Self-Management Skills: Crucial Techniques for Working From Home

What is self-management?

Self-management refers to one’s ability to work independently and efficiently.

Someone with good self-management skills does not need supervision to complete tasks on time and can motivate themselves to get their work done. They can manage their time, resources, stress levels, behaviors and emotions to the best of their abilities.

The skills of self-management are linked to the skills of emotional intelligence. One’s ability to be aware of their emotions, understand their root and know how to respond determines their ability to manage themselves in stressful situations. With high EQ comes the ability to regulate emotions and understand how to best behave regardless of how you feel. Good self-awareness and emotional intelligence are possibly the best pathways to good self-management.

Skills of self-management:

• Time management
• Resource allocation
• Accountability
• Productivity
• Leadership
• Initiative
• Organization
• Intrinsic motivation

Why is self-management important?

The age of remote work has removed our managers from our workspace, leaving us to manage ourselves. It has never been more important to be skilled at self-regulation, time management and productivity.

Working from home demands a higher degree of self-discipline to stay at our desks and push through the afternoon slump. Without our manager sitting across the room, there may be more temptation to succumb to boredom or stress. Self-regulation while working from home will increase your productivity and keep you on top of your work.

This change in working conditions has caused a change in what is needed to be successful. Employees with good self-management are now gaining a competitive edge over those who relied on external supervision to get work done. Self-management may be the most important skill to acquire in today’s home office environment.

Benefits of improved self-management:

Personal

• Self-satisfaction
• Improves wellbeing 
• Sense of achievement
• Reduces stress
• Improves emotional intelligence and self-awareness
• Strengthens time-management skills

Professional

• Improves productivity
• Better work-life balance
• Faster career development 
• Establishes a reliable reputation
• Reduces overwhelm

Improving your self-management skills:

For better self-management skills you must first work on yourself by increasing your self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Then you can address your vision for your future and how you will get there and lastly, how to manage your resources effectively.

1. Establish a self-awareness practice

The first step in improving your self-management skills is to get to know yourself better. You must become aware of what tendencies and habits are holding you back. With a self-awareness practice you will begin to see what thoughts, emotions and actions are causing you to make poor choices, lose motivation and be less productive. A regular journaling habit or a mindfulness practice are excellent ways to improve self-awareness.

2. Work on your emotional intelligence

In order to bridge the gap between what you need to do and what you actually get done, you must be efficient at emotional regulation. It is often our emotions that get in the way of us taking the necessary actions toward our goals. Working on our emotional intelligence can give us the skills needed to handle life’s chaos with grace and push through emotions that hold us back. Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence is an excellent starting point.

3. Define a clear vision for yourself

Take some time aside from work to establish a vision for your future. Who do you want to become and what do you want to achieve? Paint a detailed picture of the kind of employee you want to be, what you want to offer and what you want to be recognized for. This image should be used to drive your behaviors and be a source of motivation. It may be useful to begin a journal to define your vision.

4. Establish a goal-setting method that works for you

Once you are clear on a future vision you can establish the steps you need to take to get there. Take each aspect of your vision and establish what actions and milestones will be necessary to bring it into your life. There are many systems of goal setting designed by masters in the field such as the SMART framework and the Four Disciplines of Execution. Chose one that relates to your own inclinations and motivations.

5. Improve resource management skills

To have good self-management skills you must be able to manage your time and resources effectively. Understand what resources you have and how to maximize their utility. Knowing how to delegate and how to ask for help is vital to work efficiently. Learn to maximize your time by prioritizing tasks, improving focus and minimizing distractions.

Tips for self-management

• Work in time blocks of 90 minutes
• Take regular breaks in between blocks
• Plan your tasks the night before
• Clearly prioritize tasks
• Avoid multitasking
• Establish a task-setting routine
• Keep your phone away from your desk if possible
• Know your weaknesses
• Focus on improving one skill at a time
• Share your goals for accountability
• Set deadlines and commit to them
• Keep your word
• Ask your manager how you can improve your self-management skills
• Prioritize your wellbeing
• Go outside for fresh air and sun exposure to improve focus

Conclusion 

Remote work is calling for a whole new set of skills to be developed in order to succeed at work. Virtual chats are replacing coffee breaks and self-management is replacing micro-management. It is now more vital than ever to know where your weaknesses are in the home office environment and how to regulate yourself as a professional while in the comfort of your own home. With simple self-awareness practices, improved emotional intelligence, a clear vision, effective goal setting and better resource management skills any employee can improve their self-management.