achieved.
Get a phone number just for official communication purpose. Set a Skype Id ( if it is being used by your colleagues ) and invest in a good pair of earphones. Get an internet connection with great speed.
For exchanging documents, upload them on cloud.
- Time management for students and moms
Those who opt for work-based homes as a side hustle have to learn time management techniques. If you are a student you should be able to work without getting your studies affected. Get a job in the same field as your studies. This will help you earn while you learn. If you are not able to do so, then try working during lunch breaks or weekends.
Moms have neither weekends nor breaks, so plan your job schedule around your toddler’s sleep schedule. Engage them in any other activity and work while they are busy playing. I try to complete my work early in the morning when my baby is asleep.
- Don’t micromanage
Don’t be so adamant about doing all the work by yourself. Take help of some software to help you with some rudimentary tasks. For example, if you are doing content writing job, you can take the services of a Grammar checking tool, which will help you with grammar and formatting too, so that you don’t have to spend much time on it. You will feel less tired when you are free of such small tasks.
- Work delegation
If you have a bigger task that is being split in between the team members, then you need to delegate the tasks properly to the concerned persons. Make sure to stay well connected with all the team members to avoid task replication and disagreements. Keep in constant touch and regularly monitor the work. Maintain a Timesheet for yourself and record the work done and the time.
- Meet your team members once in a while
Fix a date and go to the actual location of your office, You need to meet in person with your colleagues and seniors. Some things can’t be sorted and discussed virtually. Meeting people in person makes them acknowledge your contribution to the job and the office. This might not be an option for every remote job, but if it is, it’s highly recommended.
- Exercise
Sitting alone the whole time with little to no human interaction can actually play with your mind. Stretch about a bit, go out to meet a few people, chat with them, but keep an eye on the watch and be back within the set time period. This will free up your mind.
- Do what you are good at
There are thousands of jobs available online. Don’t’ take up a job in a field just because many people are preferring it or someone you know is successful in that particular field. After the initial excitement dies down, you will feel resentment and boredom. Instead take up a job you are good at and keep improving your skills by taking online classes.
- Work at other locations
If due to some unavoidable reasons you are not able to concentrate at home or if you are feeling lonely, go to a library with wi-fi access and work there. Libraries are, as we all know, generally quiet and you can get work done there and there will be people around you, focussing on their own work which can actually encourage you to work. Alternately, you may also visit a coffee shop with wi-fi, if the atmosphere thdere suits you.
- Complete daily chores before you start your work
Daily chores like preparing meals, doing laundry, etc. should be completed before starting your work so that you don’t get distracted while working. Make a meal plan for the whole week, which will save your time in the morning.
- Take a break
If you are working in an office setting, you just work for the set hours and when you are back home, you just relax. The pending work is completed on the next day at the office. This doesn’t happen at work from home jobs.There are chances that you may extend your work timings if the work is not completed in the designated hours. Don’t do this. Today it may be half-an-hour extension, tomorrow it may extend to two hours. This will make frustrated in the long run.
- Watch out for job offering websites
As a result of the popularity of home-based jobs, many fake websites are offering jobs to dupe job seekers. Always look up for genuine job providing websites like https://workfromhomejobs.me/.
This website has clear work details and promises good earning for your efforts.
- Update your skills regularly
When you work in an office, company itself schedules regular training sessions for you. When you work from home you have to take care of updating your skills from time to time by yourself. Find out training sessions online and register with a good one.
- Get good at networking
Make sure you keep in regular touch with people with jobs similar to yours. Since you work alone at home, you may miss on great work opportunities. Interacting with other people with the same work profile as yours will help you locate different employers. You can jump from one company to another for higher pay.
- Don’t hesitate to ask for what you are worth
If you are a freelancer there are chances that you may be underpaid and you may not even know it. Since you and your client are practically strangers, it can’t be expected that the client will pay you appropriately as the client doesn’t know your worth. Do research and take online tests to assess your worth. Deliver quality work and demand for the appropriate pay.
- Dress up appropriately
Staying in comfy home clothes can make you lazy. Get ready as if you are going to your office. Get ready at the same time. This will get you in the mood for professional work.
- No multitasking
Don’t attend a work call while browsing through your e-mail. You may not be able to grasp the instructions and details being communicated to you. Calling up the concerned person again and again is unprofessional. So, focus on one task at hand.
Working from home is the boom of the internet that has made possible the inclusion of many people in the workforce who otherwise may not be able to hold a regular job due to various personal commitments or other issues. Work responsibly and watch yourself climb up the ladder of success in no time.
