Learning To Cope With Remote Working

It’s been a couple of hours since lunch. The delicious sandwich I ate is doing its thing. It’s making my brain fog a little and my body a bit lethargic. It’s also raising the urge to get caffeine. All of these thoughts are in my head. I still need to finish a presentation for the next meeting later. As I make afternoon Indian-style Chai, I peek at what’s happening in the Twitterverse. Forty-five minutes later, a calendar reminder breaks my “quick break.” Now, I gotta rush to be ready for that next meeting. Does this sound familiar? Ah! Remote Working!

We have all been there at one time or another. I can relate, and I have come up with ways to fix it for myself. I hope you find these relatable and easily adaptable.

Best Practices for Remote Working

Remote Working is helpful in many ways. Taking full advantage requires focus and a clear plan. Here are some steps to explore to stay productive and increase efficiency.

• Morning Routine: Stick to your AM routine. Getting up at a fixed time, working out, making coffee, etc., will help you get into the zone and do your best work. The pressure to get ready and leave home at a specific time makes it easy to abandon the morning rituals. However, it is essential to stick to the routine to start the morning correctly.
• Dedicated Space: Find a space that works best for you to work uninterrupted. It should have ample light and a comfortable seating arrangement. It could be a corner in the bedroom. Another option is the breakfast area in the kitchen. You could even use a part of the dining table in the living room. But have a dedicated spot that you ‘travel‘ to start your workday.
• Structured Day:
  • Create a schedule: Have a schedule (ex: 8 AM -5 PM) and stick to it. Plan your work hours based on the needs of your team and work.
  • Group meetings: Meetings are a necessary evil. Group them in a day whenever possible, preferably only in the morning or afternoon. If your company culture allows, set up a no-meeting day or two. Make sure to communicate that to everyone who works with you. Ask for meeting agendas and, whenever possible, reduce meeting time.
  • Be Creative: If the meeting does not require you to be in front of a screen, take it over the phone. You can also participate in the meeting while walking. The audio-only meeting will allow you to get up and walk around. Keeping a count of daily steps is a great way to motivate yourself and move around.
  • Focus Time: For many of us, an activity won’t happen if it isn’t on our calendar. Depending upon your role and function, schedule a time to do focus work daily.
  • Take Breaks: You need to take breaks while working remotely. In the office, water/coffee breaks are part of the routine. The breaks help you break the continuous gaze from the screen and allow you to walk around. It would be best if you made a conscientious effort to do that when working remotely. Better yet, schedule it on the calendar.
• The new “Co-workers”: We often live with others, including significant others, roommates, and kids. Working alongside these new “co-workers” requires planning and agreement. In general, communicate, set clear expectations, and provide continuous feedback.
  • Roommates: Choose times for common areas to be presentable and know who will be where. Respect each other’s space and privacy.
  • Couples: Share a calendar and provide visibility to each other. Agree on how to resolve
    • clashing meeting times
    • who’s meeting takes priority
    • which meeting needs more focus and less noise
  • Families: Be flexible and adjust as needed. It is crucial to manage the schedule, especially with kids.

Companies and leadership teams must avoid fostering an ‘always-on‘ culture. Instead, they should allow and promote work-life integration, which leads to a healthy and focused workforce. For example, companies should normalize kids and pets joining meetings. They should become part of your day; after all, they are part of your life.

Build a culture that promotes work-life integration. Be open for kids and pets to join the meetings and become part of your day. They are after all part of your life.

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For a long time, we have taken work home. It is about time we also brought some home to work.

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Common Pitfalls To Avoid While Working Remotely

• Lack of structure
  • Inability to manage time and limit distractions
  • Ruthless prioritization of tasks
  • Know yourself (everyone works differently during the day; find your peaks and troughs, and assign work accordingly)
  • Interruptions will happen; cut self-induced ones
  • Stop work at the designated time
• Lack of infrastructure
  • A laptop that works – with audio and video
  • High-speed internet
  • A quiet area/place to focus
  • Appropriate seating and lighting

Besides reducing commutes, remote working enables increased productivity and a healthier lifestyle. To reap the full benefits, you must create a plan, execute it, and fine-tune it based on your learning.

I would love to hear your hacks on productivity and efficiency while working remotely.

You can listen to these pointers on The Product Angle Show in my chat. Pradip Khakhar hosts the show.

Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/@acreativegangster