How Can I Be Successful Working Remotely?

The pandemic has shown that it’s necessary for employers and employees alike to have flexible working arrangements.

Before COVID-19, only 17% of employees worked from home for five or more days a week. This statistic has increased to 44% during the pandemic. As someone who’s worked from home even before the pandemic started, I know the challenges and benefits of remote work.

Working from home is different from traditional office jobs, so, how can I be successful working remotely? Have a designated workspace, set a daily routine, dress well, make a to-don’t list, find an effective time-management technique, set clear boundaries, take breaks and communicate with your co-workers.

Remote work has many benefits, but you may need to take on new habits to maintain your productivity and work-life balance. Lacking an office space, defined work hours, and colleagues around them, how can employees maintain their performance? Well, it all boils down to a shift in mindset. With the new normal, employees need to shift how they approach work.

This article distills some great tips on doing so. But before that, we’ll briefly define remote work, the changes it brings, and how you can benefit from it. So read on to know more!

What is Remote Work?

Remote work is when the employee works outside of traditional office space. They may choose to work at home, in a co-working space, or wherever they feel most comfortable. This setup can also be called telecommuting or working from home. An employee can either be fully remote or have a flexible work arrangement.

Those who are fully remote work full-time in their remote locations. They do not need to report to an office. Instead, they accomplish all their tasks with the help of technology.

Meanwhile, an employee with a flexible work schedule holds a regular in-office position. Depending on their agreement, they will need to report to the office a few days a week. Then, they may choose to do their work remotely on other days.

The Benefits of Remote Work

The following is a quick rundown of the most common reasons employees and employers alike prefer remote work.

For Employees

1. More control over time

Employees believe that working remotely gives them more flexibility. Once they have finished their tasks for the day, they may move on to housework or leisure activities. This setup is particularly helpful for young families. Parents can structure their workday to fit the schedules and needs of their children. You can also enjoy more quality time with the people that matter to you.

2. Less time and money is wasted on commuting

The time and money you spend to get to and from work add up to quite a substantial number. If you cut this expense, you’ll have more resources and energy to spend on the things you enjoy. Beyond this, the gas you consume to and from work can’t be good for the environment, especially if your office is far from home.

3. Fewer distractions and interruptions

A 2018 survey by Flexjobs shows that 75% of respondents want to work remotely to avoid distractions. These distractions may come in the form of loud colleagues or overall office noise. Meanwhile, 74% say that remote work means fewer interruptions from workmates.

4. Better quality of health and life

In the same 2018 Flexjobs survey, 77% of respondents believe that flexible jobs help them become healthier. They can eat better and exercise more. 86% say they’ll also be less stressed. And with your commute time reduced, if not eliminated, you can get better sleep. This extra sleeping time, in turn, boosts your productivity. Get to know more about this from our article: Top Sleep Tips to Boost Your Productivity at Work.

For Employers

1. More productive employees

Employees who work remotely are more incentivized to finish their tasks promptly. As such, they will increase their productivity to meet the company’s requirements. Having more control of their time, they’ll take the best possible avenues to accomplish each task.

2. Less turnover rate

The State of Remote Work Report from Owl Labs shows that remote workers are happy in their jobs. Happier workers mean that they’re less likely to seek other employment opportunities. US companies that support remote work have lower turnover rates.

3. Less money goes into office rent and other expenses

It takes a substantial amount of money to keep an office running smoothly. Now, if your company’s employees have flexible work schedules, you can opt to rent smaller office spaces. You’re not only saving on rent but also other utilities.

4. Bigger talent pool

When you don’t need your workers to report to an office, your talent pool becomes bigger. Since you don’t need to hire people within your company’s vicinity, you gain the opportunity to employ people from more diverse backgrounds.

There’s a whole host of benefits to remote working. We have written about this topic at length in our 25 Workplace Flexibility Benefits article.

