What Kind of Remote Worker Are You?

Lingli Crucq, Jaimy den Das, Aiden Hermans, Hannah Ruotsalainen

The authors of this article are students of cultural anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. In collaboration with The Hatch Collective, they conducted research about working remotely, with an emphasis on time-management and individual responsibility of workers. The research consisted of semi-structured in depth interviews, observations, and analysis of work situations. 

What Kind of Remote Worker Are You?

Four different types of remote workers and tips on how to make remote work better for you

Research conducted for Hatch shows that there isn’t one ‘right’ way to do remote work. Instead, different types of remote workers face different challenges and ways to optimise their work and well-being. Broadly speaking, there are 4 types of remote workers: the distracted worker, the overworker, the unstructured worker, and the lonely worker. There are numerous individual factors to take into account when working remotely. Are you disciplined? Do you get distracted easily? Can you just not stop working because there is no one around to tell you it’s time to go home? Or do you find working from home extremely isolating without coworkers to inspire you or to collaborate with? Everyone may benefit from some tips on how to improve their well-being and productivity while remote working. 

That is why, based on our research, we compiled some tips relevant for each of the categories, to help you adjust your work habits in a way that suits you best. In light of our inquiries and suggestions, you can reflect on how to conduct remote work and hopefully take away some tips to implement in your day-to-day. Don’t be afraid to cherry-pick your tips and personalise your work in the way that you find best!

 The Distracted Worker

 Sitting at a desk and looking at a screen all day can be hard when you just can’t seem to focus. If you have an office, it may feel like you’re in a fishbowl, locked inside with nothing but your work. You may feel like everything around you is more fun than the task at hand. Working from home you would perhaps rather spend time with your family, maybe go to the park enjoying the rare sunny weather. One of our interviewees has the best tip for you! Have you ever heard of the pomodoro method? It was invented by an Italian student who used a tomato-shaped timer to time how long he worked. It works like this: 

 1. Make a list of tasks you want to do for the day (be kind to yourself, don’t overdo it). 

2. Set a timer for 25 minutes (you can find specific pomodoro timers online) and work on the first task on your list.

3. When the timer goes off, you have to take a five-to-10-minute break. No shorter, no longer.

4. When this timer goes off, put on the 25-minute timer again and continue working on your first task, or when finished, move to the next one.

5. After the fourth pomodoro of 25 minutes is finished (I know, it might seem like a lot, but stay strong!), you are allowed to take a 25-to 30-minute break.

6. If you have more work to do for the day, repeat another round (or two, or three if you’re on a roll) of pomodoro. 

7. Congratulations, you did it! You can finally put down your work and take some free time to enjoy it.

Moreover, everyone needs a physical environment that fits their needs. Sometimes it is nice to use calm colour elements, or if it all feels too messy, it can be useful to declutter your workspace and get rid of irritating, distracting things. This can help you stay focused on your tasks and not get easily distracted by all the (useless) things that are on your desk. Keep a photo of your loved ones, a scented candle, or a nice (cheezy) quote on your table to keep you motivated and to keep that work going! You’ve got this!

 The Overworker 

 Having trouble taking breaks and carving out time for things besides work? Remember, you have plenty of other things going on, and keeping your overall health on track will enhance your work as well. Sometimes it requires a little existential moment to realize the importance of things beyond work, but allow the crisis, embrace it, and go for a little walk. After that, message that friend you haven’t seen in months and make it happen. If you have trouble taking breaks and feel like you can keep working endlessly, give the pomodoro-method in section 1 a try! Use the 5-minute breaks to stretch, have a drink, walk around, maybe even snap a selfie and send it to your friend or partner, to prove you are taking a little breather. After a few rounds, take a big break, breathe in, and be conscious about other valuable things in your life. 

