12 Remote Work Productivity Tips

If you’re just starting out in remote work, you may be wondering how you’ll keep your productivity up?

Well, we’ve got some super handy hints to get you started with our awesome remote work productivity tips. 

Begin The Day By Reflecting On Yesterday

We find that it’s good to kick things off with some meditation (see how to meditate at home here) and then to get out a journal and take a minute or two to reflect on the previous day.

You can then jot down any important thoughts that stand out. After that, you can easily plan out your day too, the more you write things down, the easier they are to achieve.

Have A Proper Routine

Get up at the same time, have breakfast at the same time, dress for work, start work at the same time, etc.

The more you get into a routine, the more it feels like you’re actually at work instead of sitting in your own living room with the TV calling to you.

Set Goals

If you want to get things done, it helps to have targets. We like to set goals in daily, weekly and sometimes, monthly increments.

Attaining your goals also helps you feel like you’ve achieved something of value and gives you something concrete to report to your team/boss too.

Agree Ground Rules With Other People In Your Home

Nobody can work if their kids are constantly running in to the room to interrupt them or their spouse, for that matter.

For your sanity, and theirs, you need to set down some ground rules about when they can have your time and when your time belongs to the office.

By all means be flexible, but you want to hold people to this if you want to be productive.

Give Yourself Formal Break Times

The evidence is clear: breaks prevent you from burning out (check out how else to avoid burnout here) and they make you more productive.

So, formally schedule a lunch break (1 hour, please) and, at least, 2 x 15 minute or 3 x 10 minute breaks across the course of the day.

Don’t stay at your desk for these breaks, get up and move around. 

Take Those Breaks In Full

Seriously, it’s not a break if you spend 5 minutes on the phone for work and 3 minutes checking your email and so on… it’s a break when you’re not working. 

It’s the only way to recharge your batteries. 

Ask For The Things You Need In Your Home Office

Your company needs to help ensure that you have the tools to be productive. 

In some cases, they may allow you to expense these things, in others they may have a fixed stipend for each year and others may actually send you the stuff.

It doesn’t matter which of these things they do, but you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair, desk, etc. 

Don’t go without or fudge a solution – ask your employer to provide it.

Use A VPN

We’ve got a guide to VPNs for home workers here but you want to ensure that your data is completely safe whenever you’re working. 

And to do that you need a VPN which helps keep others from leaching that data. Leave your VPN on permanently if you can, it won’t hurt to have it on when you’re not working.

Don’t Show Up To Meetings, Be Present At Them

It’s all too easy to fall asleep during a big Zoom call but that’s a terrible idea for you and your career.

If you want to be valued, you need to be seen, make sure you speak up to ensure everyone knows you’re there and let everyone know when you leave by giving them a cheery goodbye. 

Seek Out Development Opportunities

You may be awesome at your job today, but if you don’t get some training and development done, in 5 years, you’ll have been left behind.

Make sure to seek out these opportunities (free ones are good but if you need to pay for them, ask your boss to help and explain why they should) and take advantage of them.

Always Be Communicating

It’s hard without an office grapevine for everyone to know what’s being done, what’s been done and what needs done if you don’t communicate.

So, the simplest way to be productive in a remote job is to over-communicate, explain what you’re doing and why, and do it a lot. 

Ask For Feedback And Act On It

The best way of all to be productive when working remotely is to seek out your colleagues and your superiors and ask them what they are happy about and what you can do better for them.

Then do it. Feedback is essential but only if you act on it. 

Final Thoughts On Remote Work Productivity

Being productive when working remotely isn’t as hard as you might think, mainly, it’s about making small changes in your routine so that you’re focused on delivering results.

These productivity tips should give you some practical methods to get started. Good luck.