Productivity Hacks for Remote Employees, According To Experts
Remote work is on the rise and with good reason.
It allows employees to work from wherever they want, which can be a major advantage in terms of flexibility and productivity.
But if you want to succeed in a remote work environment, you need to know how to work smarter (rather than harder) and make the digital office serve as well as the physical one once did.
We talked to our expert team members and these are the tips they gave to help you focus on your projects and deliver the results that your company expects of you, no matter where you work.
Top Remote Work Productivity Tips
There are plenty of challenges that you will face when working from home but most of them can be easily overcome, particularly, if you tackle them head-on using these hacks.
Explain To The People In Your Home, Clearly, What Remote Work Will Mean For You and Them
Once you have a place to work (and there are some awesome places in the US to work remotely) you can better ensure your remote work productivity by actually talking to people who share the space with you.
Working remotely is easiest when you have control over your work-life balance. Your spouse needs to know when to leave you alone to get the remote work done, they need to be on standby to help your kids too, and so on…
If you communicate what you need, you’re much more likely to get it while working remotely. Productivity hacks don’t get much easier than this.
Have And Stick To A Morning Routine
Remote workers, around the world, say that it’s easier working from home when you have a morning routine before work and when you stick to that routine.
A shower, getting dressed, having breakfast, reading the paper, etc. can help prepare your mind and protect your mental health enabling productivity when you’re remote working.
Take Clear Breaks
Set break times, and stick to them. Don’t spend these breaks on social media but use them to help you stay fresh and alert. It’s hard to stay productive if you never unplug when you work remotely.
Remote Workers Set Daily & Weekly Goals
Getting tasks done, is really a question of task management and that means setting priorities when you work from home as nobody else will do it for you.
Being productive in work mode means knowing what you will do and when. Set goals and schedule tasks accordingly.
Talk To Other People
Look, we don’t mean goof off, but in the office, we talk to our team constantly to ensure we’re all on the same page.
When you’re not in the office stay in touch with your team using a combination of communication tools and collaboration tools.
Replace the water cooler with a virtual version.
Use Classic Time Management Tricks
Old school works when you want to keep productive in a coworking space or at home too. The good old Pareto principle and prioritization methods are great for ensuring the tasks that matter get done on schedule.
Get Your Meals Ready The Night Before You Work
Nobody does their best work when they’re hungry. And making food during work is a pain. Just get what you need ready the night before you work and then you can eat when you need to without any distractions.
Have A Fixed Workspace
I cannot stress how important this is to saving hours and ensuring that each task is done properly. Have a fixed workspace at home or wherever else you work.
Then, you have all the tools you need to hand at all times and it helps to keep distractions at bay too.
Set And Stick To A Definitive Finishing Time
If you spend all the hours of your life at work, your work will suck. Know when to quit each day and do quit.
Go Outside On Your Breaks
A life spent caged up inside is a miserable life. Going outside on breaks helps to create focus for your free time and seeing nature can really help us get ready to work again.
Talk To Your Boss About Things That Bug You
There are no mind readers in remote work. If there’s something about your work that you can’t handle, you need to talk to your boss and fix it. Communication is essential to success in remote work.
Always Eat Lunch At The Same Time Each Day
It might sound silly, but the more of a routine you create, the easier it is to separate life from work and vice-versa.
Undertake Training
If you want to remain a high-end professional, you need to keep updating your skills. Working from home doesn’t mean an end to development, it means taking charge of your own development.
Make Time For Face-To-Face Time With Colleagues
Meetings may not be as fun online, but you need some face-to-face meetings even if they’re only over Zoom with your colleagues.
Make sure to check in with all team members, at least, once a week and ensure they know about any personal or work-related issues that you might be facing.
Final ThoughtS
Working remotely should be easier when you follow these simple tips to become more productive.
And if you’re still facing challenges? Think about them. Seriously, take the time to work out how you can redraw boundaries in your life to overcome the issue rather than worrying about it and letting it impact on your productivity.
