Terri Ramsey Beavers The laptop lifestyle is a seductive dream for many people, and for good reason. It allows you to travel the world, operate on your own terms, and cut out the dreary hell of the daily commute to work.
Until a few years ago, the idea of working from your laptop remotely was nothing but a fantasy for many people, with few mainstream businesses openly accepting it as a normal practice.
However, following the enforced changes to the workplace in the wake of the pandemic and the advancement of technology, working remotely has never been more realistic.
This is not to say that the reality of the laptop lifestyle is all roses. When you solve one problem, you inevitably create a bunch more.
For instance, while working remotely means you don’t have to be trapped by a single location or routine, it does mean you have to be fully independent, which is a far greater challenge than you might imagine.
Furthermore, you will still have to complete full working days and may find yourself working longer than in a conventional workplace. This is because you won’t know when to switch off, and your work and personal lives intertwine.
Want to live a laptop lifestyle? This is the reality you need to come to terms with first.
You Need to Make Sure Your Eyes Are Protected
A common problem that many people suffer from when they work on computers all day long is eye strain. This is caused by your eyes not blinking as frequently as they normally should, due to the nature of artificial light and how your eyes scan web pages.
As a result, your eyes become dry and sore, leading to aching and a lack of visual focus.
Unfortunately, working remotely on a laptop doesn’t help this problem – it can make it worse. With no boss looking over your shoulder, it is easy to browse on your phone more during the day, meaning you are looking at more than one screen for hours on end.
These only compound eye strain, leaving you in pain and unable to work in extreme cases.
To prevent eye strain from becoming a significant problem, you should buy reading glasses online.
Master Your Distractions
Another significant challenge of the laptop lifestyle is mastering the many distractions all around you. When you are not held accountable for your productivity by colleagues or a boss in an office, your mind can quickly wander to all manner of distractions.
Whether it is flicking onto social media on your phone during dull moments, convincing yourself that cleaning your house is more productive than work, or browsing news sites on your computer, there is no shortage of ways to avoid work when you are on your own.
Therefore, you need to become a master of deep work, able to block these distractions out, and get your work done to a high standard despite the temptation of procrastination.
Create a Daily Routine – Especially If You Are Traveling
When you are traveling with your laptop, it might sound like you have all the freedom in the world, but this becomes a burden when you can’t concentrate for more than five minutes.
A great deal of your productivity is determined by the strength and quality of your daily routine. When you can decide your hours and work location, this can quickly fly out the window.
You need to have a set routine to stick to regardless of where you are, to tell your mind that it is time to enter work mode.