With the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us come to know about the remote working model. Though for some industries, this model is relatively standard such as the IT industry. Many companies in other sectors hire remote teams as well to enhance their productivity and output.
But there are some of the challenges that have come along with remote working. The most common one would be maintaining a balance between your work life and your personal life.
Many studies have found out that remote working has led to people doing more work than onsite working. According to the United Nations International Labor Organization survey, the staff is more productive when working outside the conventional office setting.
However, they are more prone to working long hours, as well as work-home interruptions and disturbances. Furthermore, there are only a few occasions when they experience a rise in stress and depression. This leads us to conclude that mental health should be a priority even if you are working remotely.
But how can I keep a balance between your work life and your personal life? This article will let you know a few tips that can help you maintain a balance between both of them.
1. Design an Office Space That Is Separate from Your Personal Space
There needs to be clear segregation in your workspace and your living area. Most people tend to work in their bedrooms or living rooms. This is why they find themselves working throughout the clock. It will help if you set up a separate workspace where you can work.
This will help you to focus on your work as well as avoid any distractions. Once you are done for the day, leave that particular area that is designated for work. As a result, you will be able to draw a clear line between your work life and personal life.
2. Set A Rigid Schedule
When we talk about remote working, the best part about it is freedom and flexibility. People can choose their own working hours as per their convenience. However, there is one thing wrong with it, and that is no time schedules.
People don't know when to start and when to stop. As a result, many find themselves working more hours than they do in an office setting. The only way to counter this problem is by having a rigid schedule. It would help you know when you have to start your work and when to stop.
And not just for work, set up a work schedule for other activities throughout the day. Set up a time for your hobbies or set aside some time to spend with children or any other thing you want. By sticking to it, you will bring order to your life and help you enjoy remote working rather than burden you.
3.Take Breaks from Time to Time
Many people assume that since they are working from home, they are not entitled to a break. It is the reason why many people keep on working throughout the day, and they are exhausted. So, you should try to avoid it and take short breaks from time to time.
It would be best if you get up and simply walk away from your screen from time to time. It is beneficial for your entire body to avoid the strain on your eyes, brain, and other body parts. Moreover, it is vital that you take lunch breaks. Since people are working from home, they don't take a break for their lunch.
They usually don't have it or have it at their workstations. Concentrate on punctuating the day and getting a clear lunch break to look forward to concentrating on work-life balance.
4. Stay Connected with Your Colleagues
We all miss remote working gossip and the lunch breaks in an office. Simply a small chat with your coworker at the water cooler can be a great stress relief. And there is no doubt that human-to-human interaction is necessary for people to focus on their work.
But this does not mean that you don't communicate with them at all. Employers should arrange fun activities for remote employees so they can blend. With the help of communication tools like WhatsApp, Skype, and Slack, you can instantly chat with your coworkers.
And if you feel like video calling them, you can use Zoom or other video conferencing tools. Though there is no replacement for face-to-face interaction, video calls can be a great alternative. Furthermore, there should be weekly video chats that can be a replacement for the office gossip.
5. To Keep Oriented and On Track, Use Remote Work Productivity Tools
Even with a rigid schedule and a separate workspace, there can be a chance that you might still get distracted. And this is something that you need to consider as all of your efforts would go in vain if you are not focusing on your work. You might simply get up and stroll towards the kitchen and simply lost track of what you are doing.
Productivity is the key to get the satisfaction that you have achieved the target of your day. And for that, you need to avoid these distractions and disruptions by keeping track of your productivity. Many tools can help you monitor your productivity throughout the day.
With the help of these tools, you would know how much time you have spent on each task. Moreover, it would help you avoid overworking and overburdening yourself. You know the drill when you can simply close your laptop for the day and focus on the other aspects of your daily life.
Jira is one of the most common tools that can help you monitor your progress. You can simply log on the hours that you spend doing a particular task. When you are going for a break, you can simply pause the timer not to record that time. You can easily calculate the hours that you have spent on the particular task.
Remote Working: The Way Forward
With so many benefits for both the employees and employers, one thing is for sure that remote working is the future. So, we need to embrace it and make sure that we follow the proper steps to make the most out of it. By implementing it correctly, remote working can do wonders for both of them.
Companies around the globe are now embracing remote working as it allows them to hire remote teams from anywhere in the world. And not only that, with the diversity they can bring to the table, it can help you elevate your business.
But if you are still struggling with everything to start from, you can always take the help of an expert in it. With the help of a remote agency, you can quickly build an agile and robust remote team in no time. All you need to do is give them the project details and requirements.
The agency would then assemble a team as per the needs and the requirements of the project. From hiring to managing, all of this would be on the shoulders of the remote agency. So now you don't have to worry about anything regarding your remote team. The time and energy you save can be used on other aspects of your business.
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