Remote working provides many benefits to people. Flexible hours, no commute, more accessibility for working globally, and increased employee satisfaction are just some of the advantages. But, it’s very difficult to find the right setup that encourages productivity and it can also be hard to find a good work/life balance that avoids burnout. Before the pandemic WD Storage were working on some content to help employees achieve a better work/life balance and increase their efficiency. To garner the most useful advice they looked to the most successful entrepreneurs. How are the likes of Amazon CEO and recently named trillionaire running profitable businesses while still getting 8 hours of sleep a day, completing daily exercise and managing to join the family for an evening meal. They don’t have superpowers that we are unaware of but they do have some useful lifestyle tips we can take incorporate into our own schedules. Below is an infographic detailing their advice.
So as you can see, the best advice is to organise and declutter your life and environment, removing potential distractions. In the midst of a pandemic with school closures and partners also at home, this is easier said than done. But simple steps such as unsubscribing from unnecessary emails can have a large impact on your productivity.
Prioritise important events and add them to your schedule as if they were a dedicated meeting. If you want to sit down with your family every evening for the dinner, set it in your calendar to work around. If you want to commit to daily exercise or mediation like many do put in the calendar.
Sleep as per your needs. Work out how much sleep your body needs to be in top form. If that means sleeping 9pm-6am then start winding down your day early enough to achieve that. The CEO of Twitter says 11pm to 5am works for his schedule. Quality of sleep is much more important than quantity also so consider blackout shades, eye masks and other sleep aids to help improve your sleep pattern.
Take essential vitamins and minerals. Looking after your body is rewarding.
Avoid screentime before bed and don’t check emails before sleeping, wait until the morning. It’s tempting to check emails especially if you are awaiting a message but stressful negative news can increase anxiety and affect your sleep.
Meditate and exercise regularly. 20 minutes of meditation reduces stress and anxiety, as does exercise. Fresh air also helps.
Simplify decisions to free up brain space. Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs always wore the same outfit so they didn’t have to think about what to wear each day. Likewise, food preparation prevents us wasting time on deciding what to eat each day.
Think of all the unnecessary types of clutter in your work life and look to eliminate or reduce. Remove anything from your desk or workspace that doesn’t bring you joy or that you need to perform your duties. If it distracts get rid. Choose the most effective and efficient tools to help you do your job and get rid of the rest. Unsubscribe from ineffective newsletters. It may seem simple but how much time each day do you waste getting rid of emails that are no longer relevant? Reduce your paperwork and clear out unnecessary documents. Go paperless where possible but keep files clean and accessible.
Prioritise tasks and make a list of things you want to achieve that day. Procrasination is the enemy so focussing your workload into manageable targets will help you be efficient.
Make time for your family. Your support system needs you and you need them. Reminding yourself why you work so hard is an important motivator.
With many of us furloughed or less busy right now, why not use the time wisely so when things start to ease, you are in a better frame of mind to achieve your goals.
Read next: The Art Of Managing Momentum (infographic)
So as you can see, the best advice is to organise and declutter your life and environment, removing potential distractions. In the midst of a pandemic with school closures and partners also at home, this is easier said than done. But simple steps such as unsubscribing from unnecessary emails can have a large impact on your productivity.
The best recommended tips for decluttering your life:
Define your own working week to suit your needs. If you’re growing your business you may need to put additional hours in but it may also be possible to work a standard 40 hour week. Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo, worked 130 hours a week, Elon Musk works 80-90 hours a week. Mark Zuckerberg works 60 hours a week and Larry Page works 40 hour weeks. There is no standard, think about what schedule suits you and then look at ways to make the most of those hours.Prioritise important events and add them to your schedule as if they were a dedicated meeting. If you want to sit down with your family every evening for the dinner, set it in your calendar to work around. If you want to commit to daily exercise or mediation like many do put in the calendar.
Sleep as per your needs. Work out how much sleep your body needs to be in top form. If that means sleeping 9pm-6am then start winding down your day early enough to achieve that. The CEO of Twitter says 11pm to 5am works for his schedule. Quality of sleep is much more important than quantity also so consider blackout shades, eye masks and other sleep aids to help improve your sleep pattern.
Take essential vitamins and minerals. Looking after your body is rewarding.
Avoid screentime before bed and don’t check emails before sleeping, wait until the morning. It’s tempting to check emails especially if you are awaiting a message but stressful negative news can increase anxiety and affect your sleep.
Meditate and exercise regularly. 20 minutes of meditation reduces stress and anxiety, as does exercise. Fresh air also helps.
Simplify decisions to free up brain space. Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs always wore the same outfit so they didn’t have to think about what to wear each day. Likewise, food preparation prevents us wasting time on deciding what to eat each day.
Think of all the unnecessary types of clutter in your work life and look to eliminate or reduce. Remove anything from your desk or workspace that doesn’t bring you joy or that you need to perform your duties. If it distracts get rid. Choose the most effective and efficient tools to help you do your job and get rid of the rest. Unsubscribe from ineffective newsletters. It may seem simple but how much time each day do you waste getting rid of emails that are no longer relevant? Reduce your paperwork and clear out unnecessary documents. Go paperless where possible but keep files clean and accessible.
Prioritise tasks and make a list of things you want to achieve that day. Procrasination is the enemy so focussing your workload into manageable targets will help you be efficient.
Make time for your family. Your support system needs you and you need them. Reminding yourself why you work so hard is an important motivator.
With many of us furloughed or less busy right now, why not use the time wisely so when things start to ease, you are in a better frame of mind to achieve your goals.
Read next: The Art Of Managing Momentum (infographic)