How to Transition from On-site Work to Remote Work.

Working in the office has been the norm for many years. Some of us have been forced to remotely work for a while now. It’s liked by some and hated by many, and in between for others. Personally working remotely has made the workload better distributed throughout the day. With not being in a traditional office setting you have more opportunity to work how you like to work. There is less of a stressful environment working remotely.   

Working from the comfort of your bed, couch, dining room table, or even just your home office is bliss. Having the ability to go to your kitchen to make your lunch or ordering Uber Eats from your favorite restaurant because you can and wearing sweatpants or pajama pants all day is honestly epic. There is less worry when you are at home. You can control your day and that's the main benefit. You aren’t bound to a building, or a project or an expectation of anything other than meeting a deadline.  

Working remotely, you gain a better sense of independent work, you learn how to manage things more efficiently and you just aren’t as stressed because of the lack of time constraints. Transitioning from on-site work to remote work can be a great compromise in the challenging time that we are in. So here are some tips on how to maintain a productive and effective at-home work environment.   

Set your work hours.  

If you can make your own hours, think about setting certain times out of every day dedicated to your work. It keeps you organized and studious, while also keeping yourself accountable for what you have to do for that day. Figure out when you can do your best work. Are you a morning person? Is early afternoon better for you? Do you work better at night? You have the option now to work when it's best for you, so figure out what’s best for you and go with it. You will be so much more productive and your work will show that.   

Make lists.  

Write things down. Having a list of all your projects, or a list composed of talking points for a virtual presentation, a list for ideas, work goals for the future or personal goals- Making a list helps to keep you organized but also your thoughts orderly. Sometimes we think so fast  that we lose really good ideas or thoughts because our minds are moving. List making helps prioritize your tasks as well as keeping your tasks structured and helps keep your workload manageable.  

Don’t forget to communicate.  

Working at home doesn’t mean you have to do independent work 24/7. It’s nice to know that when things get hard with certain tasks or assignments that you have the support of a team who can help you. The end goal is always to help make the business you work for succeed. There is a common goal, so working with your team is essential. Getting fresh ideas, a new set of eyes to look over something, mental support, or simply asking questions about things that you don’t know, or lack education on, can really benefit you as a whole but also help your work.  

Don’t skip meetings.  

Usually meetings are held for a reason. They give you new information about things going on within the company, insight on current projects, changes that are taking place, or for team building. Skipping meetings could mean that you will miss out on important news. Being out of the loop at work can hurt your performance as well as make you seem unreliable or unwilling to participate. Meetings generally aren’t that long- Even if you do have a two hour call, that's still a miniscule amount of time within the hours of the day that you have to complete your work and live your life. Meeting time is crucial for group thought. It promotes the continuous building of relationships, creates a stronger team and keeps productivity alive. 

Trust your team.  

Trusting your team should seem obvious but for some it's not. Competitiveness is alive and well in the workforce because we all want to be the best at what we do. It’s called being a human. But when working for a business and the goal is to succeed, sometimes we have to reach out to our team to get the best results. If you don’t have trust within the people who work for you or the people who work with you, there will be more problems than solutions. Entrust your team with decisions but still hold everyone accountable for their actions. If you don’t have confidence in your team then why do they work with or for you?  

Get outside. 

Getting outside helps you be able to get away from the stress that working gives. Sometimes it’s hard to manage life and work. Getting back into nature can just help relax you and take your mind off of the pressure of your workload. Go for a walk, run, bike ride, jump on a trampoline, go for a swim- Do something that gets you outside moving your body. Consider it a small break within your workload to really be able to reevaluate your feelings and release any negative thoughts. Getting outside could really boost your happiness level and make it easier to get back into your work.  

Key Takeaways.  

Switching from on-site work to remote work is the reality of many people right now. It has given many people the opportunity to have a healthy balance of work and life and also become more independent in managing tasks and has given people the capability of doing work on their terms. Working remotely has been a recurring aspect of business globally. Not going into the office is permitting us to be hardworking but also be present in time. Business industries are changing faster than ever, society is transforming and remote work is here to stay, not for all but definitely some. For those still adjusting, it might take time but even you might grow to love it.