Here I’m gonna share some tips about how to set your mindset and prepare the right environment for a better smart working session.
Let’s start
Even if you ‘re not going to the office, prepare as if you’re going out.
It may mean setting an alarm, performing a morning routine, getting dressed, putting on makeup.
Again, you don’t (necessarily) have to dress as you would in the office: one of the benefits of remote work is also not having a dress code determined by others. Dress as you prefer, as it makes you feel in effective mode or wear something comfortable: the important thing is not to stay with the same clothes all day.
When you get dressed before you start working, you’re giving your brain the signal that something has changed.
Set schedules, and stick to them.
One of the reasons remote workers often risk burnout is because they work too much. It happens because we haven’t defined what the boundaries of work are:
- you can set a fixed time every day, such as the “classic” 9-5 pm.
This depends a lot on your current position (employee, freelancer or entrepreneur) and the freedom you have in time management, but also on the type of work you do – does it require you to be present at precise times of the day? – as well as the way in which you manage work-life balance. - decide how many hours you will work each day. It is true that even those who work in the office sometimes find themselves working beyond their hours.
This, if it happens regularly, can have two causes:- your workload is not well calibrated based on the time you have available;
- you are not managing your work time optimally.
Once you’ve established your times, stick to it.
Working in a limited time improves the focus and quality of work, while without time targets we tend to stretch delivery times and worsen the quality of outputs.
- establish boundaries and communicate them (toeveryone)
If you are an employee, the way you work and the quantity must be agreed and made explicit.
But that doesn’t mean you have to adapt to everything: learn to communicate in an open way and determine how to compare. When you give reasons, your employer will be inclined to meet you.
This also applies in relations with family and friends.
Often among the reasons why those who work from home are not considered as those who work outside home, it is because it’s taken for granted that others understand what we do and why we need time and concentration.
No one reads you in thought: explain your needs and if necessary find meeting points and solutions.
If you set working hours, it’s your job to make sure the people around you respect them.
- Create a closing ritual. Even if you don’t have an office, there are gestures that help you create a separation.
For example, you can turn off your computer and reorder your desk. Or cover the keyboard. Even a symbolic gesture like turning off the light on your desk can make all the difference.
This is even more important if you don’t have a space dedicated exclusively to work: an environment can be both recreational and working, but it’s important to outline the two areas.
Even changing your clothes again, wearing something more comfortable, can be part of the ritual. Of course it depends a lot on your habits.
Creating rituals also allows you to play “office mode” even when you’re not in the place where you usually work.
In these cases, your trim can be smaller – as well as your morning routine – but always take into account the aspects and tools that allow you to improve the quality of your work.