Improve teleworking; Discover 13 tips to help you telework.
Do you study or telework? If you telework, then you know that working from home can bring great advantages, but also you need to be well-organised so that you don’t go crazy at home. Today we will go through some ideas to improve teleworking so that you have a great work-life balance. Teleworking is a great improvement for your life and if done right, teleworking could be more productive for the company. Let’s start!
– Get dressed for work.
Yes, working from home in your pyjamas can be a really cool thing, but only for a while and only for the first few days. Over time, you will realize that this is a bad habit and it won’t help you distinguish between work and private life. By having a shower and dressing in regular clothes for work you will set the mood for a working day and you will probably be more productive.
– Set a work schedule.
If you don’t set a schedule then this will lead to procrastination, and you already know that procrastination is worse than you think. Setting your own work schedule will help you stay more focused and be more productive. If you work for a company, it will be great for you to match your schedule with theirs, in order to enjoy better coordination. This doesn’t mean that you cannot change your schedule, but just use common sense.
– Find a workspace at home.
There is no other option. If you want to be productive, you will not be able to work in the living room if your partner is watching Westworld on TV. Get yourself a spacious, quiet and comfortable place for your work. Refer to it as “your office” so that your family members know very well that that is your workspace, and provide ‘’your office’’ with any tool you might need (computer, printer, etc.) so you can work properly.
– Take the necessary measures to work at ease.
Even if you have a fixed schedule and a workspace for you to work, it won’t help if your partner or parents or children knock on the door every five minutes asking for the washing powder or asking for a toy or asking for money. Tell your relatives to respect your workspace and your work schedule, just as if you were not working at home. And do not forget to take the necessary measures if you find yourself getting distracted from your work, the same ones that you would take (or should take) if you were working in an office, such as avoiding wasting time by being on ‘’Facebook’’ or another social network and get away from YouTube, those videos of funny cats are your worst enemy.
– Plan your work.
In addition to having the right conditions to work well, you will need to be very organised with your work. Write down those tasks that you must carry out. Some techniques for work organization, such as the GTD Technique or for time organization, such as the Pomodoro Technique can make things easier for you.
– Set goals and deadlines and meet them.
When organising your work, setting goals and deadlines will be critical. If you work for a company, it is likely that these goals and deadlines will be given to you.
But, if you work as self-employed and if you do not set these goals and deadlines clearly, it is very likely that chaos and your old enemy ‘’procrastination’’ come knocking at your door. Be aware of this, or your productivity could be very reduced.
– To improve teleworking, have little breaks when necessary.
Just as you would do in an office, rest when you need it. Of course, do not extend it more than necessary just because you are at home. A 4-hour nap is not a ‘’little break”.
– Get out and do some sport.
Working from home and spending the rest of the day at home can create mental fatigue. In order to avoid it, it will be good for you to go out in your free time and, if possible, practise some sport. Not only will it be good for your health, but also it will be a very healthy break for the mind and spirit.
– Eat healthy and at regular times.
You cannot eat a Sunday roast at 4 am just because you ‘’telework’’. Plus, it’s not very healthy for you. Food schedules are part of your workday, so set food schedules and meet them. And remember to eat healthy, health comes first and also it will help you feel better.
– Do not forget your social relationships.
Talking about work can be fun, and even necessary. If you work alone, I am pretty sure you miss the professional relationships that a face-to-face job usually provides. In order to fill this gap, you can establish social relationships linked to your work. There are many ways to contact people within your business in order to communicate with them whenever you need them (chats, forums, social networks, etc.). You will feel less alone and you will have much needed talks to exchange ideas and to continue learning, so that you progress in your work.
– Keep in touch with your company.
If you telework for a company, do not step away from them and do integrate yourself as much as possible in your work dynamics. Even if you are not in the office, you will probably have co-workers to contact through multiple ways, even in real time. Do not leave this aside, it is important; it will help you be updated and integrated with your company and, this way, they will not forget about your existence.
– To improve teleworking, do not forget flexible teleworking.
Very often, teleworking will be combined with face-to-face work. If you are not using this then plan it. Going a few days a week or a few hours a day to the office can be a great way to break the monotony and to witness the progress of your company.
– Use the right tools for teleworking.
You cannot telework with and old computer that does not work. Have you thought about it? Today there are multiple tools that can help you telework, from simple e-mail to file sharing programs, to a remote computer management system such as eHorus.
So this is all you need to know to improve teleworking. As you can see, a key element of teleworking is to have a great work-life balance. Have fun teleworking!
