Remote Work

Remote async work is not all fun and games. Your assumption is that you’re going to be free. That’s not the case.

Most of the time,

• in-office work, you’ll be working from 9–5 and then you’re free the rest of the day and weekends.
• with remote work, you’re on call 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. You’ll receive notifications from whoever is making progress.

First-time remote workers at Colonist don’t understand this difference. They continue the same behaviors as in-office work, which makes them feel stressed. They think they should reply to everything right away. They take no time off. They feel like they’re on call 24/7. They wake up and go to sleep with notifications. Then they wait for more notifications and delay sleep.

But those who learn how to be efficient remote workers don’t have that trouble.

Here’s practical advice for overcoming the challenges of remote, async work:

1. Know That Things Can Wait

When you get a message, it doesn’t mean you have to reply right away. If it’s simple, sure, do that. But if not, do it the next time you’re in front of the computer. 90% of the time, the person doesn’t expect a reply in the next few hours. So it’s okay if you reply in 6–12 hours.

Remember, async work is built on trust and results, not constant rapid responses.

2. Enjoy Your Days

You have unlimited flexibility. You’re not expected to work at any particular hour. Continue with your day. Live in the moment. When not working, fully enjoy your activity; when you’re working, fully enjoy your work.

3. Adjust Your Schedule

You’re not confined to 9–5. Once you master this, it’ll feel like a super power.

Office workers

• need to go to the cinema in the evenings. You can go to the 11 a.m. discounted sessions.
• need to visit museums on the weekends. You can visit during the day avoiding crowds and finish work on weekends.
• have weekend trips; you can work and travel at the same time.
• need to take days off for hospital or dentist appointments. You can go any time, and you can even get work done while waiting.
• need to wake up at 7 a.m. You can wake up whenever your body is ready.
• can’t travel far from office since they need to be back Monday, you can fly to another continent with 0 lost productivity.

4. Discipline

Office workers don’t need as much discipline. They just need to show up at the office at 9 a.m.; the rest is taken care of by the office culture. Remote workers need discipline. They need to figure out what schedule works for them and what their most efficient hours, location, and duration are.

5. Manage Notifications

Mute non-essential channels. Reduce noise by unsubscribing from or muting chats that don’t affect your core responsibilities. You don’t need to know about everything in the company the moment it happens. Your phone should only notify you of things you’re actively following and when you’re specifically tagged. You can check other ongoing discussions whenever you’re at your computer.

But on the other hand, it makes more sense to stay focused on your work and deliver it. It’s even better if you don’t check the other issues. Trust that your teammates will handle it and tag you if you’re needed.

6. Have a Social Life

You’re a human. You need a certain amount of social connection in your life. People who need it 7/7 days are probably not a good fit for remote work. People who need it 3/7 days or fewer are a better fit for remote work.

The office environment supplies this out of the box, so you don’t have to go looking for social connections. Remote work doesn’t supply that. You have to figure it out for yourself. Join run-clubs, board games, meetups, meet with friends, co-work with friends, or spend time with family. Left to itself, your social life will take a hit.

7. How Much To Work

In an office, you work as much as you can between 9 to 5. In remote async, you might over extend yourself and burn out. Different people have different solutions for this.

• Some select 2 days and don’t open their computers
• Some use a timer to track their time spent
• Some use their internal clock & satisfaction feeling
• Some have good understanding of their burn out symptoms

The last one is the ideal solution. Being aware of your burn out symptoms and ensuring you never get there. Some common burn out symptoms are

• Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done
• Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope
• Difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness

The trick is finding the pattern on when you reach this stage (means you’re gonna reach a few times) and put a blocker before you reach it.

8. Edge Cases

There are going to be so many of these. It’s impossible to list them all.

For me, one edge case was my mom. She didn’t understand how I could be in my room and work, so she continued disturbing me whenever she wanted. To this day, whenever I’m back at my mom’s place, she sees me as available to help her out with chores 24/7. Each time I go back, I need to reprogram her.

Mom, I work during these hours, so I prefer not to be disturbed. If you bring me snacks, please leave them “here” without disturbing me. I’ll grab them when I need them. I am free during “these” times, so we can hang out then.

In Short

Remote async work rewards those who are intentional with their time, boundaries, and communication. Mastering these habits is the key to thriving and truly enjoying the freedom that remote work can offer.

This switch usually takes a couple of months, but once it sets in, you’ll experience enhanced productivity and greater fulfillment.