A Few Things To Consider When Navigating Remote Environments

All of us have unique relationships with different environments, which dictates how productive we are in them. Due to COVID-19 a lot of us, if not all of us, have had to make do with what environments are available to us in a remote world. This may benefit some and devastate others as not everyone’s personal setup is optimized to work in.

There is currently no reassurance as to what the future looks like for on-site vs. remote work environments and while many roles have leaned toward coming back into the office, one significant uptick can set that progress back and have us starting from scratch (which isn’t a bad thing for all of us). Let’s look at some statistics to understand our future in the workforce better. According to surveys conducted by Owl Labs “After COVID-19, 92% of people surveyed expect to work from home at least one day per week and 80% expected to work at least three days from home per week.” In addition to this, according to Gallup News “Nearly half of full-time employees in the U.S. (45%), including two-thirds of white-collar employees (67%), are still working from home to some degree.” Another important statement that may give you more indication of an increasingly remote workforce made by the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, who anticipates half of the Facebook employees to be working remotely by 2030.

While we adjust to the new normal, let’s explore how we can stay organized in remote environments and maximize productivity. One of the biggest challenges is finding a work-life balance, this task requires adapting, which can feel overwhelming for many. However, it is vital to adapt to whatever life throws at you so prepare yourself and consider being open-minded to the possibility that 100% remote environments are inevitably indefinite for a lot of job functions. 

Working remotely can mean now partaking in activities that we would have taken care of after work during our breaks or while we should be doing work. It may be tempting to mix our projects or responsibilities as it may seem like we are maximizing our time, but we are only creating chaos for ourselves. It can help to set a designated place or area where you are only allowed to perform and fulfill your work responsibilities during a set schedule. You can do this by creating a work schedule and home schedule. Such planning creates a clear separation between the tasks you need to complete for work versus your living space. So try to allocate responsibilities you would have taken care of after-hours for that same time had you not been a remote worker. An example of this could be for cleaning; if you would have done the dishes once you got back from home, then try to stick to that same schedule, especially since this allows for you to focus on one thing at a time and focus on your work when it’s time to work.

Another way you can stay organized and boost your work-life balance is by using noise-canceling headphones and playing white noise or calming music that will help you focus on your work rather than listening to the noises or conversations happening around the house or apartment, especially if you live with others or in a busy area. It’s important to note that a lot of people don’t have quarters that are optimized for remote work. Try to designate a single space for yourself that is solely yours to use during work hours. If this is not possible, you try your hand in working from places like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, the library, or possibly even a coworker’s house/apartment that is better optimized for work.

 If meals are becoming an issue, you could try meal prepping, whether you are in charge of your meals, meal preparing is a way to categorize something that can take time away from your productive time. You can also consider continuing to get ready for work before you start your day so that you still have a semblance of order in your workday and you maintain a difference between the days that you are working and the days that you are not. At Gaggle, we understand the need for a work-life balance and the effect our environments have on us as employees and employers. Our community allows members to identify the enterprise application roles that best fit your affinity environments. So whether you prefer working remote or onsite, Gaggle gives you the opportunity to Customize Your Enterprise and soar to new heights.  We hope these tips can guide you into a healthier and more organized regimen.