7 Ways to Make Remote Work More Fun

Monday, September 11, 2023

Nobody can deny the benefits of being able to work out of the comfort of your home. But after a while, the initial excitement dies down and the routine can start to feel monotonous. If you don’t actively find ways to spice things up, you’ll risk blurring the line between your work and your personal life which can lead to stress, social isolation, and depression.

Remote work can only be as fun as you make it to be! If you’re heading for a remote work setup soon or just want to do things differently, the following tips are for you.

Credit: Roungroat on Rawpixel

Curate a fun workspace

Bad ergonomics, a messy workspace, noise, bad lighting, and poor room temperature all contribute to your ability to focus at work. While some of these aspects are often taken care of in a traditional office, you often have little control over the overall vibe of your work environment. There is only so much personalization that a picture frame of your cat can accomplish. But now that you work from home, all that is up to you.

So curate the best workspace for your concentration! Here are some ideas.

Invest in a good ergonomic chair. You’re going to spend hours seated on your desk. Might as well spend it there in utmost comfort.
Invest in adjustable desks that accommodate standing work sessions. This way, you can stretch without breaking your work concentration and momentum.
Have your HVAC system regularly cleaned. Did you know that poor indoor air quality is responsible for 3.8 million deaths worldwide?
Layer your lighting. Place lighting on three levels: the ceiling, the table, and the floor. This will highlight different areas of the room and create a warm and cozy vibe.
Paint it the right color. Chocolate brown, bright blue, and earthy green are just some of the best paint colors for home offices, according to experts.
Hang some artwork. Showcase prints from your favorite artists or even better — your own art! Aside from beautifying the place, they serve as random reminders of creativity and inspiration.
Place a rug on the floor. It helps soften the acoustics inside the room and of course, adds to its cozy ambiance.
Decorate with some plants. Incorporating elements of nature helps create a calm-inducing work environment.
Don't worry about the mess. It’s important to keep clutter in control but a healthy amount can help bring out your best ideas.

Turn commute time into a routine

How long do you normally commute to and from work every day? For many people, that can mean 30 minutes to 2 hours of commute time every day that is now suddenly vacated by a remote work setup. Naturally, it’s easy to use this time to sleep in and get a couple more hours of rest. But if you’re not careful, you can also be tempted to start going over your usual sleep schedule thinking you have that extra hours every morning. When not handled well, it can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule and completely turn your work-life boundaries upside down.

So instead of thinking you have a few extra hours for doing nothing, why not integrate that extra time into a structured routine? Instead of sleeping in, you can use that time to meditate, get some exercise, or maybe even read a couple of chapters of that book you’ve always wanted to finish. Whether you use this time for self-development, a hobby, or just to ease into your day is entirely up to you but doing anything would be healthier than spoiling a well-established routine. You should know that maintaining a sense of rhythm is a necessity when working remotely. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t sleep in every now and then.

Here are some useful ways to use your commute time now that you’re working from home.

Do what you normally do. If you normally read on the train on your way to work, keep doing that. It will give you a sense of continuity.
Go for a walk. It’s a non-strenuous yet healthy way to get a dose of daily exercise.
Eat a breakfast. Get your calories in to start the day with vigor and energy.
Meditate. Even 15 minutes of mindful breathing exercises really do calm your mind and help give you mental clarity over time.
Knock off things from your to-dos. Put in the wash. Run that quick errand. And then you can look forward to having your after-work hours free for some fun time.

Credit: McKinsey on Rawpixel

Schedule some after-work fun

Squeezing in some fun can have a different vibe when you’re at home all day long. Remember: life is all about balance. And if you become a slave to your routine all the time, you can’t be happy for too long! Naturally, you will need a good dose of unpredictability every now and then. And if you’re working from home, a great deal of adventure can be had when you make time for them!

