Thriving while Working Remotely

Almost overnight, our lives were changed for the foreseeable future. A massive and unexpected Covid-19 outbreak has managed to take over the world and effectively drastically alter our daily routines. While we’re still adjusting to our new lives, practicing social distancing by working from home isn’t the easiest transition for everyone. Amidst a time of crisis, remaining calm and ensuring focus on work alongside the distractions you’re unable to distance yourself from at home, is proving to be a massive challenge for those entirely alien to this practice.

Despite the advanced era we live in, most people still fear the overburdening use of technology. It is precisely this fear that drives learning and productivity down. During the last month alone, ‘remote work’, ‘online crash courses’ searches have more than tripled, showing just how uninformed the masses are. In this day and age, it’s necessary to be up to date with the latest platforms and tools to ensure your edge in the market. It’s concerning that we remain unfamiliar to essentials such as Zoom, Skype, Webex, BlueJeans, and Microsoft only turning to them in times of desperate need.

It’s time to use this quarantine period effectively as we get used to working remotely, all while garnering additional skills. One of the biggest challenges people have faced is with regards to maintaining and increasing productivity at home. At the start of your remote work journey, it’s a great idea to figure out the environment that you need to work successfully. For example, do you like being surrounded by white noise? Do you work well in silence? It might be time to invest in some noise-cancelling headphones. Some other things to consider are whether you’re more productive in the morning or in the evening and whether you’re motivated by taking small breaks throughout the day or a longer midday respite. This is the beauty of remote work - getting to work during your best hours, whatever they may be.

The first building block is maintaining a healthy routine. Psychologists have recommended to carve out specific times for work, intellectual engagements, and physical exercise to not only mimic the previous routine, but also to surpass it and boost your whole functioning.Furthermore, drawing boundaries with your family at home, especially during work hours is key for minimizing the distractions that follow. Knowing when to ‘log off’ and focusing on your family, or your own self is a vastly underrated skill, without which you slowly lose your sanity.

The key to being successful in any professional role is communication, but when it comes to remote work it is an even more important asset. Since you’re no longer a few desks down from your coworkers or your manager, it is imperative to schedule 1:1 check-in meetings with them on a weekly basis to connect on your goals, upcoming projects and daily tasks.

At the end of the day, to make sure that you’re feeling supported and connected to the “real world”, it is recommended to become a part of a remote community - virtually. Being surrounded by others who are successfully working remotely inspires new comers to stay the course, and ultimately remain productive while embracing location flexibility.