Boosting Productivity While Working Remotely During COVID-19

 

COVID-19 or Coronavirus is the latest buzzword in mainstream media. A virus that started in China has infected more than 200 countries worldwide and killed many. Following the spread of the virus, many companies have sent all or a portion of their employees to work remotely.

Millions of employees are doing their routine tasks from home instead of the office to stay protected from Coronavirus. Remote working is not a new concept, and even before this pandemic, many people have worked as remote workforces in companies. According to research by Regus Canada, 11% of business people in Canada work all week remotely. Hiring remote employees has benefits for businesses, including flexible hours that leads to higher productivity and lower costs.

Keeping the balance between remote work and productivity is not as easy as you might think. Those who have used to work remotely for years, like the BSUPERIOR SYSTEM team, are familiar with the challenges, but newcomers will struggle to adjust to the new environment. Buffer’s state of remote work report highlighted the unplugging from their work, loneliness, and communicating as the biggest challenges of remote workforces.

Since your workplace will change for an unknown time, you must be able to keep your remote working productivity. 65% of employers believe working remotely can improve their employee’s productivity, according to research by Indeed. I know people who could barely handle 8 hours a day in the office, but now work remotely for up to 11 hours a day. Of course, employers have to deal with some of the early turmoil caused by some employees being unfamiliar with the remote style.

If you are a part of the millions of employees who have to work remotely because of the Coronavirus, join me in this guide to tell you how to stay productive and maintain your relationships while working from home.

#1. Determine your territory

Imagine you are the king and your workspace is like your territory. So you need an established workspace that is noise-free and lets you concentrate on what you’re doing. This territory must be clean, well-designed, and bare of anything that could distract you. During the time you work from home, you can choose one of the rooms or the attic as a workspace.

You can’t work in your area without a set of regulations and agreed boundaries. To keep your remote working productivity, tell family members not to distract you while working and stop wandering in your working zone.

#2. Set a schedule and stick to it

Working without a schedule hurts your remote working productivity. Treat this schedule as you did with your hours in the office, and it should not be based on your mood. Sticking to this timetable would help you to finish the necessary tasks at the end of the day and feel less nervous.

To be more focused and stay on the schedule, you can eliminate distractions, set realistic deadlines, and have time off after long hours. For time management, I recommend the Pomodoro technique. Also, keeping track of work hours helps you to stick to the schedule. I use the Clockify web app for this, but you can use any other app you want.

#3. Use appropriate tools

Remote working requires you to use specific tools for communication, file sharing, and task management. The tools you are using for these purposes have a direct impact on your productivity, so try to find apps that are easy-to-use and help you to stay productive. For getting to know the best remote working tools during the Coronavirus pandemic, please read the article linked above.

#4. Have face-to-face meetings instead of sending dead messages

Fewer interactions and engagements are the main concerns of HR managers when it comes to remote team productivity. They were used to working near each other and haveing face-to-face meetings, which is impossible now because of the Coronavirus.

Meeting face-to-face for remote employees is still possible thanks to apps like Skype, FaceTime or any other video chat app you prefer. The quality of your communication would increase while meeting face-to-face, and it helps you to maintain your relationships.

#5. Spend time with family members

I know your workload may increase because you’re working from home, but don’t forget to dedicate time to your family members. They are a source of motivation, and they need more emotional protections at these hard times.

Wrapping up

We hope that the Coronavirus pandemic ends soon, and we can get back to our daily activities. Until that time, follow these working from home productivity tips to stay productive and give it your best shot. Please stay at home and don’t forget to wash your hands regularly. We are stronger than any virus in the world.