How To Work Smarter And Reclaim Personal Time

Due to recent world events, we’ve seen some significant shifts in traditional business models and now have a global workforce that operates largely in a remote capacity. For some workers, this has been a dream realized because they now have the “work from home” job they’ve always wanted. For others, it has presented an ongoing challenge—a struggle to balance personal and professional obligations in tandem.

And while the complaint “there just aren’t enough hours in the day” isn’t a new one, it does seem to be on the rise. In fact, studies indicate that remote workers feel more taxed by their jobs now than they did when they worked live and in-person. To wit: Buffer’s 2021 State of Remote Work report says 27% of remote workers feel they can’t unplug, an increase over previous years. Additionally, 45% feel they are working more (as opposed to 13% who feel they are working less) now that their job is remote.

These statistics likely reflect a combination of factors. First, because they’ve been given the “gift” of working at home, remote workers feel a high degree of pressure to prove their productivity in that workspace. Second, time spent in virtual meetings has increased, and because companies are working across a variety of time zones, there is an expectation of extended availability to accommodate all participants. Third, the lack of a traditional workday framework means we’re receiving correspondence and notifications at all hours of the day and night. Taken together, this combination of elements can translate to prolonged working hours and eventually lead to burnout.

While we’re beginning to see a return to societal norms, it’s quite likely that some of the business patterns and procedures established during the pandemic are going to stick for the long term. Although we may not be able to change the structure of our professional obligations entirely, we can certainly manage our workflow in a way that allows us to complete tasks more efficiently. And if we can work productively within this new paradigm, we’re better able to compartmentalize our professional lives and reclaim personal time.

Examine Your Workflow

If your to-do list feels never-ending, take a look at how you’re organizing and prioritizing your work. Streamlining your processes may require a bit more time on the lead end, but the effort will be well worth it down the road.

If keeping track of all your tasks is a challenge, consider using a workflow management tool that allows you to input all requests and then sort them by priority, clearly labeling your most critical tasks. Keep in mind that the most effective to-do lists are short. Their purpose is to keep you on track without being overwhelmed. Prioritize your three most important tasks for the day, then move to less critical items as time allows.

If you have trouble understanding how to prioritize, try employing the Eisenhower Matrix, which parses tasks by urgency and importance. Then, pay attention to your most productive work hours. We all have complex, undesirable tasks on our to-do lists, so tackle those during the times you feel sharpest and can work uninterrupted. If you can get difficult or unpleasant tasks completed more efficiently, the process will be less painful than when you’re tired or feeling overtaxed.

Streamline Communications

One of the largest documented timewasters in the business world is email correspondence. According to a recent survey, most professionals spend 28% of the workday on email tasks, an average of 2.6 hours. This is problematic because it requires us to multitask, which very few people do effectively.  For most of us, the nearly constant interruption of workflow wastes precious time throughout the day as our minds take time to recover.

Try to limit interrupting your work in this way as much as possible. When you do respond to communications, take the time to thoroughly read and fully answer what’s in front of you. Resist the urge to “dash off” a message. There’s no bigger time waster than responding to the same email three or four times because you missed important information the first time.

Another communications issue is that our inboxes are often filled with advertisements and newsletters that hold no value from a business perspective. If you’re taking the time to click in and investigate, even though the email has no intrinsic value, you’re wasting valuable time. While you’re in there, hit unsubscribe and start reducing what essentially amounts to junk mail.

Saying “No” and “Good Enough”

If you’re conscientious about your job, the urge to accommodate requests and do things perfectly can easily hamstring your productivity. Resist the urge to say yes immediately to every request made of you. It’s perfectly acceptable to tell someone you need to evaluate your workload before committing to a new project, and it’s also fine to refuse unreasonable demands.

That goes for tasks that someone tells you will “just take a few minutes,” as well. Take a stand on being dragged down by minutia; there’s no reason to take on what amounts to busy work that can be handled by someone else if you’re already working at full capacity.

When it comes to the work that is genuinely your obligation, ask yourself some questions. What aspects of your job are non-negotiable? Does every task on your list have to be done to the highest standard, or can some just simply be “done”? Then consider whether any of those tasks can be delegated or eliminated entirely. Once you understand the nature of your obligations, you’ll be better able to organize and prioritize.

Here’s something to bear in mind: time doesn’t change. There will only ever be 24 hours in a day, so while working is a large (and necessary, in most cases) part of our lives, you cannot reclaim personal time that has been wasted by a lack of productivity at work. Making an effort to economize and streamline your professional life allows you to better reap the rewards of life outside the walls of your office, wherever that might be.

Renee Goyeneche: I am a writer and research editor focusing on information that benefits women, children, and families. Find me on Twitter and blogging at Imperfect Perceptions.