If you have an employer you trust (and you work in a culture with relatively informal, personal communication lines), ask them for advice, tell them about your struggles, and see if they can look out for you and support you. If you are an employer, of course, make sure your employees are not struggling with stress and being overworked, and be attentive to the signs. After all, balance is the key to a happy and healthy life.

If you feel like it’s already too late, and you have completely overworked yourself for a longer period of time, do not worry! Meditation is a great way to ward off stress and to reconnect with yourself. A meditation session can be really hard to complete at first, and you might feel your thoughts wandering a lot. Don't worry, this is normal! Just start with five minutes of meditation a day, and before you know it, you will be a zen-master.

Most importantly, do not be hard on yourself, working from home is working. Feelings of guilt and shame that you feel you do not work hard enough are irrational, and there is no need to overly prove yourself just because you are working remotely. 

And lastly, keep moving! Physical health is important, and even more so when you work at home. Make sure you exercise regularly, schedule some sports classes with friends, or plan walks in-between your work hours. Being in nature helps untangle your mind and regenerate your energy.

 The Unstructured Worker

Struggling with discipline, structure, or needing a dedicated environment for work to be able to work properly? In that case, you may benefit from the tips of the avant-garde worker. 

Working at home without the buzz and rhythm of an office can be challenging. Maybe you need the pressure of others watching over your shoulder, or the motivation of seeing your colleagues work. In any case, when working from home, you are your own master. While it can be emancipating and feel like the shackles have been lifted, it comes with a huge responsibility. When you start procrastinating by doing chores, cleaning, and doing the dishes, you do not feel great, and might get into a habit of no structure or schedule. 

How can this be combated? Talk to your friend or colleague who is also working from home. You can agree to set daily or weekly goals, text them to each other, and keep each other updated on the progress. Start small, don’t be too ambitious. This way, you can make frequent work a habit, and distractions will not be an obstacle. You will learn to structure your days, and work in a balanced manner. 

 If you work through the night, remember that sleep is extremely important. Although free time can be prioritized when working from home by leaving the day open for fun hobbies and tasks, you can only do so much in a day. If you are playing tennis, going to a museum, and having a coffee date during the day and working at night, you WILL crash. Don’t just plan your days around the active to-dos, but also around sleep. One 7-hour window of sleep is essential for every day. 

 The Lonely Worker

One thing we all noticed during the last year was that isolation does not feel good. Humans are group animals, and once in a while, we need connection! Virtual communication is somewhat more difficult than in real life, as we miss nonverbal language. However, when you work from home—especially when you live alone—it is easy to feel lonely. Loneliness can make you lose your motivation to work, and therefore, interest, productivity, and joy in your work can decline. 

Do you miss the water cooler talk? Do you want to catch up with your co-workers during your break? One of the things you can do is reach out to your co-workers to have a virtual cup of coffee or lunch together! Scheduling a check-in meeting to see how everyone is doing once a week or once in two weeks is also a great way to keep in touch.

Do you want to see each other outside the working sphere? Go and plan a fun activity or event for your co-workers or employees! This does not have to be elaborate, a fun dinner party at someone’s house where everyone brings their own dishes is fun and a great way to connect with each other. 

If in your work field you don’t have colleagues, you could invite a friend over from time to time to come work at their workplace, or your workplace, so that you can keep each other company and be able to spend time together among your busy schedules.

Does your work really not involve working with people? Search for relationships outside of the work sphere, no one says that you need to have work colleagues. Having meaningful social relationships can be with anyone! Exchanging ideas in your work field is not limited to a specific set of people, it could be enriching to share them with people that are doing totally different things, to broaden your view. If you really have the urge to share ideas with like-minded people, you can try to search in the old-school way, namely by looking on the internet for groups, blogs, or forums. 

 Most importantly, keep in mind that you are definitely not the only one that is struggling with any of these things. That's why, if you feel comfortable enough, tell someone about them, and share your tips and tricks. Not everything works for everyone, so the more tips go around, the better, so more people can find what works for them. 

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