The art of working remotely

8 hacks to ensure productivity in chaos and isolation

Several people fantasize about teleworking, due to its obvious advantages, namely, working in the comfort of your home in your sweatpants and skipping commuting time or the more subtle benefits, such as autonomy to complete a task in the way that best suits you.

But working remotely is a double-edged sword and comes equipped with its own set of challenges. At home, you are faced with a plethora of distractions from your family, housemates, pets, household chores or home entertainment options, like Netflix calling your name, exactly when you encounter that spark of inspiration. In addition, working from home can create an “always-on” mentality, causing people to work too long and too long, being unable to effectively balance work and life.

Panicking about contagion can be stressful enough. Self-isolation for an indefinite period of time can increase these disturbing feelings.

It is our responsibility to ensure that working from home does not burden us further. Be proactive in creating the right working conditions and developing the right habits to maintain focus and effectiveness throughout your day at home.

1. Establish a morning routine.

Your morning routine can set the tone for the rest of your day. Approach each new day as if you are going to work. Avoid pressing the snooze button and get out of bed at the same time, have your coffee, shower and dress to avoid the temptation to spend all day in pajamas.

Consider replacing the time you would normally use to go to work every day in the morning, with a self-care activity such as exercising. Being confined at home, it is important to remember to move and make our blood pump. Exercise also has the multilayered benefits of improving brain function, cognitive performance and stress management.

This structure of your morning routine will help you to get into the work mode, establishing the necessary mental distance between work and time at home.

2. Establish a designated workspace.

This will be a place that provides the structure to undeniably enter the work zone, be productive and without distractions. This means that it does not work next to a TV, and if the phone is not needed, store it out of reach, preferably in another room.
It is also better to draw boundaries between work and home life — which means getting off the couch and definitely getting out of bed. If you have a free room that can be used as a temporary work space (for example, a guest room), do so. If you have a table in your room, use it.

If you are like me, you also want your workspace to be organized, as a messy home can be the bane of your productivity. It inspires laziness and procrastination and can distract you from your goal.

3. Tap your inspiration.

Moving from work in a traditional office or as part of a team to work at home can be an adjustment. It can be difficult not only to find the motivation to do the work outside this workspace, but also to recreate the environment in which you can creatively flourish and be inspired again.

If you are a social person and are successful in teamwork, consider calling a coworker or your team to discuss ideas to spark your creativity. If you are experiencing a blockage or if an idea is beyond reach, try meditation to put your mind in a relaxed, free-flowing state that has been shown to induce more creative thinking.

4. Program yourself.

Just as you would when working in a corporate environment, remote work also requires a schedule, especially to take responsibility. A schedule (which includes exercises, meals and mental breaks) will not only help you distinguish when you are on and off the clock, but it is also an indicator of when your customers and colleagues can reach you around the clock.

Setting work hours can also get you to go through task lists efficiently and effectively with minimal distractions, so you can make an appointment.

5. Use the Pomodoro technique.

Consider this scenario: you are being really productive and are progressing on your to-do list at an appropriate rate, due to which you decide to reward yourself with a short break on Netflix. Before you know it, the hours go by and you feel lethargic, tired and unproductive. To avoid this, try the Pomodoro technique.

This method of time management developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s breaks the blocks in 25 minutes, interspersed with five-minute intervals (over 15 to 30 minutes, a half-day). The idea behind this technique is that the time limit instills a sense of urgency, because you know you only have 25 minutes to make as much progress on a task as possible, rather than an unlimited period of time, so it is more likely that you use that time wisely. Forced breaks help refresh your exhausted brain and get your creativity flowing again.

To maximize the way you use your time, consider organizing and prioritizing key tasks with task lists the night before. This will help to avoid procrastination or lose focus with switching tasks.

6. Identify and eliminate distractions.

Just as these productivity pitstops are removed in a typical work environment, identify what takes away your work hours at home and be proactive in eliminating them.

Avoid working near the TV and establish boundaries between the workday and household chores. This must be done strictly after working hours. Multitasking, as research from the University of Southern California shows, can be a huge productivity killer, since you need to constantly change your mental speed quickly.

7. Identify the communication tools.

Even if you work from home, you are likely to have regular check-ins with your manager or communications with your staff. In that case, it is best to determine in advance which digital tools work best for your team. It can be an email to make an official decision or WhatsApp to ask a quick question or send a quick update to your team. For when a detailed discussion or brainstorming needs to take place and face-to-face meetings are impossible, consider using video conferencing tools like Zoom or Skype, which can also help maintain a relationship with your colleagues, managers and direct reports, avoiding total social isolation.

8. Balance work and life.

Know when to stop work.

During working hours, communicate with your family or housemates so as not to disturb you unless it is an emergency. Place a sign on your door, if necessary, to avoid interruptions and stay as productive as possible.

When the time comes for the clock, resist the urge to overcompensate for not being in the office working harder than usual. Just because your work is accessible does not mean that you have to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If, during that time, an idea comes up, write it down so you can come back the next day.

In these formidable times, it is vital to give us a chance to relax and connect with loved ones for the sake of mental clarity.

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