Aarya Morwal
Work from home is here to stay as 52% of the global workforce now functions remotely at least once per week. There has been a shift in operating style, the mode of communication, and, more importantly, the workplace. Working in the comfort of our house has its opportunities and distractions. Without the presence of physical boundaries or managers supervising our work all the time, we hold the freedom to structure and manage our time.
Remote work has proven to be a silver lining in tough times. Thus, making the most out of this opportunity should be our goal. If we fail to manage our day and tasks, it could deteriorate our quality and quantity of work. The changes we witnessed in a brief span have altered the conventional time and task management techniques. Hence, we have put down some effective time management techniques to help you make the most of your day while working remotely.
Track your time
A stitch in time saves a nine ;)
Before we jump into the methods by which we can manage time, we should be well aware of how & where we spend our time. To start with, you should consciously track your time for a week to understand how long it takes for you to complete any given assignment.
Secondly, this method will also help you understand your inefficiencies and distractions. Therefore, you can grow as an individual by working on these fallbacks. Your productivity will improve and also you will better understand your work hours.
Simply by using time tracking apps available online, you can keep a track of your day. You can also make a sheet for yourself and note down your time consumption for each work.
Try timeboxing task
Timeboxing is an effective time management method that allows you to structure your day with controlled units. This ensures that there is a proportionate amount of time that is invested in each task. Another benefit of it is that it helps to prioritize tasks. Thus low priority businesses can be allocated less time, and more time can be devoted to assignments that require greater attention.
The technique will also build a healthy competitive pressure for yourself. It will help you grow as an individual. Also, you can monitor, tweak and personalize your plan according to your needs and plans.
Assess the necessity of every meeting
How many times have you zoned out of the video meetings while working remotely?
The rise in video calls for meetings has impacted the style of work in remote scenarios. Meetings have their purpose but sometimes consume a worker’s time and energy to a great extent. Research suggests that employees spend around four hours per week for status update meetings.
Well, given that time, I’d catch up with my old friend or go for a drive.
As a manager or organization, there should be autonomy given to the teammates. This will help build trust and also help them save time to do more important tasks throughout the day. Therefore, the concept of asynchronous teams has been on rise since the pandemic.
Another way is to consciously cut down the video calls or meetings by finding a better alternative or way out. While video calls as a technological tool shift a demon in disguise(sometimes), using Bottle as a collaboration tool will surely be of rescue. Features like a task to chat, day planner, resources help you cut those unnecessary video calls while keeping your team updated on your work. Ain’t that cool?
Take scheduled breaks
Well, I hope the word “break” didn’t seem foreign to you. And if it did, you need one.
One-third of our days are invested in the work we do. Indulging ourselves too much in work might lead to burnout. Therefore, it is essential to understand the need to take breaks. According to a study, 81% of employees who take (lunch) breaks daily feel a strong desire to be an active member of the company.
The breaks we take will make us refreshed and also energetic. Not just a lunch or tea break we are talking about here, but also the mini 5 minutes breaks you could take every half an hour or 45 minutes. By practicing this you will stay more focused on your work. The 5 minutes could be spent reading, walking around in the corridor, or simply having a small talk with family.
Also, who doesn’t love taking breaks?
Make sure you don’t overindulge in the breaks and be ignorant towards work. It should be the other way round. An easy way out is to schedule them between your day’s assignments.
Stay away from personal tasks
Surfing the net, doing chores, anything and everything home-related should be set aside for the time when you’re working. By doing this, you will surely make no good for the company or your family. Getting carried away by personal factors is normal by not ethical. Hence, we should put in efforts to minimize or completely distinguish between the two.
Research indicates that multitasking drops productivity by 40% overall.
By focusing on one task at a time, you can clearly define your work and focus on the given assignment. Managing time will get easier when there’s a clear line between the two. The distinction between personal and professional lives is essential for setting a boundary.
“Time and tide wait for no man.”
Therefore, understanding the value of time and using it wisely is in our hands. The ways mentioned above along with other few lifestyle changes will help us improve efficiency and productivity as a whole. As individuals, there is a need for us to be more disciplined and schedule managing time wisely. For teams and organizations, tools like Bottle will make the lives of their employees easier. By using Bottle, you will cut down the unnecessary video meetings, have an organized resource channel, and have a one-stop solution to project & task management.
Originally published at https://www.bottlehq.com.
