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Remote work is the future and people are forced to embrace it due to lock-downs being enforced all over the world in response to the Covid-19 Coronavirus. This may impact productivity negatively if they have never worked from home. However there are ways to stay productive and embrace remote work effectively during this time period.
Here are some tips we feel would help you work better remotely. Remember to stay at home, wash your hands and follow the health guidelines of the local health authorities in your Country. Stay Safe.
Communicate often
When working from home, you’re not able to get feedback from your colleagues by walking up to their desks. So you have to make use of other means of communication like Skype, Phone calls or WhatsApp messages to communicate. Communication can include project updates, questions about a process or a simple check in call.
When you’re working remotely, there is nothing like over-communication, so reach out to people on your team as often as needed.
Avoid Distractions
Distractions take your attention from completing your tasks. They can be things like social media applications, calls, or television. A good way to avoid distractions is to set goals and stick to them, block out distractions from your devices by turning off notifications and to have people who keep you accountable.
Take Breaks
Take breaks. Doing focused work for prolonged periods of time can be stressful and the longer you spend on a task without taking a break, the more likely that you will experience fatigue. Determine the length of time you want to take a break for, and stick to it. For example, you can do do 3 hours of focused work on set tasks and then take a break of 15 minutes to loosen up, then afterwards continue working.
Take breaks to eat, or stand up to walk around. You can also take breaks to check your messages. But ensure you don’t exceed the time you’ve set for it.
Have A Dedicated Work Space
When working from home, it’s important to have a work space dedicated to the purpose of working. It can be a comfortable chair and table that is separate from your sleeping or entertainment areas to avoid distractions. Your work-space should also be free of items that don’t contribute to your work to clutter. Here are some ideas for home workspaces
Create A Work Schedule and Track Your Progress
At the end of each day, record what you have worked on and how long you worked on it. This will assist you in measuring exactly how long you spend on specific tasks and task categories in general. Tracking how long you spend helps you decide on what needs more attention and what needs less attention.
Also, create a work schedule by writing down the tasks you want to accomplish for each day the night before, and ensure you set time deadlines for each task.
Set Work Goals
Remote work needs you to have a high level of accountability so you need to set daily and weekly goals to look forward to at the end of each day and week. Setting goals helps you stay focused and keeps you aware of the final end result.
Ask for Help
If you need help from your team, ask. Pick up the phone, send that email, send a text. From your relationship with other team members, you are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of people and you are able to reach out to the right person. Asking for help helps you to reduce the amount of time needed to accomplish your tasks and saves you from re-inventing the wheel. Reach out.
Eat Well, Exercise and Rest.
Working remotely can sometimes be so consuming that you lose track of time. This then leads to you not eating well or resting. Eating regular meals at the right times each day help your body to fight off illness and ensure you’re able to perform at your peak. When you don’t rest enough, you feel exhausted and unable to put in your best effort the following day. This leads to you taking longer to deliver tasks and causes you to create sloppy work. 7-8 hours a day or sleep is the recommended amount of time needed for your body to restore itself at the end of each day.
And lastly, ensure you exercise. It helps you to stay fit and improves your productivity. If there’s a lock-down that restricts long distance movement for jogging or running, then do exercise within your own home using established routines like crunches, squats, sit-ups and so on. When in doubt, download free apps like the Nike Training club which guide you on what routines to do. Also, step out of your apartment in the mornings and afternoons to get some sunlight on your skin. This helps you feel less lethargic and are a great mood booster.
PS: If you have a software product idea that requires Development Resources to achieve, or you would like us to train your team on adopting remote work practices, reach out to our team for an initial consultation – Book Free Consultation