There’s no denying that the way we do work has been continuously evolving. Even if remote work and working from home have already been practiced for years and years now, the COVID-19 pandemic sure did change the way we view working outside the traditional office setup.
Part of the new normal is to adopt flexible work arrangements as much as possible to practice safety and health protocols during the pandemic. For a year now, what are some insights that remote workers have gained? Let’s look at the top lessons learned from working from home and how you can use these to improve your way of working in the near future.
1. You have to be self-motivated.
While you can still depend on your colleagues and leaders to virtually cheer you up, it’s also crucial for you to learn how to motivate yourself to work. One thing you can do to improve self-motivation is to eliminate distractions. You can put your phone on Do Not Disturb manually or set schedules for this. Further, you can even set exceptions for contacts that are of top priority.
While working, you can also use desktop tools or applications to keep you from accessing distracting websites. Find the ones that work best for you and your productivity goals so that you won’t end up not finishing your to-do’s or not getting any work done at all.
2. Time management is more challenging.
Working from home has its fair share of challenges as well, most especially when it comes to managing your working times. Without your leader or colleagues around, some people can really find it hard to focus on their tasks and finish them on time.
With this, you need to be mindful of your time management skills as you deal with remote working. Building small habits one day at a time can greatly help! These include setting reminders, creating daily or weekly to-do lists, and sticking to realistic schedules.
3. Flexible schedules and setups can work.
Of course, this is going to be a two-way street. The key here is to have effective communication among colleagues and the management as well. If your employer implements a flexible schedule, you can work during the most convenient hours for you as long as you deliver quality results in a timely manner.
4. Investing in your home office is important.
Since remote work is becoming permanent, building a conducive work environment at home is a great idea. As much as possible, have your own space that will allow you to work effectively. You may check our blog on the top home office tips to get you started.
Further, investing in essential tools and equipment can also be helpful. Check out these top 10 work from home tech to boost your productivity and improve your home office.
How about you, what have you learned from working from home? Take time to reflect and look back to see how you’ve been holding up for the past year!
Browse more of our blog archives for more remote working tips and career advice!
