The most common problem that always stands in the way of people who are working from home is the tendency to procrastinate. Working remotely also means that you are turning your comfort zone into a high-stress environment. Without a place where you can forget about work and relax, constant stress and overwhelming feelings are inevitable. These struggles are pretty common for people who have not yet figured out how to manage their working-from-home situation accurately. Whether you have been encouraged to work remotely due to the global spread of COVID-19 or you have managed to land a remote-based opportunity, here are some of the tried-and-trusted solutions that have proven their worth.
Set a Schedule
Do you know the archenemy of procrastination? Discipline. Setting a schedule to follow religiously, even if your job does not require you to, will be the end of any procrastination tendencies. Without a certain routine where your working day begins at a certain hour, you will find yourself more likely to put off work until the last minute. All freelancers understand this struggle very well. Putting off work only results in decreased productivity and suffering to meet deadlines. The only way to avoid these issues is by planning your days ahead and seeing this plan through.
Create a Home-Office
When you are working from home, it is easy to decide on taking the laptop to your bedroom and spending your working day in bed. This is the worst decision anyone who is working remotely could do. There is a general rule to always leave work out of the bedroom to maintain the calm and comfort of your space. Not only does working in bed lead to increased levels of procrastination, but it also results in constant lethargy. To put a stop to these issues before they begin, the perfect solution is setting up a home office where you can concentrate. Pick a quiet area in your house away from the bedroom and choose a comfortable chair and desk. These simple changes will help you greatly in getting your work done.
Set Priorities
The lack of the traditional framework of an office makes organizing workflow and prioritizing important tasks almost near impossible. The critical trick to learn when you are working remotely is developing a sense of self-discipline and -motivation. There isn’t a magical one-fits-all solution for developing organizational skills. It is a trial and error process that you need to go through in order to figure out solutions that work for you. For some people making to-do lists helps greatly in figuring out their urgent and important tasks to structure their days around them. Other people might find it more helpful to start with easier and small tasks to feel accomplished in order to keep the ball rolling.
Avoid Distractions
Distractions leave room for procrastination to seep in. The next thing you know, you have spent four hours scrolling down random pages on social media platforms without getting any work done. Unless you need your smartphone for your job, make it a habit to leave your mobile phone outside your home office. A noise-cancellation headset might also help greatly. Some people might prefer adding a source of white noise in their home office instead to tune out their surroundings. If you are constantly getting sidetracked, there are many apps that you can make use of to set times for your working hours. Whenever your timer is set, the only thing you should concentrate and focus on is your work.
Get Some Fresh Air
As all people are encouraged to practice social distancing and stay home, even in coronavirus-free countries, depression and anxiety levels are off the charts. Social distancing does not mean isolation by any means. Dedicate some time for yourself in your schedule. During this time, you can step outside to get some fresh air. You can make use of this time to stay active; even walking for half an hour a day can have a hugely positive effect on both your physical and mental health. Make sure to stay connected with your friends and family; even if you do not want to leave the house, there are many apps to use in order to catch up and spend some virtual quality time.
The majority of people have always dreamt about the day when they leave the long commute behind and work in the comfort of their own houses, until the recent coronavirus outbreak. While many people at first enjoyed the flexibility and freedom of working from home offers, still there are a lot of people who suffered from these changes greatly. The solutions are never universal. Try different solutions and strategies until you manage to create a tailored plan for yourself in order to improve your remote-working life.