Eight Tips to Successfully Work Remotely

Now that you’re familiar with the perks of working remotely, it’s time to dive into how you can do it successfully. The following are eight tried and tested tips to successfully work remotely from workplace and productivity experts:

Tip 1: Have a Designated Work Area

Having a dedicated area for work signals to you and those around you that you’re in work mode when in that space. If you’re working from home, find a quiet, well-lit place to set your home office.

Surround yourself with the materials you’ll need during the workday. These may include a webcam, headphones, a printer, and a calendar. As added motivation, you can also put up a framed photo of your family.

Make sure that the space you create for yourself is one you’re excited to go to daily. Premium Graduates Placements notes that a routine and personalized workspace boosts motivation.

Curious to know more about setting up a workspace at home? Browse our article on Going Remote: How to Create Your Own Flexible Workspace.

Tip 2: Set a Daily Routine

One pitfall of working from home is that there’s no set structure. This setup tempts employees to work whenever and wherever it suits them. However, this may not be the best idea for productivity. To combat the inertia of unproductivity, you’ll need to create a routine that you can commit to.

This routine will look different for everyone. You may choose to do chores, run errands, or exercise in the morning before starting work. Or perhaps you prefer to finish the day’s work before moving on to personal matters. Others opt to have a hybrid. All options are valid. What’s important is you can commit to the daily routine you set.

You’ll also need to take into account the routines of your team members. Would you need to be reachable during a set time? Would you need to collaborate with others to accomplish specific tasks? If so, are their routines parallel to yours? Are there weekly meetings you need to attend?

Moreover, observe the time of the day wherein you’re most productive. You’ll want to do your most pressing tasks during this period.

Finally, don’t forget to add a shut-down ritual to your daily routine. When we used to work on-site, the time we spend on our daily commute is how we decompress. We may not necessarily have this when working remotely. So, our work-life boundaries may get blurred. Therefore, it’s essential to have a ritual to signal another end of a workday to our brains.

These rituals don’t need to be complex. They can be something as simple as powering down your computer and clearing up your workspace. Alternatively, you can put on some music and mentally close down the work tabs in your brain.

Tip 3: Dress Well

Don’t retire those fancy shirts and dressy slacks just yet! Although you’re not in office any longer, you’ll still need to dress the part of a professional. Taking time to dress up as if you were going to work puts you in the right mindset to face the workday. You create an association in your brain that dressing a certain way means that you need to be undergoing a set of functions.

Moreover, if you make it a habit to dress well, you’ll be more confident to attend impromptu video conferences. You’ll also feel a sense of satisfaction donning your at-home clothes after a long workday. Changing from work to an at-home attire can even be a part of your shut-down rituals!

Tip 4: Make a ‘To-Don’t’ List

We all hear about the wonders of a to-do list. You’re less likely to forget important tasks when you write them down. You can also determine how your day is going to go by the tasks you have on hand.

Studies show that our brains love ordered tasks. We’re more likely to be productive when we have a structured set. However, a to-do list doesn’t stop us from taking on more than we can handle. A to-don’t list can, though.

If you want to prevent overwhelm, you need to identify what you need to stop doing. The Harvard Business Review shares a simple way to do it:

Have a specific goal or area in work that you want to get better at.
Fold a piece of paper in half. List down your daily tasks on the left and your biggest wins on the right.
Connect each win to a related daily task. The tasks that don’t have one attached to them mean that they aren’t serving your goals.

Tip 5: Try Time Management Methods

Productivity and time management go hand-in-hand. You may be attentively working on a task only to look up and realize that you missed lunch. At the other end of the spectrum, you may be taking too many breaks. This habit can extend your workday longer than necessary.

To avoid falling into these traps, utilize time management methods. These techniques ensure that you stay focused when you need to. You can also get a better handle on how long each task should take. The following are some of the most common and effective time management methods.

The Pomodoro Technique

If you have a hard time staying focused, the Pomodoro Technique may be the thing for you. Created by author and entrepreneur Francesco Cirillo, the technique relies on short periods of intense work. Here’s how the method works:

Have a task that you want to get done.
Set your timer for 25 minutes. This interval is called a Pomodoro.
Work on the task you set out to do.
Once the timer rings, take a 5-minute break.
Repeat steps 2-4 until you finish the task. If you have accomplished four Pomodoros, you can take a longer break.

