The work-from-home lifestyle has been gaining steady traction since the pandemic, and it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
When we picture working from home, we typically imagine trading a commute for some more sleep, spending more time around loved ones, and working in a comfortable environment—but what about the challenges associated with working from home.
Perhaps you’re the kind of employee that thrives in an office environment and generally prefers to be around the people you work with. If that’s the case, the work-from-home life is going to take some adapting to—but we’re here to help.
One of the biggest challenges linked with working from home is learning how to manage your time effectively.
How to Manage Time When Working from Home
Primary pitfalls in the remote work world include sleeping in too late, procrastinating, and a lack of prioritization.
We've been there. We get it. The freedom of working from home can end up hurting your productivity—but only if you let it.
Set Your Working Hours
You can place yourself on the path to remote work success by setting workday hours and sticking to them. Working different times throughout the week can lead to you working late on some nights and possibly sleeping in the next day or feeling like you’re playing catchup in general. Establish your work times during the week, and you’ll have an easier time drawing boundaries between your work and personal life.
A remote employee’s hours don’t have to follow the standard 9-5 schedule, but you may find it beneficial to follow this routine and make temporary adjustments if obligations like a doctor’s appointment arrive.
Prioritize Tasks Effectively
Outlining the times you work is a significant step—but prioritizing your tasks during those work hours will take you the distance.
It’s easy to push off larger tasks to check your email instead, take out the trash, or finally do that laundry that should’ve been done yesterday—but every aspect of your life will benefit from being honest about what’s most essential and addressing those items first. Employ this type of work ethic, and when the end of the day comes, tasks you might not have gotten to will most likely be minor and easier to postpone.
It’s helpful to see the big picture when prioritizing tasks. While addressing your weekly deliverables is of the utmost importance, so is growing your business or taking time to learn new skills, so make sure you’re developing and not only maintaining your work.
A significant component of sticking to a work schedule is avoiding distractions—something that can be plentiful in the remote workspace.
How to Focus and Work Harder from Home
It takes a certain amount of time to get in the zone, and once you leave the zone for unnecessary reasons, it’s more challenging to get back to your work state. This dynamic occurs since distractions like TV give you a dopamine release that you may not find in every aspect of your work, so it’s better to separate time enjoying music from time invoicing clients.
Setting up a dedicated work-from-home space is a great idea. You can optimize your home remote work area by placing electronics like your phone or television in another room. Auditory distractions outside of your work-from-home space can be mitigated with noise-canceling headphones or earplugs.
If you happen to live with others, you can relay your working schedule to them, so you’re more likely to protect your work from home focus.
Keep Up Communication to Avoid Isolation
Extroverts tend to be less inclined to adapt seamlessly to the work-from-home lifestyle—and that’s ok. You can avoid isolation by setting up additional times to outline goals with coworkers or clients, take lunch with a friend or coworker, or make more of an effort to socialize outside of work.
Depending on your area’s pandemic regulations, you may find the ambiance of a coffee shop or co-working space as a reliable remote work catalyst that leaves you feeling less isolated.
Dress for Success
While working in sweatpants is great in theory, it doesn’t always produce the best results in practice. The way you dress impacts how people see you and how you see and feel about yourself.
While you may not need to wear a business suit at home every day, taking time to iron clothes and put on something nice can help you feel better in general and yield more productivity.
Things That Can Help You Push Through the Day
The clock can still drag at times when working from home, so you might be wondering how you can power through your day when you’re feeling a lack of motivation.
You can begin by celebrating your wins each day.
Celebrate Your Wins
When each day comes to a close, take a moment to recognize the things you did right, and you’re more likely to carry that positive momentum into tomorrow.
While accomplishing big milestone goals is great, celebrating your wins can be as small as getting up on time to maintain your pre-outlined work schedule.
Schedule Breaks
Don’t forget to schedule breaks to give your brain a few minutes to recuperate during your day.
How often you break, how long your break is, and the types of breaks you’re taking are important to consider.
You’re probably going to feel better taking a break walking outside than if you scroll on your phone at your desk—but you don’t have to be Superman during your breaks either. It’s important to separate break time from work time, so that might mean not checking your email and eating a healthy snack for 20 minutes.
20-30 minute breaks give you enough time to feel refreshed while simultaneously giving you the opportunity to refocus when you get back to work.
Whatever your work-from-home break style is, Rogue has a product that can help you make the most of your time spent for yourself. Rogue pouches, gum, and lozenges feature extended timed nicotine releases that fit perfectly into 20-30 minute break periods, while our nicotine tablets offer a more rapid release that’s suitable for condensed breaks.
Try a Mix Pack to find what Rogue product works best for your work-from-home lifestyle.
