The millennial generation has become the largest demographic in today’s workforce. The digital age is here in full force, changing job descriptions and commitments to fit the ever-growing need for constant availability. Today, working remotely is a viable option for many employees who want to take some time away but work part of the time to compensate for the missed hours, for those who have to stay home because the cable guy is coming, or for those who are actually on a work trip and need to work just as many hours away as they would in the office. Others may choose to become digital nomads, and always work remotely from any point on the globe.
Working on the road can be tough. There are a lot more distractions, events, noise, excitement and sometimes even time zone changes. There are a few ways to make sure you stay as productive as possible while away from the office, while maintaining the integrity of your trip.
Headphones are everything
Whether you need music to get your writing done, have a conference call to attend to, or need to just listen to some white noise to shut out any other interference around you – headphones are the way to go. When I’m on a call, I’m not about to hold the phone to my ear while typing or looking at documents, a hands-free environment is crucial for maximum productivity and, if you’re me, note taking!
Strong Wifi connection
Depending on what you do, this one may vary. For me, a writer who researches online as a huge part of her job, a strong internet connection is the difference between making a deadline or not, also known as life and death. Even if you are not a social media manager or even in the digital sphere, email and calendar syncing depends on your internet connection on anything that isn’t a phone (and even then you need to make sure to have good cell reception).
If you are traveling and find yourself with less than cooperating wifi, head to you nearest mobile or electronics store and get yourself a wireless travel router and link it to your cellular data plan for emergencies. Whoever invented these little devices from heaven have my never-ending gratitude.
Keep it behind closed doors if possible
The best thing to do, if possible, is block off time and work in your hotel room or somewhere quiet for a couple of hours. Working in an uninterrupted manner in a quiet space can have you completing to-do’s like no tomorrow. It’s hard to work with constant interruption and stimulus that isn’t work related, making your work less organized and your thought process slower. Just as if we were in the office sitting behind our desk or at home on the couch with our laptop – get yourself focused and in work mode for a few hours so that the rest of the day that you need to do whatever it is that you were away for without any guilt or anxiety.
