13 Essential Work from Home Tips to Help Stay Productive
Remote work has become more popular as it allows people to work anywhere and have a flexible work-life schedule. A recent study involving 10,000 employees found that 27% work remotely.
Yet, most people weren’t prepared for this shift when people left their offices in early 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a matter of fact, despite the fantastic benefits of working from home, it comes with several challenges that span both your work time and home life.
Poor time management, having no work-life balance, and lack of motivation are just some of the challenges remote employees deal with. This article will share the best working from home tips to improve productivity, and your personal life.
Working from Home Tips
The following tips will help you start working from home and improve your remote work setup. If you’ve been wondering how to work remotely for a while, let’s dive into this article of work from home tips.
Maintain a Morning Routine Before You Start Working
One of the best ways to stay productive during your work day is to start it right. You can do this by creating and sticking to a morning routine.
Everything you do can help prepare you for a productive work day. So start your morning by taking a shower, having your morning coffee, and eating something that gives you enough energy for the day ahead. It’s important not to miss any habits you’d otherwise stick to if you were working from the office.
Get Ready for Work, Avoid Wearing Your Pajamas
Preparing yourself mentally makes a lot of difference when working from home. Although there’s nothing wrong with sitting in your pajamas, wearing them all day will dampen your mood.
Wearing something you’d wear to the office prepares you mentally for a productive work day. It’s best to find a balance between wearing something professional and comfortable. Choose something that makes you feel good, presentable, and relaxed, and practice good personal hygiene even if you won’t meet with anyone throughout the day.
The outfit you pick depends on your industry, role, and whether you’ll hold meetings with others. Ensure your clothes are clean and ironed to always be ready for remote meetings.
Maintain Normal Working Hours While You Work Remotely
A messed up work-life balance is employees’ most prominent challenge when working from home. And the best way to overcome this problem is to maintain a consistent schedule.
Although you might start early or late, especially if you’re working with someone in another time zone, you should still determine when your workday starts and ends.
Luckily, there are several time-tracking apps for remote workers and hybrid teams, helping you stick to your schedule and identify your most productive hours of the day.
Set Up Your Home Office and Workspace
Enjoying your home’s comfort doesn’t mean you should sit on your couch or bed all day. As a matter of fact, setting up your home office and a proper work environment will help you stay more productive.
Working from your bed can make you feel sluggish, so you won’t feel as active as you would feel working from your desk in a proper chair. Moreover, it can put a lot of pressure on your lower back, leading to back pain.
A dedicated workspace will minimize distractions and keep everything within reach. It will also help keep the rest of your house organized.
If you have kids or other family members in your household, they’ll know your workspace is off-limits, helping you can stay more focused. You should also discuss boundaries if you’re sharing your space with an adult who works from home so you don’t confuse one another.
Pick Your Work-From-Home Tools
When working in the office, your company takes care of many issues, including office supplies, IT problems, and connectivity issues. Shifting to a work-from-home lifestyle means you’ll have to deal with all these problems independently.
Having high-speed internet is crucial when you’re working from home, so make sure that you pick a spot where you’re less likely to face connectivity issues. Remove obstacles around your router, if possible, to enjoy better connectivity. You can also upgrade your internet subscription.
Contact your company for any tools or supplies you might need while working. This might include a new laptop, a wireless keyboard, or a good pair of headphones.
Take Breaks
Taking a few breaks every day is good for your mental and physical health, especially when working from home. There are guidelines regarding breaks at every company, but you might ignore break hours when working from home.
Having 15-minute breaks daily, in addition to lunch breaks, will make a huge difference. And when you’re working from home, your lifestyle becomes more sedentary, so you should get up, walk, and move your body every hour, even if it’s just for a minute.
Eat Right
Working at home means your kitchen is always accessible, which might tempt you to eat more often or order takeouts. Yet, sticking to a healthy diet will help you maintain a healthy weight and give you the energy to work instead of feeling drained.
You might spend more time planning your meals when you work at the office by preparing a lunch box or choosing healthy options from the cafeteria. Sticking to a healthy diet is possible by eating protein-rich food, adding more vegetables, and drinking enough water.
Although it might be tempting to drink more coffee to stay awake and alert, too much caffeine can accelerate your heartbeats, make you anxious, and increase your dehydration. Instead, try some coffee alternatives like matcha tea and lemon water.
