What are some time management techniques for working during the pandemic?
- Adjust your expectations
- Plan a schedule
- Have a designated working space
- Avoid social media distractions
- Set boundaries
- Communicate with your boss
Under the best circumstances, practicing the best time management techniques is already hard enough. Now that we are living in unprecedented times, working from home automatically becomes even more challenging.
As events related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to unfold, it can become tougher to work without the setting you are accustomed to when in the office. Nonetheless, managing your time effectively should stay on top of the priority list.
Here are five tips for time management that can help you be more effective.
Adjust Your Expectations
Everyone is still fairly new when it comes to adjusting to the “new normal”. Families are trying to keep up with remote job tasks and online learning sessions.
The full workforce operations have shifted at home. Without the capability to have person-to-person conversations that offices allow, virtual meetings, whether scheduled or not, are what keeps companies functioning.
Adjust your expectations and instill in your mind that even if you are home, you can’t just slack around. You have to work just as hard as when you were in the office.
Plan A Schedule
Instead of leaving your calendar as a blank slate for organizations to fill out, plan out your schedule to support your job.
Remember that the biggest difference between working in the office and working from home is that you get to be in charge of how you manage your time and environment. This means you are accountable as well.
Before every weekend, dedicate time for jotting down reminders for the incoming week. By doing so, you will be able to know your responsibilities in advance. Trust us, you’ll meet the demands of projects even more.
Have A Designated Working Space
You may not realize it but the way your working space is set up can do wonders in effectively managing your time. It can impact your productivity levels as well.
For example, have a dedicated area around your house for work purposes. Don’t just sit in the kitchen table where the meals are laying around. In the same way, do not work in the living room where everyone can just come in, watch a movie, and distract you.
While it’s true that you don’t need to recreate a full-scale office, you must have a place where you can have complete focus. Moreover, clean your working space. No one wants to work in a cluttered desk as it hampers productivity. Doing all these can help you in achieve time management better by focusing mentally.
Avoid Social Media Distractions
Social media is a highly entertaining and informative platform. But, let’s admit it. It can be constantly distracting as well.
It’s so easy to pick up your phone and scroll through Instagram and Facebook every few minutes. Sure, it might not seem like it’s eating a huge chunk of your time. However, remote workers may find that social media is consuming their time unintentionally.
With this being said, it will be best to log out of social media accounts during working hours. If you find this hard, you can always try muting your notifications.
Set Boundaries
Now that the daily commute to and from the office is not needed, you might find it difficult to end your day properly. At home, you can easily access work applications and emails. To maintain a healthy work-life balance, remember to close all the work tabs at the end of working hours.
Turn off your laptop and store it properly in a place where you won’t get tempted to check every notification. If possible, set your status as “away” to avoid colleagues from reaching out to you outside working hours.
Communicate with Your Boss
When it comes to going fully remote, it is inevitable to experience bumps during the adjustment period. After all, everyone is truly becoming overwhelmed with the effects of the pandemic.
You have to juggle the work responsibilities along with the worries of rising new cases and keeping your loved ones safe from the threat of infection. The key to steering through their time management problems is communicating with your boss.
Letting them know what’s happening can help in managing expectations and coming up with a plan that’s best for you. Talk to team leaders you work with throughout the day as well. These are unprecedented times and flexible work arrangements can be done.
Key Takeaway
When it comes to time management techniques during the pandemic, follow the six tips we’ve stated above. These are unprecedented times and these efforts may just help in managing your time effectively at home.