How to be Efficient Working from Home
Digital Nomad
The last three years of working remotely have meant I’ve had to be creative and disciplined to make it work. When I moved to the Campo not only did connectivity pose its own challenges, but there were many more distractions around me too.
My internet connection is a radio router powered by my solar power system. After 18 months here I have well and truly learnt how long the solar lasts during prolonged cloudy weather and can avoid outages of power, yet still ensure that I have supplemental battery packs fully charged-just in case.
The network coverage does vary quite considerably and occasionally just drops out for a period of time. Vital work or calls can still happen via my phone hotspot but that tends to be variable coverage too. Luckily my colleagues all understand when we may be interrupted by such instances but in the event of a really important meeting, I head to the local hotel.
The absolute joy of working fully remotely is that I can still travel and work from anywhere in the world. This year has seen many days working in the back of the camper van as I have traversed Europe and beyond.
Plan, plan and plan some more
I make copious lists. Paper lists, notes on my phone and even spreadsheet lists. The family often laugh at my lists - especially when a list item contains “see other list” but without my lists, I would never remember anything.
Making a schedule of working blocks, and downtime, throughout the day is also vital for me. I try and achieve 2-hour solid work blocks without distraction, interspersed with a 20-minute break. Most mornings I will jot in my notebook what I may need to achieve in the 20-minute break too - hang the washing out, put supper in the oven etc. This just frees up my head space further to enable more focus on the tasks in hand.
Working with international colleagues does mean that some evenings are also dedicated to working. I try and schedule that for only 2 evenings per week wherever possible and will then take the following morning as personal time if I can. During the hot summer months, I try and spend my evenings with the horses as the temperature drops but it is equally satisfying to saddle up at 7 am and train them as the sun comes up.
The last task of my working day is to make a plan for tomorrow. Being able to switch off in the evenings is really helped by knowing I have tomorrow mapped out and any outstanding items from the day carried over.
Over my morning coffee, I look through my calendar of meetings and set an alarm on my phone for 5 minutes prior to every meeting on the schedule for the day. This is a handy reminder to take a comfort break and refill the water glass ready for the next meeting to start.
Make the Space
It is so easy to sit on the sofa with the laptop and call it the office. Firstly, its really bad physically for my posture and secondly it doesn’t create the right mindset for work.
Having a dedicated desk means that when I want to relax and I’m not working then I really do feel that my day has finished. But during the Spring and Autumn, I also work at the outside terrace table, when the days are just too nice to sit inside and it also means I can work as the horses graze the garden around me.
I also dress for work - no dressing gowns or kaftans during laptop time. A lot of my calls are without video but I still like to get dressed and brush my hair before I start my working day, it just helps my mindset.
One of the challenges of working from home is visiting family and friends that may not always understand why I cannot join them for lunches or afternoons with a cold drink in the pool. I have found the best way is to chat over coffee in the morning and explain my day’s schedule and highlight what time I am due to finish.
Leave Home
Not literally forever, but the days that I take my laptop and notepads and go and work from the local hotel terrace make a refreshing change. Especially on a day that I know is going to be really busy with work and calls, the lovely owners of my local hotel bring me snacks and refreshments throughout the day.
Having a change of scenery and some real-life company whilst I work is really refreshing and their wifi is certainly better than mine too.
Take a Break
My planned schedule allows for many breaks and sometimes I have to force myself to step away from the laptop and do something else for a while. On a really busy day, a 10-minute walk up the lane or picking some olives reconnects me with nature and allows me much more focus on returning to the desk. On the days I don’t achieve some outside time I find that by late afternoon I am struggling to apply myself.
Personal
Taking personal days and observing Spain’s many bank holidays can be difficult when I am a freelance working with clients based around the world and the balance of delivering on projects vs not missing out on the local events can be hard to achieve. Another factor to consider in the Campo is that a fiesta weekend can render all shops closed for up to 5 days - pre-fiesta grocery shopping is absolutely essential. Luckily my local stores are open until 9 pm so the 1 hour travel time can be factored into an evening after riding the ponies but nonetheless does need some pre-planning.
Cup of Tea?
Staying re-hydrated is actually really important and especially in the heat of our summer months. When I ride the ponies in the evenings I really notice if my day hasn’t included enough fluids. My routine of pouring a fresh glass of water or tea immediately prior to every zoom call helps a lot and on really hot days I add in some electrolytes too.
Conclusion:
I am much more productive, and happy, working from home with a little bit of organisation.
