Although the pandemic is starting to wind down, many businesses continue to operate on a remote setting. Virtual work comes with its fair share of advantages, but it’s also wrought with things that take your focus away from your job.

Your work habits have a major impact on your experience as a virtual professional. For this reason, you have to be aware of any routines that are unhealthy or unproductive. Work on them so you will be a happier, healthier, and overall better remote worker.

Know your limits first

Before we consider what bad habits you might have, get to know yourself. This means you have to be aware of what your limitations are, how you are most functional and efficient, and what you need to do to stop yourself from burning out.

For example, you may need a cup of morning coffee or an hour of cardio exercises everyday in order to function as you should. If you don’t get these, you might be at risk of triggering a panic attack. Your must-haves are going to be different from those of others so find out what they are.

It’s easy to know when there’s something wrong with your body, but mental strain is harder to detect. Examine what you have been experiencing lately, be it exhaustion, insecurity, or even fear. These may seem normal when you’re under pressure yet there are times when they get too much.

You may be mentally tired if:

• You make yourself available to your manager or team all day and everyday
• You have started skipping breaks, even lunch, to continue working
• You are afraid to appear lazy to your colleagues or employer
• You are getting little to no sleep at night
• You check your messages before working out or going to bed
• You are eating your breakfast, lunch, or dinner at your workstation
• You haven’t met with your friends or family in a long while
• You are pushing yourself to work even harder than you are now
• You are scheduling calls at inconvenient times, like during a family gathering
• You are doing last-minute tasks when you should logging out for the day

4 Remote Work Habits to Replace

Sometimes, you have to give an an intentional effort to develop a new habit. Other times, you’re forced to adjust to the situation and embrace a new normal within a week or so. What you learned when you first started working remotely may no longer be as helpful as it used to.

Check if you’re doing any of the following to know if you have been taking of yourself or not:

Making your schedule too flexible

Since you work anywhere, there’s the temptation to take long breaks in the morning then try to make up for it in the evenings. You might also work on your tasks in advance over the weekend so you’re free to do other things the following week.

Doing these will only mess up with your work-life balance. You will be unable to enjoy time with your loved ones as you have stuff you left until later. It’s better to have structure within your daily routine so mark the hours when you should be working or not.

Turning chores into a mental health break

Maybe you were planning to get started on your lunch, do the dishes, or put the laundry out to dry. You might have thought of doing only one thing but ended up doing all of it. In the end, you have turned your errands into a mental break because you don’t want to go back to business.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with doing your chores during your lunch hour or snack break but make sure you adhere to your work schedule. Otherwise, you’re going to make it a habit of doing your tasks later then have a hard time keeping up with your deadlines.

Physically merging work with life

If you already had a workstation setup before transitioning to full-time online work, you may have thought that you weren’t likely to get distracted. You soon found that doing stuff in your bedroom or kitchen is full of temptations, be it rolling around your bed or munching on snacks.

Working in your living room may also be a problem especially if you have a smart television and a paid subscription. Consider working outside, like in a co-working space or cafe, every so often. These places are designed to aid you in staying productive while working virtually.

Feeling disappointed with ‘off’ days

Some days, you’ll be super efficient and be able to finish things way in advance. Other days, you’ll be struggling to even replying to emails or chat messages. You may feel guilty about the times when you aren’t producing as much as the day before.

Understand that everyone has times when they get distracted or need to recharge so allow yourself these moments. Learn from your ‘off’ days so you know the appropriate steps to take when they come around again.

Think you’re ready for a WFH environment?

These bad habits make remote work more difficult, but we hope that the tips we’ve provided will guide you along the way. If you believe that you’re ready to thrive in a virtual setup and inspire your co-workers to remain productive, apply for an online job today.

We at Remote Workmate are specialists in connecting professionals with employers that offer a remote arrangement. Check out our blog posts to know how you may become a more appealing candidate and receive an offer for a good online job.