According to Upwork, 26.7% of the American workforce will continue working from home in 2021, and 36.2 million Americans will work remotely all the way up to 2025. Here are 4 Proven Remote Working Tips That Are Effective.
That just goes to show that remote work is here to stay, and this is our new normal.
At the outset, remote work or working from home seems like a great way to finally achieve that coveted work-life balance, but it can be pretty stressful too.
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Too many meetings, micromanagement, lack of transparent processes can create a toxic work environment for both employees and companies that are new to this.
How do you change that? There are a lot of productivity hacks, but they don’t take the pandemic into account.
So, here are 4 proven remote working tips to make your life easier.
Table of Contents
Access GDrive locally to work from anywhere
The concept of working remotely has caught on like wildfire. Since people aren’t tied to their desks, many have taken to visit remote locations that are largely unaffected by the pandemic while enjoying the glorious views.
But, a lot of companies use Google Drive for business given how easy it is to manage files, and working in remote areas is difficult if you don’t have access to high-speed internet.
To solve this issue, you can download GDrive files locally on your laptop.
On a laptop running Windows, you can change the settings to make all your files available online.
On a MacBook, you can try the Backup & Sync option that allows you to download all your files and integrate them with Finder. This helps you create a basic file management system.
Learning how to set up google drive on mac has other benefits as well. Since you don’t need internet access to work, you can easily avoid the constant distractions of notifications from other apps.
Cancel Zoom meetings
At the outset, it might seem counterproductive, but Zoom fatigue is real. Jeremy Bailenson, a Stanford professor and the founding director of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab, studied this phenomenon and coined the term.
Constant video calls are taxing because of the unnatural amount of eye contact. The brain also interprets close-up videos as an intense situation. All in all, not a very good way to spend your workday.
To offset the negative impact, consider canceling meetings that can be turned into emails, checklists on Trello, messages on Slack, or a screen recording that explains tasks to all the stakeholders.
The fewer meetings you have, the more you can actually concentrate on getting work done.
Invest in a home office
A November 2020 study by Tuck Sleep found that 72% of Americans surveyed had worked from their bed during the pandemic. 1 in 10 people spent most or all of their days in bed.
That is because working from home can often mean working from your bed. But there’s a whole host of problems associated with working from your mattress, no matter how comfortable it is.
It’s not good for your body because you aren’t supposed to be sitting on a mattress. Your posture is greatly affected because of the lack of support.
It is also difficult for you to get quality sleep because working from your bed confuses your brain and doesn’t allow it to shut down effectively
Doing this for extended periods of time can lead to chronic insomnia, neck and back pain.
The best way to solve this is to have a dedicated space for work with an ergonomic chair and a great writing desk.
If that’s not possible, consider a standing desk or create a makeshift standing desk that will keep you on your feet.
Schedule downtime
You have to take breaks from working. A lack of trust from companies that don’t believe in remote work can often lead you to be always on.
You don’t want to make it seem like you’re not productive, so checking your email or Slack every hour is usually default behavior.
This has catastrophic effects on your mental health. Screen times have gone up, and apart from the eye strain, it can also be extremely difficult for you to disassociate from work.
While it may seem difficult to set boundaries, the alternative is worse: burnout.
To schedule downtime, you can just block your calendar if you don’t want to share what you’re doing and make sure you rest your eyes.
Pick up a book or a new hobby or talk to someone on the phone – anything that keeps you away from the screen.
If that doesn’t sit right with your company, you can break away to become a freelancer to pay your bills till you find something stable.
Overall, remember that you don’t have to overextend yourself to be productive. Productivity comes in bursts, and you should not be afraid to set your boundaries. Do you have any tips that help you? Let us know in the comments below!
Cancel Zoom meetings
At the outset, it might seem counterproductive, but Zoom fatigue is real. Jeremy Bailenson, a Stanford professor and the founding director of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab, studied this phenomenon and coined the term.
Constant video calls are taxing because of the unnatural amount of eye contact. The brain also interprets close-up videos as an intense situation. All in all, not a very good way to spend your workday.
To offset the negative impact, consider canceling meetings that can be turned into emails, checklists on Trello, messages on Slack, or a screen recording that explains tasks to all the stakeholders.
Aso, try including employee monitoring tools in your workflow and get the detailed insight in employees activities. This will decrease the need for constant reporting, and checking out employees’ progress.The fewer meetings you have, the more you can actually concentrate on getting work done.
