10 ways to prepare for the future of remote work

How do you travel to work? I'm sure, on today's date, where so many people are out there, sources of commuting and the chaos and traffic caused on the road make it hectic for you to reach on time!

Commuting to work has always been a part of our daily routine. No matter the distance and the time taken to reach, we almost always somehow try to make it on time to offices, in order to not get our salaries cut with late arrivals!

However, the recent coronavirus outbreak has confined us to our houses and forcing businesses to operate from home. This has given us a glimpse of how to prepare for the future of remote work and the future business model.

Our workplace tomorrow maybe our living rooms or corner offices at homes. Most of us are used to the “9 to 5” work clock but that may all change tomorrow. With the advancement of technology, it has now become possible to work from any corner in the world.

The entire pandemic that has caused has given us an opportunity to look into the whole new concept of “Remote working”

Remote working is a reality today and is happening now. Big Companies such as WordPress shut down their companies and went fully remote. Remote work is on the rise, over the years, not only employees but also employers would have already accepted the idea of working outside offices.

Remote working has been growing at an astonishing rate and the thought of the future of working from home has appealed to many.

"Action and adaptability creates opportunities."

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How to prepare for the future of remote work: 10 remote work strategies

A decade ago, employers would have thwarted the idea of remote working or they didn’t even know if it was possible. The main reason being the lack of technology, another major concern was lack of productivity. How can employees be efficient when not under the constant observation of employers? This very thought itself blocked the idea of remote working back then.

According to a survey that was conducted to understand the effectiveness of remote work, remotely working employees showed more productivity than their office-based counterparts. By incorporating a few changes in work windows and break times, employers can see great changes in remote team productivity.

In the future of remote work, software such as mobile device management tools and virtual reality conferencing would become the preferred means of communication. Artificial intelligence will play an important role in managing these remote workers. Instead of resisting the change, organisations must encourage remote working while improving their future of working from home policies and capabilities by adapting to newer technologies.

Explainer video has a key role to play in the future of work. Educational and how-to videos should remain a part of your video marketing strategy to not only help remote workers but also to establish a wider brand reach. Though remote working is the future of remote work culture, the absence of colleagues and bosses and in the presence of worldly pleasures getting work done can prove to be difficult.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for the future of remote work while keeping you productive.

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1. Dedicated office space

Having space specifically dedicated to working like a table, chair or a local coffee shop, will help you get into the right frame of mind.

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2. Invest in creating a conducive work environment

If you are going to be working remotely for extended periods, you should invest in tools required for you to work effectively. Like a reliable laptop or a PC, a good pair of noise-canceling headphones can help you stay focused on work. You may also want to invest in new office furniture, like a desk, chair or maybe even a new coffee machine as you figure out how to prepare for the future of remote work.

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3. Dress like you are at work

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One of the misconceptions about working from home is that you’ll be spending your entire day in pyjamas. You can definitely do that but it's far from ideal. Getting dressed for remote working can help you mentally get prepared for a productive day while staying in your pyjamas makes it difficult for you to set the right frame of mind. Just because you're isolating from home, doesn’t mean you shouldn't invest in good work wear. It’s all about looking and feeling professional.

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4. Have a plan

As you figure out on how to prepare for the future of remote work where you will potentially we working alone, it is always important to plan your day. Setting out a plan and using a desktop time tracker can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses and can help you allocate proper time to every task.

So, whether you're working on an email marketing campaign or building new marketing strategy such as link building or social media marketing, a clear plan will help succeed.

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5. Stay on task

While working from home, a lot of things tend to distract you from your work and you get less work done. Keeping track of time becomes more difficult. Using strategies like the Pomodoro technique (the technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks) can help you stay focused for just long enough to make meaningful progress before taking a short break.

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6. Set office hours

The best part of working in an office is you are always on the clock, but it may not be the same case in remote working. No one can work productively for 12 hours a day, and taking “Me time” at the end of every day is critical for your mental health and well being.

Defining “Me time” and letting office colleagues know becomes very important in how to prepare for the future of remote working.

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7. Eat-in your regular dining area

Eating at your desk may not seem like a big deal. But eating at your desk may prove to be distracting. It's almost impossible for us to work with one hand while the other is conveying food to our mouth.

Our best bet is to make your home office a no-food zone. Leave most of the major eating in the kitchen or dining room. In this way, you get a well-deserved break and are all fresh and motivated once you get back to work.

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8. Hit the playlist for inspiration

The right playlist can easily elevate any moment of the day. Listening to music in the background can help you keep your workflow steady and boost your motivation levels. If you’re not much of a music person, you have your TV on in the background, but make sure you don’t catch yourself watching.

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9. Keeping yourself healthy

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Your personal health is the most important aspect of how productive you are while working from home. If you spend all your time sitting in front of a computer, it will eventually deteriorate your health.

The constant change of movement is quite necessary, try standing and stretching your legs every once in an hour. You can take this as an opportunity to go fetch water from the kitchen. Yoga and simple exercises can help you stay in shape.

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10. Go out and socialize

It's too easy to get stuck in a chair, especially if it's too close to the kitchen or the bed. But while working from home it is important that you make efforts to go and socialize regularly. In this way, it helps you stay more productive after spending some time away from work.

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While working remotely may have many advantages of its own, it comes with its set of hindrances. Apart from these tips, you can try out different ways on how to prepare for the future of remote working that suit you and make working from home more effective while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Happy remote working - let’s build a new culture we’re all proud of!