Tips for Being Efficient, Healthy and Happy Working Remotely
Tips for Being Efficient, Healthy and Happy Working Remotely
You can find tips to help you stay motivated, communicate and maintain your health, if you are struggling to adapt to work remotely or are looking for ways to find a healthier balance.
Millions of people now work from their homes. It seems that it will continue after the pandemic in appropriate business lines although working remotely is one of the measures taken within the scope of combating the pandemic. It is among the plans of many companies to make this new working model permanent depending on the advantages such as cost savings and productivity increase, which are the result of working remotely.
Working remotely, which has been one of the most important agenda topics of the business world for a while, reveals different results when evaluated from the perspective of employees. Working remotely is perfect for some and extremely uncomfortable for others depending on the different personalities and styles of working. For example, this is particularly challenging for those who see their home as a place of rest and relaxation, and those who live in a crowded home, or who want to be at work and see people working around them to work regularly. On the other hand, there are those who find working remotely particularly useful due to its advantages, such as reclaiming time spent in traffic, working in the comfort of home and being able to calmly focus on their work. There are many studies on this subject, and these studies show that some employees can easily adapt to working remotely, but some have difficulty in this regard. For example, working remotely increases productivity, according to a study by Global Workplace Analytics. However, in the same research, there are also participants who stated that working remotely disrupts the work-life balance. You can use the following tips, if you too are struggling to adapt to working remotely or are looking for ways to achieve a healthier balance.
Maintaining Motivation
Working environment: The first step should be to create an ease and comfortable working environment. You can allocate a separate room of your home or a separate area in a room if you have the opportunity. Try to organize this section in a way that there are no distractions and that provides a comfortable working environment. For example, problems that can be easily resolved, such as a desk height or an uncomfortable chair, may be the reason why you are not comfortable working at home. Likewise, lighting plays an important role here. If possible, place your desk next to a window.
Working order: You had a certain order and you had to keep up with the hours when working at work. It can be a little more difficult to maintain discipline when working from home. But now you have the flexibility to set your own times for waking up in the morning, having lunch or a coffee break. Determine the most efficient daily routine for yourself and stick to it for at least three weeks. List your priorities each workday. This will help you spend your working day more efficiently.
However, of course, this issue can be a bit challenging for employees who are parents. Especially if you have little children, you may need to adjust your daily routine to the hours you need to take care of them. You can create your daily plan according to your responsibilities by informing your managers and colleagues on this issue. Talk to them and explain that you will have time for them during your breaks or after you finish your work if your children are old enough to understand you.
Working clothes: Change your clothes to properly prepare your mind and body as you start working. You can also wear shoes while working if it makes you feel better. Changing your work clothes after the end of the working day and changing to home clothes will also help you relax and relieve the stress of the day more easily.
Maintaining Communication
Communication with the manager: Continue to maintain regular communication with your manager at work. Regularly receiving and providing feedback on your goals, questions and business continuity keeps you motivated.
Communication with colleagues: You can meet and chat with your colleagues online at coffee breaks or take 5-10 minutes before or after online meetings to create time for daily conversations. This is good for both you and your colleagues.
Communication with family and friends: We are in a period when we need to be careful to protect the health of ourselves and our loved ones, but this does not prevent communication. Take time for your family and friends, you can meet together at online movie nights or dinners or have a short video chat together remotely.
Maintaining Health
Healthy habits: Eat healthily, get regular and adequate sleep, do sports. Even if you cannot go to the gym, you can take a walk around your house in the morning, at noon or in the evening, and benefit from the exercises you can apply at home.
Healthy thoughts: The COVID-19 pandemic affects our mental health as well as our physical health. Sudden and unexpected changes and based upon the pandemic are a serious source of concern and stress. We must take care to protect our mental health at least as much as our physical health.
Frequent and excessive exposure to negative news affects our mood and increases stress and anxiety. We want to follow the agenda and learn about what is happening in the world. However, it may be better to limit the news tracking a little during this period. Take time to do or explore things that are good for you and make you feel better. Spare time for music, books, and movies that are good for your mood. Meditate, draw, in short, take care to include things that give you peace in your inner world into your daily life.
Healthy activities: Is there anything you could not do because you could not find enough time before? For example, do you want to learn how to play an instrument? Or is the foreign language education you started before and left unfinished still in the corner of your mind? Getting a new hobby? You can use the time you did not have before to learn or improve a new skill.