Leave Home
You should move from home to work elsewhere whenever possible. Going out, sitting in the fresh air, and being exposed to natural light will help you stay more productive. Changing the scenery will decrease boredom, motivate you, and help with stress and anxiety.
Choosing the right place to work away from home isn’t that easy, though. You should pick a space where it’s not too crowded to focus on your work.
Coworking spaces are quite beneficial because they provide high-speed internet, but they might be too expensive for some people. Libraries and restaurants can also work, but you should avoid busy hours if you choose a restaurant.
Sleep Properly
Your sleep pattern can be highly affected when you work from home unless you set a defined work-rest schedule. Knowing that you don’t have to get up for work might tempt you to stay up late, and binge-watch your favorite shows. This can eventually end up with you waking up the next morning feeling drained.
Getting at least 7-8 hours daily is important, although some people can feel energized with just six hours of good sleep. Avoid extending your work schedule every day because, eventually, you’ll spend more time working, and likely burn yourself out.
Have a proper sleep schedule and try to get to bed at the same time every day until it becomes a habit. Short power naps can also help if you work longer hours.
Plan Free Time Activities in Your Personal Time
When working in the office, you’d be looking forward to having drinks with a friend or enjoying dinner with your family. You should do the same when you’re working from home.
Meditation can be an excellent way to end a busy day. You can go outside and meditate in the garden or park or go to the gym for an hour workout.
Doing something away from your workspace helps take your mind off work duties. It’s important not to eat where you work and to plan your meals like you would typically do. Whenever possible, go outside and enjoy a night with colleagues and friends.
Put Your Phone Away To Stay Productive and Eliminate Distraction
You’re less likely to check your phone during work meetings in the office, but this might not be the case when working from home. To minimize distractions, put your phone away or set it to silent so you don’t feel tempted to check notifications while working.
Keeping your phone in a different room is best unless you need to check on family members. It’s also crucial to avoid checking your social media during work hours.
Stay in Touch With Colleagues
Just because you’re not working in the office doesn’t mean all ties are cut. As a matter of fact, it’s crucial to maintain contact with your colleagues using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or any other video call program that your company uses for regular communication.
Apart from work conversations, it’s crucial to hold some personal chats. Regular communication helps improve communication between remote workers.
You should also check in with your manager and other team members by providing feedback, asking questions, and discussing when you plan to be offline. Although working from home is flexible, it’s still important work you work with others, so you should try to make things go as smoothly as possible.
Stay Positive
If you’ve just switched to a work-from-home setup, you might feel confused and even stressed. This is normal until you get used to the new system.
You might miss your office, interacting with your coworkers, and even the office cafeteria. Revise your working-from-home setup and make any necessary changes if things don’t feel comfortable.
Ask your colleagues and your boss for advice and see how they work from home more successfully. You can also find online support groups for those who work from home, where you can contact others and see how they manage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to organize a to-do list?
Organizing a to-do list helps you effectively track your work done.
This involves breaking tasks into manageable pieces, setting deadlines, prioritizing tasks, and reviewing progress regularly. Keep your tasks specific, realistic and track them with an app or a notepad.
How can I improve my productivity on a day of work?
To improve productivity on a work day, start by setting clear and achievable goals. Implement strategies like the Pomodoro Technique or time blocking to maintain focus.
Allocate dedicated time for breaks and follow our tips that will help, such as reducing distractions, getting quality sleep, and staying organized.
How do I manage stress outside of work?
Sometimes working remotely can creep into your personal life more than working in an office would. Managing stress involves identifying stress triggers, practicing relaxation techniques, and creating a healthy work-life balance.
Engage in activities that bring joy and help unwind, such as hobbies, exercise, socializing, and pursuing personal goals. Seeking support from friends, family, or a mental health professional can also aid in stress management.
How can I improve focus and productivity when it’s time to put work first?
Improve focus and productivity by setting clear goals, breaking tasks into smaller steps. This will help you stay in work mode longer and eliminate distractions.
Also consider creating a comfortable work arrangement, and using time management tools to achieve better results.
Wrap Up
The remote work life is flexible and can benefit you in numerous ways. However, it can become challenging, especially if you’re new to the work-from-home life.
In this article, we went over 13 tips for working from home to follow which can help you be productive when working from home. Revising your routine, being sure to take a lunch break, and making changes as necessary are crucial to find the most comfortable system that works for you and allows you to be more productive.
