Remote work offers a fantastic ability to work productively and control many aspects of your day-to-day routine, but we’ve all experienced those distractions at home that lead to a drop in focus.
Whether it’s kids, pets, housemates, endless notifications, or household chores to deal with, SmartVirtual™ workers’ success depends on how they manage nearby distractions, manage their time, and maintain focus on the critical work they have to perform. If you start to lose focus, your quality of work drops, your colleagues have to work harder, and, most importantly, the customers don’t get the experiences they deserve.
As a SmartVirtual™ professional, it is your responsibility to ensure that you create and maintain a productive, noise-free, distraction-free remote-based workplace to maximize the success of your work. Here are some simple yet game-changing tips remote-based warriors can use to create an inspiring, focus-driven work environment.
1 – Establish and follow a routine
It’s easy to fall into destructive habits when working remotely, especially at home. To get around this, develop a strict routine and stick to it, allowing appropriate time to prepare for your workday. In addition, we highly recommend adding a physical workout to your routine, where possible, since it’s essential to leave your home or workspace at least once during the day to pursue a healthy habit.
2 – Set “office hours” and share them with others
Anyone working from home risks blending work and personal life, which can seriously hinder your overall focus and success. It helps to post your work schedule in your office space, shared calendar, or even on the door outside to remind you and your co-habitants that work is in session.
3 – Unplug from work and get the blood flowing
Along with a daily workout, we recommend leaving your immediate workspace during lunch or other breaks to keep the body moving and the mind healthy. Take the time to think about something non-work-related, unplug from the internet, and give your electronics a break. Effective time management can even give you the chance to develop hobbies or work on your passion projects, and all these practices will significantly improve focus when you return to your desk.
4 – Engage with your peers
Nothing drives focus and motivation like developing camaraderie with your peers, so make sure you’re checking in with them regularly. Find the right balance between work-related communications and watercooler chat to maintain a good rapport and build a network at work while keeping things professional. Spend time building your virtual community of friends and peers at work, and, whenever possible, try to arrange real-life meet-ups to strengthen those relationships.
5 – Think outside the chatbox
As remote workers, we rely on our chat tools to keep in contact, but this virtual communication hinders the ability to pick up on cues if someone is uncomfortable or misunderstands you. To ensure effective communication, it’s vital to keep chat interactions as straightforward, direct, and friendly as possible and ask for clarification. Then, if there’s any lingering doubt, jump on a video call and create that human interaction that ensures a successful outcome.
These are some techniques we encourage our SmartVirtual™ Ambassadors to adopt when looking to boost their success at work.