In Business World Working remotely is not as easy as some might think. For certain types of people, switching to a job from home is not just about the transitional period. If you have worked in an office for the majority of your career, finding the motivation to work at home can take a lot.
For one, it is hard to think of a place we associate with leisure as a proper environment to do your job. Not to mention other challenges that get in your way.
Overall, though, remote work has its advantages as well, but you have to take care of the obstacles first to have an optimal experience. Let’s take a look at some of the ways to have a better time working from home.
Table of Contents
Make Yourself Comfortable
Let’s start with feeling comfortable. Not needing to go to the office means that you are not as restricted apparel-wise. Of course, if you need to attend a virtual meeting and appear in a video call, you want to look professional. But for everyday wear, you can even go with something like custom pajamas. So long as you are comfortable, you should be okay.
Of course, what you wear is not the only source of comfort. Sitting in front of a computer for hours calls for a proper ergonomic chair, so be sure to get that one as well.
Next, you should make sure to have an AC for when it gets too hot and a proper heating system for when the temperature drops.
As you gain more experience working remotely, you should become aware of other ways to make yourself more comfortable.
Communicate With Others Often
Being isolated from others while working leaves you in a position where you might start feeling blue from the lack of socializing.
Sure, you might still be on regular phone calls or video chats with coworkers, but it is not the same as talking with them in person.
This isolation can dampen your motivation and mood, and that might affect the overall work productivity for the worse.
It is recommended to look for opportunities to socialize with other people outside of work. If you have the option, go out and meet your friends and family on a regular basis. Socializing you would have back in the office needs to be replaced.
Make the Most Out of Extra Free Time
If there is one notable advantage of working from, it would have to be the extra free time. More freedom means a better life-work balance, and it can go a long way to setting yourself up for success working remotely.
Of course, a lot depends on how you actually utilize that extra time you have. For some, the best way to spend that extra hour or two is to sleep in because waking up early is too much. For others, the opportunity to take up early and do some house chores is a more attractive idea.
Different methods work for different people. Ultimately, what matters is that you can figure out an approach applicable to yourself and build from there.
Eliminate Distractions
Distractions can be quite disturbing, particularly when you have to solve them in the middle of your work. Noisy neighbors are a good example of such a distraction. You want peace and quiet while working, and having other people get in your way is not fun, even if they are not aware of the situation.
Another instance of distractions could be smartphone notifications. You will be tempted to check your device if it continues to make noise and bombard you with random notifications. Disabling these notifications should be one of the first things you want.
As a rule of thumb, you want to have a dedicated workspace as well since it helps you focus and avoid potential distractions, especially if you keep the space neat and tidy
Optimize Your Work Tools
Working remotely means that you will most likely have to rely on maintaining the computer in good condition yourself. A dedicated IT guy who would come back when you were working in the office might no longer be an option.
Besides the computer, you might also have some issues with an internet connection, though that can usually be solved with the help of your internet service provider.
Overall, keeping an eye on the tools you rely on for work and making sure that things are in check should be one of the priorities. As soon as you identify a problem, you should not delay and fix it at your earliest convenience.
Reward Yourself
The last thing to mention in this article is that you can find more motivation to work if you have a reward for yourself.
Knowing that there is something great waiting for you at the end of the day boosts motivation. For example, if you have a favorite TV show that just dropped a new episode, keep it for the end of the day after you are finished with work.