Eat out with a friend
Visit a local art gallery
Invite friends over
Try out a new hobby
Do sports with friends
Start your own creative project
Make yourself a fancy dinner
Volunteer at a local charity shelter
Call up a friend
Write a letter to your future self
DIY something at home
Create a bucket list
Answer the Proust Questionnaire
Do research on some random fact
Watch a critically-acclaimed film
Host a game night
Explore your city

Work with others virtually

Sure you’ve tried working with colleagues online. But what about working with strangers online? The internet does what it does best when it brings people together and that is exactly what websites like Focusmate hope to accomplish. On these websites, you’ll be paired up with a random work partner to whom you communicate your goals at the beginning of the work session. You will also check in on each other’s progress after the session.

In simple terms — a productivity buddy.

This is a great technique if you’ve been procrastinating on an important task. Your session partner acts as your accountability partner and that slight social pressure helps you get on with the task. After all, nobody likes disappointing anyone — even a stranger.

Get creative with your breaks

In general, it’s good advice to treat your breaks as part of the actual work. That is, to take it as seriously. Nobody gives breaks enough love. But when you do it right, it can really make a difference in your productivity and energy levels throughout the day.

But before we give you some ideas, here are the simple principles to follow when taking breaks while working from home.

Never take work when you’re on break.
Make sure your coworkers know you’re on a break

So what to do on your break?

Get a siesta
Listen to nature sounds
Take a healthy snack
Listen to a new band
Meditate
Catch up on your favorite sports news
Write a one-paragraph story
Read a poem
Look at the sky
Read your astrology chart
Take a personality type test
Make lists
Groom yourself
Attempt to draw someone
Put random nice plans in your calendar
Do absolutely nothing at all

Credit: Samson Katt on Pexels

Get dressed for work

For many people, certain parts of the routine like dressing up for work and commuting to the office serve as transitions that establish a solid barrier between one’s work life and personal life. But when there’s no longer a need for those, it can be hard to maintain a healthy balance between the two.

If you have just started working from home and want to acclimatize to your new setup gradually so that it doesn’t mess up with your routine, you can always keep those transitions. For example, dressing up for work even though your home office is just in the next room can help you switch on to work mode and maintain focus throughout the day. After all, it’s harder to be a couch potato or get tempted to do random house chores when you’re in your favorite worktop. Not to mention you’ll always be ready for emergency video conferences.

Schedule outdoor workdays

Yes, you work from home now. But that doesn’t mean you need to be at home all the time, especially if that’s not a strict requirement. Sometimes a new venue with a new vibe and a new view can help renew your motivation and get you back in the game.

Try to work out of your home every once in a while and explore new work environments to spice up an otherwise monotonous day. Explore your local coffee houses, check out the local parks, or work with strangers in one of those co-working spaces.

Here are other potential alternate remote work venues:

Hotel lobbies
Libraries
Museums
Malls
A friend’s house
Bookstores
An unbusy restaurant in a quiet neighborhood

Final Word

The joy of working from home can get old fast but it doesn’t have to. Once you realize that you’re in control of your experience, it opens up a world of new possibilities that can help you enjoy your time working out of the office. On the other hand, it presents its own challenges. You need to be able to manage yourself and not give in to your impulses. Many people eventually go back to the office because of this failure to be self-efficient. But once you are able to strike a lovely balance between your career and your personal life, you will fall in love with the freedom that working from home affords you.

If striking a sweet balance between work and personal life is what you need, then TaskSpur is here to help. This life management app helps you plan, manage, and track all your career, financial, health, and personal goals and tasks in one place. Check it out!

Download TaskSpur on Android | Download TaskSpur on your iPhone

References

Biggs, C. (2023, March 31). 14 home office paint colors that will help boost productivity in your workspace. Martha Stewart. https://www.marthastewart.com/2220932/best-paint-colors-home-office
Indoor Air Quality. (n.d.). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/indoor-air/index.cfm#:~:text=As%20one%20prominent%20example%2C%20the,be%20affected%20more%20than%20others.
Popova, M. (2015, September 18). Susan Sontag on the creative purpose of boredom. The Marginalian. https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/10/26/susan-sontag-on-boredom/
80 Examples of Enjoyable Activities To Do After Work. (n.d.). Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-to-do-after-work

7 Ways to Make Remote Work More Fun

Final Word

References

Become a trendsetter