There’s a Right Way to Work Remotely, and a Not-So-Right Way

Under the current circumstances, remote work is being viewed as the safer option. This has led a lot of businesses to adopt these practices for the time being--you may have already done so. However, some employees have a better grasp of how to properly work from home than others. We’ve put together a few examples of how an employee may conduct themselves while working from home.

Look at these scenarios to see if you can spot some of the biggest issues with how some people may approach the idea of remote work.

Scenarios

The Morning Routine

• Frank wakes up at his usual time, and (other than indulging in a little extra time in the shower) follows his usual routine to get ready for work.
• Joe sleeps in until the last minute, leaving barely enough time to shower before the day begins.

Frank has the better approach to his morning, as he is giving himself the chance to wake up and prepare for the day in a way that is more like what he is used to.

Breakfast

• Veronica prepares a healthy and balanced breakfast to start her day.
• Betty skips breakfast, except for a cup of coffee.

A healthy breakfast is generally the best way to begin the workday, as it provides the brain and body with much-needed energy to make it through the day. It also prevents any distraction caused by hunger pangs.

Attire

• Clyde throws on a pair of old sweatpants.
• Bonnie dresses as she would on a casual Friday in the office.

By following the “dress for the job you want” philosophy, Bonnie is mentally priming herself to accomplish more throughout her day. Clyde, while comfy, is dressing as though it is his day off and potentially putting himself in the wrong frame of mind.

Workspace

• Joey works wherever he feels most comfortable, sometimes plopping into his favorite recliner, and sometimes lounging around on his bed.
• Phoebe has a dedicated corner set aside from her main living space where she does her work.

Phoebe is taking steps to prevent herself from relaxing too much during the workday. By allowing himself to get too comfortable, Joey runs the risk of drifting off and even falling asleep.

First Steps

• Paul starts off his day by accessing his social media accounts and watching silly videos before he begins working.
• When it is time to start the day, John has his tasks laid out and ready to go and is already communicating with his coworkers.

By acting proactively, John can get ahead and start his day off on the right foot, enabling him to work collaboratively with his coworkers more effectively. On the other hand, Paul is already putting himself in a poor mindset which could influence his work ethic for the rest of the day.

Priorities

• Stan finds himself making excuses to wander away from his work all day, even cleaning up his home and doing laundry when he should be in his seat. As he works, he does so in front of the television.
• Oliver focuses on his work throughout the day, not allowing the temptation to procrastinate to overcome him. He plays a quiet instrumental in the background to break the silence.

While it can be tough to remain focused in an unsupervised environment with so many distractions so regularly available, it is important to do so. By dealing with other, non-work-related priorities and subjecting himself to distractions, Stan is potentially impacting the rest of the team’s ability to do their work as well.

Lunch Choices

• When it is time for her to take her lunch, Lucille takes advantage of her kitchen and prepares herself a light and healthy meal.
• Desi takes a midday meal of leftover chicken wings and fries that he found in his refrigerator.

By filling himself with grease in the middle of the day, Desi is preempting himself to feel bloated and sluggish throughout the afternoon. By taking the time to prepare herself a proper meal, Lucille is giving herself the clean energy needed to think and perform her best.

Downtime and Dinner

• When the end of the day comes, Amy winds down and entertains herself with a hobby. She works on a jigsaw puzzle, before stepping away and making a balanced, tasty meal.
• Tina got a late start to her day, so she ends up working later than her coworkers. When she finishes her day, she orders in takeout for delivery.

Again, we come across an example of put good in, get good out. Make sure that you start off your day on the right foot and nourish yourself appropriately so that you can work productively and finish your responsibilities when you should.

Bedtime Routine

• Fred spends hours online, clicking on silly things and accomplishing very little. He eventually drags himself to bed late at night and plops down, but even though he feels drained, he has a hard time falling asleep.
• When her usual time for bed comes, Ginger gets up and prepares herself for the night. Once settled in, she promptly drops off to sleep with plenty of time to rest before morning.

Getting enough rest is a crucial part of the next day, as without it, your abilities are going to diminish. By stimulating his mind late into the evening, Fred is not only depriving himself of sleep, he is prolonging the time before he will be able to rest properly.

What We Can Take Away

In order to work effectively, whether at home or in the office, we first must work to take care of ourselves. While we may not all face the same choices as the ones found in these examples, most everyone can find it challenging to differentiate between their work time and their personal time while they are at home.

However, doing so isn’t impossible, so long as you and your team go about the day mindfully. Have your team read this over to help make them aware of how their choices accumulate over the day.

If you need help with supporting a remote workforce through the right IT solutions, Horne & Benik has the solutions and services you need. Learn more by giving us a call at (603) 499-4400.