Working remotely - 5 good tips on how to manage your time well

Nowadays, more and more people are working remotely. At Semantive, we also take advantage of this opportunity, and this is how we go about our daily lives. Working remotely provides flexibility and independence, but at the same time, it can be challenging. The lack of a rigid time frame and distractions can affect your productivity. In this article, we present five good tips to help you manage your time well while working from home.

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Set a daily schedule and create a task list

Planning is key when you work remotely. At the beginning of each day, determine what tasks you need to complete. It's a good idea to follow the technique of creating a task list where you put all the planned activities. This will give you a clear picture of what you need to accomplish and make it easier to focus on specific tasks. You can use apps that give you the ability to schedule tasks, label and prioritize them, and assign deadlines to them. If you are a fan of analog solutions - a good notebook or planner is a must. It doesn't matter whether you plan your tasks in an advanced tool or write them down on a piece of paper - the important thing is that the chosen solution helps you.

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Create a plan and follow it

A schedule will help you organize your time and ensure a good work-life balance. Specify your working hours and breaks, and then make sure you follow them. This will keep you disciplined and prevent you from overloading or spending too little (or too much) time on work tasks. In our team, we have different working styles - some plan schedules for the whole week, while others prefer to plan each day separately - allocate 10 minutes in the morning with a good coffee for planning. There is also a group of people that at the end of the day sets a work schedule for the next day for themselves. Here again, a similar principle works - the best solution is the one that suits you.

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Create a dedicated workspace

It's important to create a dedicated workspace that allows you to focus and be productive. Choose a quiet and well-lit space where you can work without distractions. If you have the option, separate your workspace from the space where you relax to maintain a work-life balance. It's worth testing a few places in your space - you may find that you attend meetings well when you walk on a treadmill, but perhaps you prefer sitting at your desk? Creative work may go better when you sit in a more comfortable position, such as on a couch, and work that requires intense focus is most effective when you stand. Tests, tests, and more tests. Recommended 🙂

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Eliminate distractions

When working remotely, there are many potential distractions, such as social media, household chores, or television. It's important that you identify and eliminate those factors that distract you from your work. Turn off notifications on your phone, close unnecessary tabs on your web browser, and focus on the task at hand. You can also use techniques such as Pomodoro, which means working for a set amount of time and then taking a short break to maintain focus.

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Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Working remotely can be intense, but it's important to keep a healthy lifestyle in mind. Take care of your diet, exercise, and sleeping routine. Taking regular breaks away from the monitor, taking a break for lunch and physical activity such as walking can help improve your productivity. Don't forget about your mental health, either. Be sure to talk regularly with your relatives, friends, or therapist. We regularly hold donuts, which are 15-30 minute meetings where an algorithm selects a companion to talk to about anything but work 😉. 

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We are curious what are your ways to improve your comfort level when working remotely. Let us know!

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