10 tips for those who work outside standard hours

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The concept of "working hours" has become a household name and for a long time meant the interval from 9 am to 6-7 pm. It's just that the past 3 years in a number of industries have changed the usual order of things - and we can no longer say that we are working during these hours. Even more so: marketers, copywriters, engineers, developers, designers, photographers, journalists, tech support, and even teachers and trainers no longer fit into the framework that we used to think about. Unusual working hours - how to “tame” it and accustom your relatives, acquaintances and friends to an unusual schedule?

1. Have a clear schedule, even if you work when others are resting.

Shift work in industry, ambulance or emergency services is normal and common practice. At the same time, if you work in technical support, in a remote team of an Internet project or in an online publication with the need to work in the evening or at night due to the difference in time zones, gaining understanding from loved ones and discipline in relation to yourself is still task.

Sit down and draw up a clear work schedule: checking mail, calls, work tasks, negotiations, conference calls, working with texts or code - write everything down. If you work from home, work in a separate office or living room, not in your bedroom or in your regular living room. If you work in an office, it will be easier. Unobtrusively but firmly explain to your family and friends that due to the time difference, your working day begins when they are used to watching TV, walking the dog, or just having a get-together with the company. And that you also have weekends: on the weekend you will be able to communicate and solve all the pressing issues (if any). And tonight (and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and in a month) you are at work and cannot go anywhere or be distracted.

2. Use tomato planning

Not all of us are created by "owls", which does not negate the need to work in the evening / night. To overcome potential problems with completing tasks and not waste time, use the good old pomodoro technique. We have already talked a lot about it, so we advise you to read more about it.

3. Set yourself periods for communication with colleagues.

Working outside school hours (by traditional standards) does not negate the need to communicate with colleagues, even if they are thousands of kilometers away. And therefore you need to regularly contact them. The main thing is not to get stuck in a stream of letters, chats and calls instead of work.

4. Explore all formats of remote work

Even if you work in a local division of an IT company or agency that involves working in sync with the head office somewhere overseas, you do not always need to go to the office (if your bosses are sure otherwise, you may need to change jobs) … Explore how you can integrate telecommuting into your daily practice, from business correspondence to meetings and performing your usual tasks. Perhaps you should also study various systems for working on projects like Bitrix24.

5. Monitor intermediate tasks, not just the final goal

The deadline and the final goal are good. But it's not a fact that on the way you don't need to pay attention to intermediate results. Breaking a task into smaller subtasks and controlling the terms and conditions for their implementation is the key to success not only outside of school hours, but also when working in any format and in any situation.

6. Be sure to be outdoors

If you work in the evenings, consider taking a walk during the day. Sleeping all the time when you are not at work is not the best option, even if it is dark outside during your working hours. Walking not only stimulates thinking, but also keeps your body in good shape, and also provides the brain with oxygen.

7. Drink plenty of fluids

It may seem that you do not feel thirsty in the evening and at night, but in fact it is not. Your body needs fluid in the required daily volume, even if your daily routine does not at all coincide with the generally accepted one.

8. Do not overuse coffee and energy drinks

Stimulating yourself with red bulls and caffeine to stay awake is not only bad for your stomach, but also bad for your nervous and cardiovascular systems in general. Excess water leaves the body, pressure jumps, mood swings and decreased performance in combination with heart and kidney problems are not the best companions for a working regime in the evening, when the body already has to cope with stress.

9. Do not forget about normal nutrition

The phrase “I don’t want to eat something” is from the same area as “I don’t want to drink something”. Only your brain needs carbohydrates and proteins. Without adequate and timely nutrition, you will quickly collapse if you do not sleep when ordinary people do not eat as much as you should.

10. Alternate shifts, but don't forcefully rearrange yourself.

Sometimes it is helpful to change your evening / night mode to daytime or morning. Try working week after week in this alternating rhythm. But don't get carried away. If your work involves a flexible schedule, try to shift the working hours so that it is comfortable for you and there is no additional stress on the body.