How to Manage Your Time When Working from Home

Owl Labs revealed that by the end of 2019, 54% of U.S. workers had worked remotely at least once per month, 48% had worked remotely at least once per week, and 30% worked remotely full-time. Globally, 56% of companies allowed remote work, or they were hybrid companies (both remote and physical location), or they were fully remote companies. Not fully noted in the surveys are the huge swaths of freelancers in the world who do not work for a company at all. Studies conducted by an independent research firm and commissioned in partnership by Upwork and the Freelancers Union found that 57 million people freelanced in the U.S. in 2019.

Nevertheless, while many people around the world are experienced at working from home or remotely in general, many more have not previously conducted work in such a manner. This struggle, however, is also nothing new. In the same, previous Owl Labs poll, 38% of remote workers and 15% of remote managers received no training on how to work remotely (2019). And, with crisis added to the mix, working from home can include challenges that many experienced remote workers likely never had to face, such as also having spouses present, and homeschooling children who learn online when they used to go to school.

HOW IT’S DONE

So, what can be mitigated, avoided, worked around, and adjusted so that working from home becomes a little more manageable, especially if you are a first-time remote worker? The following are keys to making your new home office a place of more productivity, efficiency, and (dare it to be said) enjoyment.

• Communication – As with any work environment, communication plays a pivotal role. This applies not only to the office but even the home. Unless you are alone in your home, you are going to have to communicate with others who also live there. This may include a partner or roommate who wants to talk about the latest Netflix show they watched or a child who wants to play. Communicate with anyone in your household and establish a work environment. Others must be made aware that during certain times and in a certain place, you will be at work even though you are at home. During this time, you must not be bothered unless it is an emergency. That might sound harsh, but if this kind of boundary is not set, you could potentially be interrupted more than you typically are at the office! Others cannot be expected to treat you as if you are working if you do not communicate this need to them.
  
  
• Location – The old adage for business is “location, location, location.” That is also true for working from home, just in a different manner of speaking. You must find a location that is comfortable for you to work. For some, this might be at the dining room table. Others have home offices, complete with oak desks and leather chairs. Back in school, if you were the kind of student who liked to get down on the floor and spread out your books for studying, you might also prefer to work there. Maybe sitting in a beanbag is your thing. Do what works for you. Work in an area that makes you the most comfortable and constructive.
• The Right Tool – Just like a carpenter or mechanic, you need the right tool for the job. From the start, this is going to be about the kind of hardware you use. Laptops are common for remote work, as they can house a lot of data and can be mobile (which helps with your efforts to obtain the best location). There are other options, too, such as a tablet. Or perhaps even your phone can do the trick. Maybe you need a complete desktop computer with all the trimmings (a printer, scanner, fax, etc.). It’s up to you, and that’s based on the kind of work you do. Set yourself up with exactly what you need to get the job done, and keep in mind that it might be a combination of items based on the work you are trying to accomplish.

After hardware, you need to consider software. For those who are not freelancers, this will inevitably include proprietary systems and databases from your company to which you need access. This should be worked out with your management and IT staff. You will also need to consider email, especially if on a company system, and programs that might be needed for clocking in and taking PTO (Paid Time Off). Systems like Outlook 365 are a great way to access email, which can be done remotely from anywhere. Other programs like Paycom make it easy to remotely access the ability to clock in and out, as well as take PTO, among other features. Just make sure you have access to whatever systems your company uses.

• Other Responsibilities: If you have other responsibilities, such as now having to help educate a child or do household chores, set parameters for getting that work done outside of your established work time. Many people seem to be good multi-taskers, but it is surprising how difficult it can be to juggle work, teaching, cleaning your home, cooking, and taking care of errands all at the same time. Set certain times for getting each of these things done separately, as best as you can. This means choosing a work schedule that will not interfere with those other responsibilities and vice versa. The bottom line is that the more you can take care of additional responsibilities separate from your work time, the better. Use the clock for the tool it was meant to be and designate certain times, then stick to them.
  
  
• Minimize Distractions: Once you have that perfect location and the right tools to work with, you need to capitalize on the communication conducted with others and the parameters you set for additional responsibilities by actually getting some work done. However, distractions can slow this effort down. The phone might ring and have nothing to do with work. The television might be on. People might be coming over to visit and you might have even invited them! Do this instead:
  
  Turn off any sounds that could make it harder to concentrate (some people like music while working).
  
  Don't answer the door if you don’t have to, and re-engage the communication step from earlier to ensure no one visits you during the hours you have established.
  
  Minimize or close out of the internet so that you aren’t surfing the latest happenings while you are supposed to be working.
  
  Put your phone on silent, pick it up and look at it frequently to see what calls have come through, unless you are expecting an important call.
  
  Put a Do Not Disturb sign on your door during your work hours, if need be.
  
  Outside of education parameters, provide children with household tasks of their own to complete or even fun projects to do. You could even set them up with some popcorn and a movie to watch.
  
  Do what you must to avoid distractions and focus on the task at hand. You will be amazed at how much more you can accomplish without distractions, much of which you normally cannot control at the workplace.
  
  
• Focus on the advantages. For those who normally do not work from home, it can seem overwhelming. Although there are a lot of advantages that come with this kind of work—advantages you don’t get in the workplace—. Focus on them instead, and less on how different this situation is from your normal work environment. By working from home, you can:
  
  - Set your own hours.
  
  - Create your own workspace that is comfortable for you.

- Work at your own pace.

- Use your own bathroom instead of sharing it with others.

- Eat food whenever you want -- food you normally eat because it’s your own kitchen.

- Finally have coffee that tastes good because it’s what you normally make.

- Manage distractions that typically sap your time in the workplace.

- Have no commute, which means you can sleep in, have less stress from road rage, have more money because you buy less gas and spend less on tolls, and have less wear and tear on your vehicle which also saves money.

- Take a break whenever you want (just make sure it’s not too long of a break).

That last one is important. Get up from your work area and stretch. Go out for a walk. Socialize with those in your home. Have a good lunch for once, instead of something fast and not as healthy. You can schedule any of these things, as well.

You have a prime opportunity, possibly for the first time, to be more in control of your work life than ever before, which can also translate into a stronger, healthier, and more fulfilling personal life. These are the advantages that come from working at home and/or remotely. This situation might have been thrust upon you, but there is a reason why so many people were already doing it. Concentrate on the advantages and you might find out that you can enjoy it in many ways.

Article Author:

Business Training Media is a global provider of workforce training solutions for employee development. The company has provided corporate training solutions to many organizations from start-ups to high-profile companies like American Express, Yahoo, IBM, 3M, FedEx, American Honda, Cisco, Verizon, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, Bank of America, Google and thousands of others.