Using Scheduling As A Way To Be More Productive In Remote Work

If there’s one thing that pandemic proved to be correct, it’s that people can be trusted to do their jobs regardless of their location. Luckily, most people are avid internet users, and they had no issues moving to remote work and dealing with online communication.

Still, a sudden switch from office to home environment caused issues with the productivity of some employees. They seem to be struggling with work-life balance and have trouble organizing their workdays.

Regardless, productivity statistics show that most employees are more productive when they work from home. However, sometimes they need to create a work schedule to stay productive.

The Benefits of Scheduling for Remote Work

In its essence, productivity is a set of habits that people need to establish and follow daily to achieve the ultimate results. Some environments improve these habits. For example, being in an office where others set up their daily routines can help an employee manage tasks better.

On the other hand, being at home may cause them to relax more and ignore some habits that keep them productive. Here’s how using scheduling can further improve productivity.

Making a Difference Between Working and Non-Working Hours Prevents Burnout

Social cues are crucial in helping employees determine when it’s time to stop for the day. However, since many are at home, they miss the moment when they should wrap the job up and leave the office. Instead, they start working longer hours, which can easily lead to burnout.

This is where scheduling helps keep workers in control of their days. Making an effective work schedule helps optimize working hours so that employees don’t work too much or too little. Once an employee knows their working hours, they should mark them in the calendar. This is a simple way of letting the whole team know when they’re available.

This also has a positive effect on their mental health as it improves work-life balance and gives employees the freedom of logging off at the right moment. They know nobody will reach out and interrupt their free time dedicated to their personal life. 

Scheduling Helps Determine Productive Hours

Some people are more productive in the morning, while others are night owls. With this in mind, remote work is a perfect way to utilize the most productive hours of the day and maintain a high level of productivity. 

With the right scheduling plan, employees can determine when they’re most productive so that they can scratch the essential tasks off the list. At the same time, other members of the team and their managers will know when to expect results. 

Once the important tasks on the schedule are done, productivity may start to drop. However, they can still use the remaining hours to schedule less complicated tasks or make plans for the following week. If they feel confident enough, they can even make monthly or quarterly plans. 

Setting up Time for Breaks Is as Important as Scheduling Working Hours

Apart from the most productive hours, breaks should also be included in the schedule as they improve productivity and efficiency. Still, setting a break time can be challenging, especially if there’s a deadline approaching and the employee feels like they must do their best to meet it.

Additionally, it’s easy to forget to set a break time without some sort of scheduling tool. Ignoring breaks can easily lead to burnout and reduced productivity in the long run. Still, once a timer appears on the calendar, employees will know they should pause.

For the most optimal day, it’s best to take the time to plan out breaks. Setting up 15 to 30-minute slots in the calendar is the best way to do it. Still, it’s how people use break time that counts. For example, they can hit the gym or exercise at home. Going for a walk is another excellent choice since fresh air can increase energy and improve mental focus.

Using Scheduling To Set Boundaries 

Working remotely usually means that people might take on more tasks as they get more optimistic about their work. Still, more tasks sometimes cause extra burnout and the feeling of guilt if they’re not done in time.

Besides setting non-working hours and breaks, scheduling also helps employees know exactly what they should be doing down to the minute. That means they can avoid taking on extra work they can’t finish.

It helps employees keep their goals realistic and think twice about additional work when there’s room for it. It also sets boundaries for the management that knows how much an employee should do.

Scheduling Apps Allow for Detailed Scheduling

With the right scheduling software, both employees and managers will know who’s working on a specific task and when the task should be done. It also lets everyone on the team know which tasks are a priority, which are regular, and which are bigger projects.

Additionally, most scheduling apps will help teams with online meetings instead of just listing the projects they should be working on. For example, Bookafy helps with online booking, tracks team projects and calendars, integrates with payment systems, and offers powerful solutions for online meetings.

All tasks and meetings can be isolated, so they don’t impact bigger projects. With such detailed software, deadlines will hardly be missed, and everyone will be focused enough to finish their tasks.

Having a Morning Routine Can Be Inspirational

Scheduling apps don’t have to be all work-related. For example, some employees also like to include their morning routine in the calendar to let others know they’re getting ready to come online.

This is a great way of replacing commutes or the morning coffee in the office. In addition, it can be inspirational to other employees who also work remotely. Every member of the team can post their morning routine and adequately start the day.

Additionally, scheduling the morning routine will keep the employees motivated and remind them of the importance of self-care. 

Benefits for the Employer

Business owners also reap enormous benefits from employees who schedule their tasks and work remotely.

Employers will always know who’s available and what tasks are done or should be done. Additionally, they can organize their teams better by assigning tasks faster. Finally, communication via scheduling apps is easier as employees are usually available during the set hours.

Finally, business owners who allow their employees to work online enjoy a highly productive workforce since everyone knows what to do. 

Final Thoughts 

Remote work is all about the flexibility that allows employees to be their most productive selves. However, some might still miss the office environment where their teams kept them productive and motivated.

However, with the right scheduling tools, they have the freedom of selecting their best hours to work on important tasks and remain productive while working remotely. They can also set their break time, use the apps to complete crucial tasks first, and even add their morning routine to keep others uplifted.

With all these benefits of scheduling, employees will enjoy higher productivity. Once they see their tasks are finished, they’ll feel better about themselves, and their work-life balance won’t suffer.