Have you ever had a project or position that required you to be on site at a certain place and time, and you had to make a decision on which of two locations to work from? Or maybe you’ve had to allocate time to technical tasks while you were on the go, and you had to choose between working from home or traveling to an office?
Remote working is all the rage nowadays, and more and more of us are choosing to work from home. But if you’re not familiar with it, remote working can be a daunting challenge for many people.
A popular misconception is that remote workers have more free time than those who work from the office. In actuality, remote workers have less time in a day to accomplish everything they need to.
However, there are a lot of ways to manage your time as a remote worker, and a few things you can do to manage your time as a remote worker.
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique that dates back to the late 1980s. It is named after the Pomodoro kitchen timer that is used in the technique. The pomodoro helps you to focus for a defined period of time, where you can focus on a single task. When you finish the task, you are free to take a short break before starting the task all over again.
It usually where you choose a time of 25 minutes and only work on one task during that time. After you’ve worked for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break. Then, after another 25 minutes of work, take another 5 minute break. When time’s up, you can take another break, or finish the remaining work in the remaining time.
Take Breaks
As a remote worker, it’s easy to get caught up in the fast-paced, always-on lifestyle. Yet taking breaks is one of the most important things you can do to stay mentally fresh and productive.
Taking breaks throughout the day helps replace the adrenaline of work with something more relaxing, making you more productive after work too. It allows you to recharge your batteries to do your best work, and can help combat the effects of stress.
Setting Goals
Our lives are full of so much to do. We have so many things we would like to be doing, but just can’t get to. We have so many great opportunities that may never get a chance to happen, because we have put it off for a later time. The bottom line, though, is that we simply don’t have enough time in the day to get all the things we want to do.
Setting goals is a great way to measure your progress and say how far you’ve come. When you break down your goals into small bites of workable items, you make them more achievable. If you set them for yourself, you’ll do better. The problem with goals is that you need to know how to set them.
Have A Daily Routine
Having a routine is important to anyone who works remotely, especially when multi-tasking becomes necessary. Our brains can’t keep up with our minds without some kind of structure. When you’re trying to keep track of dozens of things at once, it’s easy to lose track of what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with. That’s why you should have a routine that helps you plan the rest of your day.
Prioritize For Maximum Results
Most remote workers end up losing track of time and forgetting important items on their to-do lists. But, with the right tools and the right mindset, you can keep up with your regular tasks and still prioritize what’s most important to you.
The problem with remote work is you don’t have as much face-to-face interactions as you do in a regular working environment. This means you need an effective system to determine what tasks you need to accomplish and how to effectively prioritize them to achieve your goals.
Track Your Time
While remote working allows you to work from anywhere, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be able to work without supervision. It can be difficult to juggle work, family, and personal commitments if you don’t have access to the tools you need to manage your time effectively.
Block Your Distractions
We’ve all been in situations where our work is interrupted by a sudden and unexpected opportunity: a text message, a voice mail, an email, a meeting. The remote worker has to deal with these distractions every day, and the problem is that remote workers usually don’t have any control over them.
You can get a lot done when you are connected to the Internet 24/7—but the downside of remote work is that you can’t get everything done. If you find there are only a few things you can’t get to because of time, it’s time to make sure you are managing your time properly and block your distractions.