Improve Efficiency When Working Remotely

Separate Your Home Life From Your Work Life

Ever find yourself in front of your work computer over the weekend? Or furtively checking your work emails on your phone after dinner? If the answer to one of these questions is yes, then your work life is encroaching on your personal life. 😒

There’s an even greater risk of this happening when working remotely, as you’re likely to be working and living in the same space.

Reasons why this might happen:

• You struggle to disconnect from the programs you use for work.

• You struggle to say no to other colleagues who have difficulty separating their work life from their home life.

• You struggle not to respond to a work request.

• You want to be available for your colleagues working in other time zones.

• You want to be seen as being productive and not letting the team down.

You’ve fallen victim to what is known as “blurring.”

It’s when you’re no longer able to separate your professional and private life.

Separate Your Day Into Three Different Segments

The first step is to split your day between your working hours, your private life, and rest time, so that these three phases remain distinct. Remember: a laptop on the table can easily tempt you back into work, and a TV playing in the background can easily distract you from work tasks!

Here’s some advice for achieving this:

• On a work day, try wearing similar clothes that you would have worn to the office, and get ready in the morning as if you were going to work. This is a small conditioning ritual that tells your brain you’re getting ready to work.

• Plan your day ahead, setting a start time, a finish time, and breaks. Think you’re more of a morning person? Take this test to find out your circadian rhythm type. If you do turn out to be a morning person, plan to be most productive in the morning and then use the afternoons for workshops, meetings, or administrative tasks.

• Keep up the social rituals that help you through your day, like saying “hello” to your colleagues. Without any real social interaction, you quickly start to feel as though all you’re doing is working. At the office, maybe you’re in the habit of taking a few minutes for a quick chat by the coffee machine? Do the same when working remotely, and suggest that you have some downtime with your colleagues for relaxed small talk. We’ll explain how you can do this in the next chapter. 🥳

• Finally, set aside time for things that are important to you, whether it’s a guitar lesson, a gym class, or a walk on your lunch break. For time with family or friends, you can simply block off your calendar with something like “personal commitment.” Try to avoid getting too extreme with your planning (e.g., “playing Scrabble between 7:02 p.m. and 7:48 p.m.”)! 😱

Adapt the Structure of Your Working Day

So, how best to structure your working day?

There are different requirements for a well-structured day:

• Mark out your personal commitments: the school run, medical appointments, evening classes, or arrangements with family or friends.

• Set out your working hours: start time, end time, and breaks, checking for any conflicts and trying to find a solution. Alert your manager if there are any recurring issues.

E.g., “I plan to do the school run every Tuesday.”

• Mark time slots when you’re unreachable.

• Think about how you work best. If you work better in the mornings, start at 8:00 am. If you’re more efficient in the evening, plan your day accordingly. 

• Make time for an afternoon break if you feel the need for one.

• Plan ahead when you’ll need to chat with colleagues and organize meetings. Circulate an agenda to ensure everyone is well prepared.

• Organize your remote working to alternate between independent working and working in a team with your colleagues.

• Think about what work you’d be able to do remotely without any digital tools. You’re never 100% safe from your Wi-Fi going down or a computer breaking. Some software has an “offline” mode.

Not necessarily, but there are some limitations…

Remote working does allow for more flexibility in terms of how you structure your time. However, you do need to bear in mind that you have to prioritize keeping company operations running smoothly and achieving your professional goals. So, you’ll have to organize your time according to your own needs, but also those of your colleagues and managers.

Stay Focused

Staying focused on the task(s) at hand is essential when working remotely. Potential distractions are in your line of sight and easily accessible—a lawn that needs mowing, a load of laundry to be done, or a movie that needs watching…

To help keep focused, I suggest following these steps:

None of this comes naturally to most people—these are what we call best practices. With some effort, you’ll pick up some of these habits easily, though others will be more challenging. Don’t panic, though! The most important thing is finding what works for you.

Listen to your body and take care of yourself, as this will also help boost your concentration. A healthy diet, a good night’s sleep, exercise, or even creative activities can help you maintain a good balance. Maybe even a bit of music or a power nap to recharge your batteries?

As when working from the office, remember you could still get sick. It’s important to take the appropriate time to recover, rather than working from your sick bed.

Let’s Recap!

• Have a clear separation between your work, private life, and rest time for your own personal wellbeing, as well as for the quality of your work.

• Clearly mark your personal commitments on your calendar, as well as time set aside for working, calls, or meetings.

• Structure your time according to your needs, always prioritizing the smooth running of the company and achieving your professional goals.

• Working remotely calls for good planning and solid concentration. Try out different methods for managing your time, and take care of yourself.

You’re now ready to figure out how to organize your work. Good timing—that’s what we’ll be dealing with in the next chapter. 😊