Tips for Working Remotely
Find yourself working remotely? Working from home has its challenges, but there are many steps you can take to ensure a healthy, productive, and satisfying work-from-home experience. