Filipino are very close-knit with their families. Thousands still live with their parents, grandparents, and children. Some even extend to their aunts and uncles.
It’s not a negative because there’s no dull moment! You can have fun with your family every day. The problem is, what do you do if you’re working from home? How do you manage your productivity when there are too many people by your side?
Worry not! Here are 7 simple tips to productively work-from-home with your Filipino family.
Be Really Organized
Productivity starts within. Sometimes, it’s not really the environment that stops your productivity. It’s you! Do not blame your family first.
And to do this, you need to be really organized. Compared to an office-based job, you don’t have a supervisor to check up on you. No one will see if you slack off. Heck, there’s no TV you can access for Netflix while “working.”
You should build this workday structure. Try to use time-blocking to prioritize tasks per schedule. You can also utilize the Pomodoro technique to help you out of distraction.
In this way, you can set up the foundation that will lead you to remote working success.
Coordinate a Family Schedule
Your family loves you so much. And as you are in the house, they want to spend time with you.
So you’re tita suddenly wants to have coffee. Your mom wants to fetch you some errands. Some might even ask you to clean the house. But, I mean, what are you doing anyway?
Well, you are working!
And not everyone understands that. Sometimes, communication is key.
Talk to your family members about your work schedule. Tell them that being home doesn’t mean you’re not busy. You can now earn money in your pajamas. But it doesn’t equate to “easy money.” You still need to work hard.
So ask them to respect your time. And don’t bother you during work hours.
Have a Separate Workspace
With all your family members scattered around the house, can you really have peace and quiet? Maybe it’s time to build a separate workspace.
By doing this, you can announce to the household that this is a place for work. No one should bother you when you’re at your workstation.
Make the most out of it with these ideal workspace tips.
Deep Work
According to the author, Cal Newport, deep work is a “Professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”
We all have pockets of time that we are most productive with. Know yourself and utilize deep work during these moments. At most, a person can do 4 hours of deep work. But on average, a 1 to 1hr 30min will give great results as well. You just have to practice doing it over and over again.
Even if created in a short period, some of these works might even outweigh the quality of others. So deliberately schedule your deep work.
Control Your Kids
What if reasoning and communication don’t work? In this case, what if you’re a parent with growing children? What if they have special needs?
You should devise ways to occupy their time. It might be games, books, toys, or more. Or maybe ask for help with your other family members to take care of them. In this way, you can focus on your tasks at hand.
Use Technology
Technology allowed us to work remotely. Why not use it to be productive on it as well? There are thousands of tools available for productivity. From scheduling, instant messaging, time management, there’s an app for that.
Here are some of the best work-from-home tools you can use to avoid distractions and improve your productivity even with your family around.
Know When to Stop Working
As remote workers, we have more time since commuting (which is pretty bad in the Philippines), and preparation time is virtually non-existent. We can be consumed with working for hours with multiple clients.
It’s alright, but know when to clock out. It’s difficult to separate work from your life when you work at the same place. With the proper time-blocking you learned above, you should stop working when your shift ends.
As your family respects your work time, they can also expect some of your free time spent with them. It’s about managing expectations. Now, it’s time to bond with your family.
Conclusion
There you have it! Are you ready to become the best remote worker? Even with the distractions with your family, you can still build a thriving career in the comforts of your home. After all, who are you working for in the first place? Have fun!
