How I Manage My Energy While Working Remotely

Originally posted on Medium on March 9, 2020

As someone who has been working remotely for about a year, one of things I’ve found out is that working remotely over an extended period of time is very different from working remotely once a week or here and there.

I needed to make more of an effort in basically all aspects of my work life. I couldn’t rely on the structure of office life anymore to dictate my schedule, what I worked on, and who I spent my time with. I suddenly found myself with a lot more flexibility and wasn’t sure where to start to figure out my New Work Life.

What helped me was figuring out a strategy built around understanding how I work best, and by best, I mean how I leverage my energy in a way that leads to productivity, is sustainable over time, and is enjoyable for me.

Now, if I had to give myself advice on how to work remotely over an extended period of time, I would say to prioritize the following five points:

1. Keep Track of How You’re Spending Your Time

Log your hours to understand what you’re doing and how long it takes you. This insight will help you better schedule and plan your time accordingly in the future.

Have trouble remembering what you did yesterday? Make it easy for yourself. I use a planner to not only plan my time, but to log what I’m working on and how long it takes. Every time I complete an activity I’ll write it in to my planner: “Report writing, 2–4 PM”.

I’ll add up total hours at the end of each day and review what I did at the end of each week or month. I have a better understanding of how long each project takes and am reminded of what I accomplished.

2. Find Spaces That Work For You

Where do you like to work? Working remotely doesn’t necessarily mean working from home. You can technically work from anywhere that meets the minimum requirements for your role (internet connection, somewhere to place your computer), but you probably have more preferences to take into consideration. Understand what environment works best for you.

Cultivate your space to meet your needs and/or find a space that works for you. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find that you might need a roster of multiple spaces to tap into to meet whatever your needs are in that moment. For example, I might start my day off with conference calls from home where I have most control over my space and sound. I might feel antsy after lunch and head to a coffee shop to change up the scenery and be around people. I even have days when I really want to put my feet up in front of a fireplace and will head to my favorite hotel lobby just to work in front of a fire.

3. Procrastinate

Take lots of breaks. Don’t feel guilty about not working every available minute you’re able to. I believe wholeheartedly in the phrase, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should”. You’ll most likely be more productive later on. And I’ve had inspiration strike when I stop struggling over a problem.

When working from home I don’t have as many of the natural breaks as office workers do. Working for 8 hours from home is not equal to working for 8 hours at work. Think of all the downtime you might have while working in an office:

• Walking to and from the restroom/kitchen/break room/lunch/meetings/co-worker’s desk/wherever

• Chatting with co-workers

• Eating a free donut/cupcake/Nothing Bundt Cake

And these don’t even include special occasion get togethers like Office Thanksgiving, someone’s birthday, chili cook-offs, etc…

Build in as many breaks as you need to be able to dive back into your work later and be refreshed. There’s a reason why there are all those aforementioned breaks in offices. People need them. Make sure you’re afford yourself the same benefits.

4. Optimize Your Schedule

While the previous point is about figuring out what works for you, this one is more about building on that knowledge, reviewing your upcoming work schedule, and scheduling your ideal day/week/month.

On weeks that I know where I might have a little more flexibility and time, I might aim to take a hike to break up my day, something I’ve recently found that helps clear my head when immersed in a lot of solitary, in-front-of the computer work. Maybe I’ll make it a point to connect with someone over lunch that I haven’t seen in awhile.

There are exceptions to the rule — maybe you’re in the middle of a project or on deadline and your schedule isn’t yours. But there are always ebbs and flows with work and it’s important to build in downtime in order to have the energy when you most need it.

5. Cultivate Your Connections

It’s easy to feel stagnant and lonely while working remotely, so get out there and make friends.

If you don’t know where to start, start by looking for industry-specific events. As an introvert, I used to loathe heading to networking events. I felt like I failed if I didn’t leave with something tangible, like one meaningful connection. I decided to change my goals and not measure the success of a networking event like that.

Now, I think of these events as time that I get to step away from the computer and be around people. The goal is literally just to be around people (a very achievable goal), which takes the pressure off. Or I think if it as a game of Who Will I Meet Today! There are so many interesting people out there and it’s part of the fun to see who I might cross paths with. There’s an organization that hosts events every so often at different companies. The spread is usually very impressive. My goal for those events is to look around a cool work space and eat food. Everything else is extra. Sometimes, these events conflict with a yoga class I teach in the evening so I give myself permission to show up, eat, mingle, and then leave before the speakers begin.

Even I, an introvert who relishes alone time, can even look forward to and be successful at networking events. Almost every single job opportunity I’ve had in the past 9 years have come from a connection: knowing someone or meeting someone at a networking event. It works, but not all the time, so you might as well enjoy the food, conversation, and experience while you’re at it.