Boost Remote Work Productivity with These Six Time Management Techniques

Boosting productivity and being time efficient while working have become more challenging amidst these strange times. 

Due to the ongoing health crisis, many people had to shift to a work-from-home setup, which blurred the line between their personal and professional lives. Time management is a difficult yet important skill to develop in order to be on top of your work. 

Here are some tips for all of us to consider being more effective in managing our time when working remotely.

1. Avoid distractions

The best way to stay focused is by removing unnecessary distractions. This should be seriously considered despite being a demanding task at first as it can help in enhancing workflow. 

List down what you think can affect your productivity and hide them one by one. For online distractions such as Netflix and social media, it would help to use a separate laptop for work that doesn’t have such programs. 

Stay committed to your tasks so you can finish early and achieve your goals. 

2. Determine your priorities 

Sadly, it’s normal to have an endless list of tasks these days. Don’t stress over this fact and start setting your priorities early. You should be able to identify which ones are more important so you can have clarity on what to do first. 

Based on your work plans, point out your priorities and the reason behind them. You must be realistic about their feasibility and impact on your work so you can ensure that you properly utilize your time. 

Doing so will also prevent you from being overwhelmed by multiple tasks. A to-do list can help you plan each step to accomplish your priority list. Either plot out your tasks at the start of the day or before you go to bed. 

This can help you set your mind and manage personal expectations. By adhering to this, you will be able to enjoy your free time later on. 

3. Don’t multitask

Multitasking is a myth because it can either let you lose your focus or deliver mediocre work, which could negatively affect your employee evaluation. Your brain can only process one thing at a time so it actually slows you down. 

Stick with your tasks and their respective deadlines in your to-do list. Commit to one thing before going to the next. It might be helpful to also remember that the human brain takes 15 – 20 minutes to refocus when switching to another task. 

Therefore, going back and forth between tasks is obviously not advisable or else you’re just wasting your time.

4. Utilize your calendar

Applications such as Google calendar can make wonders in helping you manage your workflow when you actually use them. Before the weekends, you can start filling out the busy time slots of your digital calendar, which you can share with your colleagues. 

They will know when it would be best to schedule a meeting with you and respect your day-offs. Having an overview of your schedule can also be useful when you’re trying to plan for a vacation or even when you can best take a rest on a particular workday.  

5. Set firm boundaries

Demand the respect that you deserve by clearly communicating your time boundaries. This is applicable to both your workmates and friends. 

Discuss with them your non-negotiable hours that you could allocate to research, breaks, and meetings. Learn to say no so you can say yes to yourself.

6. Enjoy and trust the process

Don’t forget to enjoy the process as you plan and actualize the aforementioned action points. Look at them as your mechanism to reward yourself with adequate me-time in the coming days. 

Having a clear set of goals and deadlines will give you clarity on the next best steps to take. You might fail in the first few days but keep trying to develop productive habits. With discipline and hard work, you will eventually reap the rewards.

These are only some of the ways to be efficient in time management and boosting remote work productivity. If there’s anything that you must remember, time management cannot be learned overnight. It requires consistent practice where you always prioritize and organize tasks that significantly add to your productivity. 

Needless to say, every single second is precious so you have to manage your time resolutely. This will allow you to allocate time on the things you want to do outside of work. 

Be smart in using the technology that we have today so you can work smarter with your team. Practicing good time management can also contribute to building a healthy work culture so be that influence that others might need as well. 

By managing your time, you get to treat yourself not only with a rewarding sense of productivity but also with respect.