As a remote worker myself, I have struggled most times with maximizing my time and ensuring I make the most of every day. One of the biggest thieves of this procrastination. I can bet that most creatives also struggle a lot with this big thief of time.

Working remotely has its own perks and disadvantages. One of the perks of working as a remote worker is that you have complete control of your time. This can be a curse in itself if one is not proficient enough and time-management conscious.

Just in case you don’t know what procrastination is: Procrastination is when you repeatedly delay working on an assignment until right before the deadline for no important reason, even though you know that it would be better for you to start earlier.

It is the action of unnecessarily and voluntarily delaying or postponing something despite knowing that there will be negative consequences for it. If all I have shared about procrastination is you then you should keep reading this article.

In this article, I will share a few ways I have been able to beat procrastination (the thief of time) and maximize my time as a remote worker. Firstly, I define who a remote worker is.

Who is a remote worker?

A remote worker is basically a person that works from home. When working remotely, a worker does not commute to an office building, warehouse, etc., nor does he or she go to a central workplace.

You are a remote worker if you work from home yet your employer’s offices are 10 miles away. You are also a remote worker if you don’t have any direct employer but you work for various people or companies right from the comfort of your home.

There are various forms of remote work, we have freelancers (who work completely from home), hybrid workers (they go into the office once in a while, and work from home sometimes), virtual assistants, e-commerce store owners, online sellers, etc.

6 ways to maximize your time as a remote worker

Because of COVID-19, working remotely is becoming more of a need than a luxury for many professions. Remote work has become a way of life, and there doesn’t appear to be any turning back as the coronavirus has been hanging over our heads for more than two years.

Time management for remote work can be quite challenging to learn at first. You must continuously strike a balance between your work and other obligations, which may easily become overwhelming.

Below are 6 ways I have been able to maximize my time as a remote worker

Have a designated workspace in your home:

In order to maximize your time effectively, have a dedicated space for working remotely, and set up a home office in your room. If at all feasible, create a physical barrier between your workstation and your sleeping area.

Put on work clothes so you can distinguish between your job and your personal life. You can also visit co-working facilities.

Write out a daily schedule:

Working remotely shouldn’t be an excuse for you to break your routine and become sluggish. Set your alarm and proceed with your usual morning ritual as though you were going to work. Prior to starting to work, make an effort to design a schedule.

This will help you establish a pattern and give you a general idea of what you need to get done that day. Establish a to-do list. Another effective time management technique is to set aside specific blocks of time for tasks, meetings, and professional events.

Take breaks regularly:

There is a difference between working hard and working smart. One of the smart ways to work as a remote worker is by taking intermittent breaks while working remotely to avoid burnout.

It’s crucial to realize that time management isn’t about completing tasks as rapidly as possible while working on a remote team. It involves putting in steady labour throughout the day. Also, take walks during your breaks. it increases your productivity and improves your overall health.

Make time to socialize and practice work-life balance:

Working from home can completely kill your social life if you are not deliberate about this. And it becomes very lonely and boring in the long run. We sometimes take the commotion of the workplace for granted, but once you start working alone, you realize how important even brief daily encounters with others are.

Attend conferences and social gatherings, organize or attend meetups with other remote workers like you, and take yourself out as much as you can afford to.’

Avoid Procrastination and Eliminate distractions:

Procrastination is truly a thief of time, and the best way to avoid it is to counter procrastination, by doing what you are supposed to do the moment you are supposed to. You can learn more about avoiding procrastination here. Also, working from home has its own distractions.

Therefore, we must be very deliberate to avoid them. For the majority, you can get rid of temptations, starting with page-filtering software is an excellent approach. This will make it easier to resist the allure of online time-wasters.

Practice the 20-20-20 rule:

Look away from your screen every 20 minutes, and look at something around 20 feet away from where you are sitting for about 20 seconds. Do this repeatedly to prevent your eyes from getting strained.

Maximizing one’s time as a remote worker is an excellent way to get things done. It helps avoid burnout, unnecessary comparison, lack of self-esteem, and lack of fulfillment while working. You should apply all that has been shared and I guarantee that you would experience a tremendous result from working remotely.