5 Tips for Remote Workers
Quanartine changed a lot of things and now a lot of us are successfully working remotely, but there are always ways to improve as we move throughout 2021. With that in mind, check out these five tips to help make your remote work life more successful:
1. Invest in yourself. While you invest so much of yourself in your work, do not forget to also invest in yourself. This could mean physically upgrading a few things like getting better Wi-Fi or a new laptop with a faster processor, but it could also mean investing in your personal knowledge base and skill set. There are tons of great online classes you can take to improve your skills in any number of areas you may need, as well as tons of great YouTube tutorials to help you finally master that tricky Photoshop skill. Plus, anything you invest money in for your job could end up being a tax write-off—it is a win-win!
2. Master your to do list. We talk about this topic a lot on this blog, but it is of vital importance when you work remotely. Mastering your to do list means mastering your time management which means you can spend more time doing the things you love. There are tons of strategies out there for mastering your to do list, from utilizing electronic calendars to bullet journals and more, so check out a variety of methods and find what works best for you.
3. Give yourself credit. It is easy to get consumed by work and as soon as you finish one project, you are immediately onto the next. Take a moment and congratulate yourself on your hard work! You do so much and it is important that you give yourself credit for your own accomplishments; no matter what else happens, you achieved something and you should be proud of yourself.
4. Practice professional courage. Building off of the last resolution, it is important to know what you bring to the table and to feel confident in going for what you want in your career. It is so easy to give into all the little fears that keep us from going for what we want, but this year, resolve to be brave. Forbes recommends following five key steps to help build your professional courage:
• Know why you are taking a risk. “Ask yourself: ‘For the sake of what am I doing this?’ When you are clear on your highest purpose, there's little you cannot do because a big WHY compels you to leave your comfort zone as often as is required to fulfill it.”
• Re-think risk. “Studies in neuro-science and psychology have found that we have numerous cognitive biases which interfere with our ability to accurately assess risk…Being more self-aware of how unconscious biases are limiting the effectiveness of your actions can help you take smarter risks, not just safe ones.”
• Befriend your inner critic. “Taming your inner critic begins by befriending it. Sort of. As Sun Tsu wrote in The Art Of War, keep your enemies close and your friends closer! You need to acknowledge that your fear is trying to keep you safe. Only then can you reclaim the power it holds and make the very deliberate decision to take action in its presence (what bravery is all about!) Sure, what you are doing may not seem as momentous as scaling Mt. Everest, but over time, when you keep pushing on despite that little voice urging you not to, you tame it and build the confidence, competence and courage to do bigger things; ascend your own personal Everest.”
• Reframe failure. “Failure doesn’t mean anything more than that we tried something and didn’t produce the result we wanted. It’s the spin we put on our failures that fuels our fear of them. So instead of interpreting failure as a permanent inadequacy on your part, view it as just part of the course of achieving success. Think: ‘I tried something. I didn’t get the result I wanted. What can I learn? What should I try next?’”
• Don’t trade personal power for people pleasing. “We are innately social beings who like to be liked, and we're wired to avoid doing or saying things that could put us at risk of criticism, disapproval or outright social or professional rejection…Too often though, we let what other people think (or simply what we think they may think) hold the balance of power in our lives. However, whenever we let what other people think dictate our own actions, we’re ostensibly giving our power away to them, albeit both unconsciously and unintentionally. Living bravely is about forging your own path, living life on your own terms and refusing to let what other people think dictate what you say or do or wear on a daily basis. There is never a better time to reclaim the personal power you've surrendered to pleasing others than right now.”[1]
5. Make time to move. Working remotely has a lot of advantages—you are at home where your family and your stuff are, you do not have to worry about anyone snagging your lunch from the fridge, and you can usually get away with wearing pajama pants to Zoom meetings. However, the ease of working at home can lead to a more sedentary lifestyle and, over time, that has the potential to cause health issues in the long-term. Talk to your doctor before starting any new diet or exercise regime, but consider adding in more physical activity to your day while you work remotely. Think about it: you could take a five minute dance break every hour and no one will judge you (except for maybe your cat).
What are your resolutions and goals for working remotely this year? Show us how you work your main gig and your side gig by tagging us on social media @therealbodepro!
[1] Warrell, Margie. “Five Ways To Build Bravery At Work.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 26 July 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2015/03/31/trainthebrave-2/?sh=1c0866704c31.