The latest data shows that about 16% of companies are fully remote, while approximately 40% offer a hybrid model of work. So, based on the latest data, we can see that this is a prominent trend in the business sector, especially in the last couple of years, as the number of people that work from home has increased significantly in a short period, which also applies to people with disabilities.
Remote work has its own advantages because it provides better flexibility and agency for your day-to-day life. You have more control over your own time and schedule, and also it’s more comfortable to be able to work from your own home.
But, as with most things, there is a challenging site to remote work. Because there aren’t clear boundaries between your personal and work area, you might feel stuck or burnt out because your working day doesn’t seem to end. So, you feel like you are working all the time, and what’s more, there is a constant stream of notifications to remind you that you are still online.
If you are also struggling to achieve that famous work-life balance while working remotely, in this article, we’ve compiled a list of tips that will help you have more fun while working from home and tackling your tasks for the day.
Have Regular Breaks
The best way to stay productive for a longer period of time is to have regular breaks. It seems counterproductive, but no one can work consistently without feeling burnt out at the end of the day if they lack time for themselves away from work.
As we mentioned, it could be challenging because many people don’t have their own home office, or they tend to work in their bedrooms, which means there isn’t that distinct boundary between their work and personal life.
But, even if you’re working from your living room, you can still take the time to do something for yourself and take regular breaks every two hours. Some people swear by the Pomodoro method or some of its modified versions, wherein you work for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break, for example. But having a break, it’s not enough.
It’s equally important how you spend your break; you don’t want to spend those 5-minute scrolling on Facebook or having your lunch in front of your computer. For this reason, we recommend doing something fun for you that will take your mind off work.
Whether that’s playing with your pet, having a nutritious lunch, reading a book, or even taking a break to talk to a loved one, make sure to stick to activities that really boost your mood and give your mind a break from your tasks.
And why not take that break to actually do something fun and let off some steam after a long meeting? For example, you can also spend some of your lunch breaks playing your favourite video or mobile games since you work from home. So you can take the time to set up your game console and have a gaming session with your friends or just take your lunch break to catch up with your favourite mobile titles.
There is a vast selection of high-quality mobile games available on Android and Apple smartphones from all genres and subgenres, including games of chance. Actually, playing online casino games like crypto blackjack has never been easier since many mobile-friendly casino sites and applications exist on the market.
Follow a Daily Plan
A day-to-day plan is very useful to prevent burnt-out and to help you have more control over your schedule. Of course, we normally use apps like Trello or Asana and other project management tools to stay on top of our projects and the work with our colleagues.
But it’s equally important to have a good plan for your day, so you don’t get fatigued and burn out quickly, and you still have enough time to plan some quality time after work with your friends and family. Many remote workers report that when they have a plan outside of work, they have better control over their schedule and are more inclined to silence their notifications.
Another tip is to use a To-Doist in order to have a clear overview of all of your tasks, or you can just write your errands and tasks into your notebook as well as your plans outside of work.
Silence All Notifications
A real challenge when you’re working with a remote team is that people work in different time zones and locations, and they might want to reach you outside your working hours. This is why it’s important to prioritize communication with your team and manager to let them know that you will be unavailable after 5 PM, for example, or they can reach you only if there is an emergency.
An additional step is to set your Slack availability and mute all notifications after a certain time of the day or even when you’re available, but, you’re working on an important task.
Moreover, you can indicate in your Google Calendar that you are unavailable for certain meetings if you feel that you can’t add more value to the meeting and find them unnecessary. By publicly sharing all of your boundaries, you will have more space to enjoy that work-life balance and procrastinate less on a daily basis.
Create a Separate Work Area
It is important to have a distinct area where you do your work that has not meshed with your personal space. It is understandable that not everyone can afford to have their own home office, but there are some things that you can do which remind your brain that you are actually working and you should focus.
That would help you spend less time scrolling through Facebook or procrastinating because you will have a dedicated workspace. You can do some things to make your area more comfortable.
- Get tasty snacks beforehand.
- Take your favourite mug with a warm beverage of your choice.
- Remind yourself to stay hydrated with a refillable water bottle.
- Some people also add plants to make their working area more personal, which can positively reflect on your mood and personal space.
- Others also add their favourite notebook, pen, and anything else that will make your experience more enjoyable.
Even if you’re working from your living room or bedroom, creating a work area that fits your needs gives you better control over your schedule.
Reduce Distractions
Suppose you’re not to procrastinate more, and you struggle with setting boundaries with yourself because you’re working from home. In that case, the good idea is to use applications like a Digital Detox or even Forest specifically designed to minimize any digital distractions. It’s more than enough that we have to deal with a constant stream of notifications from our co-workers or managers, but if we procrastinate, that can also decrease our attention span and focus.
This is why you can actually take any smartphones, tablets, or other gadgets that are distracting to another room or shove them in a drawer. Out of sight, out of my mind, actually quite beneficial in this case.
In our day-to-day life, so many things are trying to get our attention, and by having clear boundaries with yourself and how you spend your time on your smartphone, you will become more efficient and better and manage your time.
Digital Detox, for example, will help you block any distractions on your phone for a certain period of time. There are a couple of breaks that you can use to send text messages or call your loved ones, but otherwise, you can really put strict rules on mobile usage in your day-to-day life. Otherwise, you can add applications that we mentioned to your devices that are designed to track your mobile usage and help you minimize any distractions.
Join a Coworking Group
A good way to solve any problems with your productivity is to join a coworking group online. It doesn’t matter if you are working with some colleagues on Zoom or have planned to meet with them virtually over lunch.
If you have a group where you can work on a day-to-day basis, that can also improve your productivity in the long run; for example, you can join coworking groups on Microsoft Team, Discord, or even Facebook. There are also mobile applications designed to increase your accountability where you work side by side with strangers, but some people prefer to join an established community.
For this reason, you can check out YouTubers that stream their day-to-day working atmosphere. There are many options to choose from because some YouTubers that tend to work in complete silence others will put on some background noise which can vary from rain sounds to classical music – there are plenty of choices based on your preferences.
The main advantage is that you would feel that you’re part of their community virtually because you also get to chat with other users in the comments share your main goals for the day, on you even help out someone that’s struggling with their tasks.
This is a great advantage if you also feel more isolated because you’re working from home, and maybe in your day-to-day work, you tend to just do tasks on your own, or you don’t have regular meetings as other job positions.
There are many benefits of virtual coworking space, from increased accountability to a sense of belonging in the community, and it’s also a great way to stay focused for a longer period of time. Many YouTubers that are not necessarily focused on working but also studying from home will use the Pomodoro method, which is proven to enhance productivity levels.
Summary
To sum up, plenty of tools can help you have a better time when you’re working and make that clear distinction between your personal and work life. The real challenge of working from home is becoming more organized and efficient in your daily life. If you tend to procrastinate or are on the other side of the spectrum, you seek to prevent burnout by setting clear boundaries between your personal and work life.
It’s not impossible to achieve the famous work and life balance, with some tweaks in your home office, better daily plans and proper boundaries, and even a personal space that will make your day-to-day life more enjoyable.
It might seem impossible at first because, in some cases, it means that you have to have that talk with your manager and let them know that you’re spending too much time in meetings or you feel you don’t have enough time to complete work-related tasks. Still, in some cases, it can actually be a really simple change that only involves joining a virtual coworking space or using a mobile application that minimizes your distractions.
However, remember that everyone is different, and we will have different priorities throughout the day, so making some changes that seem best to you can make a real difference in your work and your day-to-day life.
