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3 Mistakes You Make When Working Remotely (And How to Fix Them)

working remotely

It appears the trend of remote work is not slowing down. This year, the U.S. population of remote workers hit 4.7 million. That’s a 44% increase since 2015 and a whopping 159% up over the last 12 years. 

Some remote professionals work from cozy home-offices. According to a 2018 study by Businesses Insider Magazine, investing in a purposeful home office furniture setup can increase productivity by more than 53%.

 Others prefer to drop by local cafes for free WiFi and a tall latte. Regardless of which is true for you, it takes trial and error to develop an optimal workflow that would fit this new mode of life. 

Are you guilty of these mistakes?

Mistake #1: You Don’t Socialize Enough

Socialize

When you go remote, the first few weeks may feel like a dream. 

You get up when you want, set your own schedule, skip on traffic jams and don’t have to stick to a silly dress code. What else do you need? 

But as days go by, your home-office shifts can get pretty lonely. Family and friends have their own things to do and the only person thing you can socialize with is Amazon’s Alexa. 

The good news is, remote work doesn’t have to feel like solitary confinement. All you have to do is jump at the opportunities and socialize more. 

Your company is running a local BBQ for employees? Be the first to take those ribs for a spin. Maybe there’s a networking event in your neighborhood? It’s a great opportunity to meet other remote workers and let your hair down for a bit. 

Don’t feel like attending physical events?

Taskade lets you stay in touch with your team, no matter where you are. Whether you want to have a quick chat, jump on a conference call or set up a video meeting, Taskade has you covered. It’s a unified workspace where remote teams can get the work done. 

taskade

Mistake #2: Your Time-Management Is Upside-Down

The common problem for freelancers and distributed teams is that work schedules are often inconsistent and fluctuate a lot.  

Want to start work at 8 pm and pull an all-nighter? Not a problem. Too much work on your plate? Why not clock-in at 4 am, hustle all day and clock-out after sunset?

While you technically CAN work like that, it’s not optimal. 

Even if you’re free from the traditional 9-5, you should come up with a solid work pattern and stick to it. Get used to asynchronous communication and don’t be afraid to go to bed when your colleagues on the other side of the world are just starting their shift. 

They’ll manage just fine. 

Mistake #3: You Never Really Unplug 

Never Really Unplug 

Here’s a fun fact: a home office never closes. When you work remotely, your phone, tablet and computer are always at hand. And so are your team buddies. 

The itch to constantly check your email, discuss “one more thing” or polish a project for another 5 minutes is just too strong to ignore. 

However, if you want to stay sane and truly enjoy remote work, you need to know when to unplug and call it a day.

Start by snoozing notifications on your phone outside of work hours. Unless you’re very high on the management totem pole, it’s totally cool to go off the radar once you’re done with your part of the work. To take it a step further, create a separate room that you can use as your office. Set it up like you would an office with a desk, chair, white board, computer, and all the other office essentials, and make it the only place you work from while at home. This will separate your work and home life when you work from home, making sure you don’t over work yourself.

And don’t even think of smuggling those documents into your bedroom! 

Conclusion

Taskade

Want to work remotely on your own rules? Try Taskade, a project-management platform that will help you do more with less. Collaborate on projects, communicate with your team and unplug when you want with full control over notifications.

Jump over here to sign up for a no-strings-attached free account today. 

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