Remote work isn’t new to our world, but it’s more prominent than ever. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, companies and employers had to figure out the best course of action and fast. Many revolutionized their way of working and offered their employees remote positions.
Now, in 2022, more and more remote positions are readily available for various industries including virtual assistants, accountants, coding, web developers, and more. For many, remote work is music to their ears. Working from your kitchen table or couch? Sounds perfect! But for others used to cubicles and desks, this transition can feel a little murky.
Here are a few tips to navigate your remote working situation and make the most of it.
Keep a Schedule
Possibly the best part of working from an office is having a regimented day. You clock in at 9am; you leave at 5pm. But when working remotely, the lines between “leaving the house” to “going home from work” are blurred.
To combat this, consider making yourself a schedule to follow. If you’re a night owl, consider making a schedule from 3pm-11pm. If you function best in the mornings, 7am-4pm might work better for you.
Studies – like this one – show that time-blocking significantly boosts productivity. Give yourself one hour to wake up, get ready, eat breakfast, maybe read a book. When you begin your workday, set aside one hour to work on priority tasks first. Less priority work can be moved to the last couple hours of your day.
Set Up a Workspace
We all need a place to call our own. Just like scheduling, a good workspace will vary from person to person. While some are fine to relax on the couch, others may need a desk, ergonomic chair, and a stack of pens readily available.
Consider purchasing a desk, a comfortable chair, and office supplies such as pens, notebooks, sticky notes, (and don’t forget headphones if you need music to get work done). Also invest in good quality lighting for your workspace to keep the creativity flowing.
Identify Motivations and Blocks
Working from an office allows for trips to the breakroom, lunch with coworkers, and pauses throughout the day. In an office setting, those frequent pauses do a lot to help us stay motivated and on task. However, working from home can sometimes mean losing motivation, mental roadblocks, and burnout. How do you stay motivated? Take a page from office life and take plenty of breaks.
The Pomodoro method is a great way to get used to working and taking breaks periodically. In this method, pick a task, work on it for 25 minutes, and take a five-minute break. Repeat this four times and after your fourth section, take a 15-30 minute break.
Set goals for yourself for both the week and the month. Having something to work towards is rewarding and helps to stay on task. If you like friendly competition, do it with a coworker who is also working remotely.
Finding Remote Jobs
How do you find these unicorn remote jobs? On the internet, of course! There are more remote jobs now than ever before, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Make sure your resume is top-notch, your cover letter is pristine, and consider having a previous employer write you a letter of recommendation.
A few options to research include LinkedIn, Indeed, Flexjobs, and We Work Remotely. If you enjoy your current position and the company you work for, ask your supervisor if they could turn your position remote. There has been an upward trend in office positions offering the same job as a work from home position.
The bottom line is that remote work is available across a broad range of industries and experience. While office life is not completely a thing of the past, the flexibility of working remotely cannot be beat!