Working from home, remote work, WFH – these are phrases that have grown to become especially popular since the past year or so. The global panic brought on by the Covid-19 virus has yet to leave. It has brought about some serious implications on the global economy and its driving factors.
Businesses all around the world had taken quite a hit with this overnight, unexpected change. This has also resulted in individuals finding alternative ways to conduct their business so as to ensure stability.
All that said, work routines have shifted in ways few had imagined and productivity levels when working remotely are something that needs to be discussed.
Keeping all this information in mind, it’s time for the question many have been thinking about for a long while now. Should remote work become a thing?
A word of caution before we delve into the article: the following mentioned tips and tricks are information that has been generally observed across numerous work sectors. There may be instances in which specific advice may not match or suit what is expected for a specific firm, industry or job role.
As such, this written piece aims to function as a guide and should not be read as a comprehensive or exhaustive list of advice for a remote working individual. The best way to find out what may work for your success would be by conducting ample research. Browsing through this article could function as the first step you take into exploring different ways to nail being more productive when working from home. After all, you know yourself the best.
Without further ado, let’s get right into the article!
What is remote work?
Yes, most of us have a rough idea what the term entails. But for the benefit of all, here’s the official definition. Remote work or WFH refers to when an “employee is working from their house, apartment, or place of residence, rather than working from the office”. Many companies have a WFH policy, or remote work policy, that allows their employees to work from home either full-time or when it’s most convenient for them to do so.
It comes as no surprise then that remote work arrangements come with a whole host of benefits for both employees and employers. Here’s a bunch of reasons why we think that remote work should become a thing asap!
Save time on commute!
One of the biggest advantages of switching to a remote work set up is the time and money one can save in relation to his or her travel arrangements. When a home office is set up, one no longer needs to put himself or herself through the daily ordeal of actually travelling to get to work.
There’s no further need to rise early to squeeze onto the public transportation vehicles or think ahead of who gets to take the family car for the day. And its savings in terms of both travelling to and from the workplace needs to be considered too!
If you spend an hour each way, you get to save two hours daily. On a weekly basis, you’ll save a minimum of 10 hours, and on a monthly basis, that could add up to 40 hours of precious time! 40 hours that you could pump into personal projects, hobbies or self-care activities.
Take the time to try out some yoga to calm your nerves before starting your work. Alternatively, spend some extra time with your family and have a fulfilling, healthy and proper breakfast with your loved ones! So many ways to make better use of your time 🙂
Losing track of time?
We’ll be fair and look at one of the cons of remote work too. One can easily lose track of the time he/she consciously pumps into work. With distractions and chores rife at home, it’s easy for one to lose his or her focus when working remotely. This can result in one to pump in extra working hours to complete their projects or tasks for the day.
In some cases, however, online meetings tend to over-run for longer than usual too. This may be due to the fact that employers or leaders of various projects feel the need to check in constantly and outline responsibilities in fear of delaying deadlines.
And that’s one of the complaints individuals who work from home tend to have – that they end up spending more time for work now than they previously did when they were at the office. Is there a solution around this problem? Yes – of course!
One way to overcome such scenarios is by setting aside clear time slots and abiding by these time blocks when working remotely. Speak up to your team members when it’s time for the meeting to end so that you can get on with your work responsibilities, they’ll understand. Nobody wants to be stuck with one task and end up having other work pile up!
Similarly, keep distractions and work chores aside to other times of the day so that they don’t interfere with your work routine. Plan ahead and try your best to stick to the plan!
Taking breaks while on remote work basis is important to ensure that you are able to get through your responsibilities with good mental health. Every individual at work has his or her own fair share of work to look after. With that being said, if you want to produce work of great quality consistently, take your breaks to ensure your mind is clear!
Take a walk to stretch your legs every now and then. A change of scenery can also stimulate your brain and perhaps even provide you with new ideas to work on. Ensure you eat on time and eat well too.
A sedentary lifestyle can cause health problems in the future. As such, ensure you get in enough movement and find time to exercise as well. This way, you’ll have both a healthy mind and a healthy body! Health is wealth, after all.
When you’re able to stay on top of things assigned to you at work, after taking those breaks, clarity tends to find one naturally. Keep to these simple tricks and you’d be more productive when working remotely.
While work is important, recharging is just as essential, if not more 😉
The Verdict?
We say yes to remote work!
While there are problems to every scenario, there are also plenty of solutions one can implement to help improve the situation. Practice responsibility – both to your work and to yourself. That’s one of the best ways to conduct professional life! Healthy mind, healthy body, healthy work!
One thing is for sure, this trend is here to stay. If you are interested in the other HR trends to watch in 2022 & beyond, HRPlus.asia has listed them for you so, you may keep up with the trends.
And there you have it – a compiled list of some simple tips that you can utilise to engage in responsible remote work.
We hope this article has helped to calm some of your nerves as you look forward to joining team WFH! We wish you the best of luck!
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No matter the industry or the position, remember to visit GrabJobs to find a job opportunity in Singapore easily!