The Pomodoro Technique compels you to focus on the task at hand and rewards you after each stint. Beyond this, it also gives you a gauge of how long each goal takes.

The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is for people who have difficulty prioritizing tasks. You’ll graphically represent tasks based on importance and urgency. Here are the steps to this technique:

Draw out a model like this:

2. Then, list down your daily tasks based on the appropriate space

Remember, “important” here pertains to how valuable the task is to your overall goal. On the other hand, “urgent” means how time-sensitive the assignment is.

Tasks in the first quadrant are ones that you must do. Those in the second should be done but aren’t time-sensitive. Tasks in the third and fourth quadrant are those you need to delegate and delete.

Eat That Frog Technique

If you’re one to leave things up to the last minute, you’ll benefit from the Eat That Frog Technique. This technique will require you to do the most troublesome task at the start of your day. Once you’ve listed out your responsibilities, take the most important or challenging ones. Accomplishing these then makes you feel more motivated to finish your day strong.

Tip 6: Set Clear Boundaries

A pressing concern of those working remotely is that their work and home lives get blurred. This dilemma is particularly true if you’re working from the comforts of your home. Having a set workspace and daily routine are excellent first steps. However, you’ll also need to set boundaries around expectations. As one LinkedIn user says, “It’s important to communicate what we need so that there is compatibility in the workplace.”

If you need to collaborate with a team, make sure that everyone is clear about when you can contact each other. Once you have set “work hours,” make sure that you follow them as much as possible. For example, your workday ends at 6 pm. Therefore, colleagues should not expect you to reply to their work emails at 6:30. On your end, don’t be tempted to check your emails.

Meanwhile, make sure that the people living with you are aware of your work hours and routine. Take time to have a sit-down and communicate expectations. Make sure that signals, such as you being in your workspace and wearing work attire, mean the same to everyone.

You’ll also need to take into account the needs of the other people in your home. Perhaps your spouse needs you to take the dog for a walk every other day because they have work. Whatever the case, communication remains a critical tool for ensuring a healthy home environment.

Jillian Laks, who does marketing at LinkedIn, shares some other boundaries you can explore when working remotely. She shares that at times, it’s okay not to know everything. You can have that snack or take a walk whenever you need them.

Tip 7: Take Breaks

You aren’t a machine, so you shouldn’t work like one. Taking breaks is vital to refreshing your brain and increasing productivity. They can also increase well-being, restore motivation, decrease fatigue, and improve learning. Now, we’re not talking about breaks where you spend time scrolling through social media. Instead, it’s best to be deliberate about your break time.

Here are some activities you can try out on your next work break:

Stretch your body
Take a walk
Do some breathing exercises
Give your loved ones a hug
Do housework
Fix a snack

Taking a break ties helps you balance your health and well-being with work. And when you do so, Executive Recruiting Coordinator Brittany Stassano shares that you’ll be more productive in your work hours.

Tip 8: Communicate with Your Co-Workers

To boost collaboration, you need to form good relationships with your colleagues, superiors, and subordinates.

Take time to build rapport by asking about your co-worker’s day. A marketing expert on LinkedIn shares that she makes it a point to get to know her co-workers beyond the work context. Conversation and time for questions open up rich discussions and helps build connections and trust.

You can also open up to your co-workers about any issues you face. You might find that they also face the same work problems. Who knows, in the process, perhaps you can find more efficient ways to go about your work.

Beyond this, don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek help. After all, your success is the team’s success.

Finally, staying connected boosts team morale. As you encourage and motivate each other, you find that work becomes more manageable. It also won’t hurt to join team-building activities. For ideas on virtual team-building activities that you can easily employ, check out our article on this matter!

Conclusion

We all have to contend with changes in how we work. Fortunately, there are effective strategies that make remote work a breeze. From boosting productivity to finding the right work-life balance, this article identifies ways so you can find success in working remotely.