4 Valuable Lessons Learned While Working Remotely in the COVID-19 Pandemic (Guest blog)

The COVID-19 health crisis greatly affected millions of workers worldwide when it broke out. It was a wake-up call for many people, as it forced everyone to make drastic changes in their lifestyles, schedules, and careers. 

For some, they had to carry on the same way, going to and from work; but for many others, they experienced a new work setup that we didn't think could be possible to adapt to before—working remotely.

While it would be a lie to say that everything changed for the better after this experience, it's safe to say that there were many lessons learned while working from home throughout the pandemic. With this new setup, people get to find out how to build a conducive workspace and the best time they work more productively. 

If you're still struggling with working from home, you can learn a thing or two from this shortlist of valuable lessons from working remotely.

4 Valuable Lessons Learned While Working Remotely in the COVID-19 Pandemic

1.    Manage your time

Working from home means having more flexibility in your schedule, but it also means not having the structure provided by an office environment. You quickly learn what works best for you regarding time management, whether it's starting work at 6:30 a.m., 8:15 a.m., or 9:00 p.m.

Without the typical office structure, it can be difficult to ensure you're staying on track with your daily tasks and projects. It's essential to have a schedule or routine you can follow to keep on top of your work.

2.    Always communicate

One of the challenges when working remotely is the lack of communication, which is a vital part of teamwork. Still, sometimes, people don't realize how important it is until remote working forces everyone to communicate through chat boxes and video calls. 

With everyone working from home, online meetings have become the norm. Team members can try using multiple collaboration tools such as Slack, Zoom, or Google Meets for regular check-ins and video calls.

3.    Adapt self-motivation

If you were used to being part of an office team, you probably didn't need these techniques as much as you do now that you're working remotely. With remote work comes a certain level of isolation, which can make it hard for some to stay motivated and productive on their own without having colleagues around them to talk to.

Furthermore, remote working gives you a lot of unsolicited freedom, which can hamper your motivation to work, seeing as no one's around to oversee.

4.    Set work-life boundaries

With the coronavirus still out there, many people have had to adjust their work styles and set up home offices. Working from home has been a positive experience for many and a curse for others. While working remotely, people have learned that setting boundaries between home life and work-life are very important.

You can try not to schedule meetings early in the morning or late at night. That way, you have time for yourself before and after work hours. If your days are getting too busy or stressful, try to block out time on your calendar to relax and decompress.

Remote Work is Here to Stay

Learning these lessons amid a global pandemic was a challenge, but they were necessary. You can refer to guides to help you work from home. These lessons will prepare you for remote working success. It's all about communication (even if it can be asynchronous), understanding your team members' values, and keeping up with what's going on in the rest of the world. 

The remote working lifestyle is here to stay—and with a little education and pre-planning, you can be more efficient working from home now than ever before.

Author: Trevor Michael is a Customer Contact Industry Specialist of Select VoiceCom, an inbound call center with telemarketing and IT support services. He has operated successfully within this niche industry for over ten years across Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. He enjoys writing, golf, and going to social events.