There’s a lot to be said for the comforts of office life. Companionship and conversation are guaranteed, there’s the comforting routine of physically clocking in and out along with the shared feeling of being part of a team all pulling towards the same set of goals.
With the ubiquity of global broadband and the speed of modern networks however, there’s no real reason you have to be in an office all the time for most jobs.
The last ten years have seen an explosion in remote working as knowledge workers around the world leverage their skills online to deliver value to their employers from wherever they are.
Working remotely does bring its own challenges however. It’s far from being an endless succession of lazy lunches and impromptu outings to the beach.
If anything, the need for discipline and organisation is even higher when you’re working remotely as there’s nobody constantly looking over your shoulder to monitor your activities. You are very much your own boss.
With that in mind, here’s a quick guide on ‘4 Ways for Making the Most of Remote Work’, to make sure you’re getting the most out of working remotely and staying on target throughout.
- Mix It Up
Location really matters when you’re working remotely. The first trap to avoid is that of turning your home into your office. This is an incredibly difficult trick to pull off and a short-cut to cabin fever if handled incorrectly.
Even if you have the space for a home office, mix up your working environment at regular intervals by spending time working in different locations.
This could be as simple as putting in a few hours in your neighbourhood coffee shop or might involve taking a few days in a local co-working space. The change of scene and surroundings will keep you fresh and stop you slinking into a solitary rut.
- Get Comfy
Once you’ve selected your primary working location, take the extra time to kit it out exactly to your requirements. One of the huge advantages of working remotely is that you are in complete control of your environment so feel free to make the most of it.
Are you at your most productive when listening to Wagnerian opera at full blast? Get that stereo system set up. Always wanted to test a standing desk while working? Feel free, there’s no-one there to stop you.
Get your surroundings dialled in according to your taste and starting work every day will be a pleasure rather than a chore.
- Ringfence Productive Time
Another of remote working’s enormous plus points is the fact that you are substantially less likely to be interrupted during your working day. If you are working in a different time zone to your team, you may even enjoy huge swathes of time spent entirely alone.
Generally speaking, this is good news for personal productivity and allows you to scope out defined periods of time where you know you will not be disturbed and where you can truly get into flow.
Get into the habit of actually scheduling these time blocks in your calendar to make the most of them.
- Take Advantage Of Your Location
Whether you’re in one primary location or moving around when you’re working remotely, don’t forget to take advantage of the actual locale you find yourself in.
After all, what is the point of remote working if you don’t get to enjoy some of its benefits?
Once you’ve got your schedule and responsibilities humming along smoothly, make sure you’re getting out of the office and fully engaging with your surroundings on a personal and professional level.
In the last ten years, remote working has moved from an option open only to a tiny few to being the way the world of work is increasingly structured. Along with its challenges, it brings an enormous amount of positive opportunities for revolutionising your work-life balance. Make the most of them!
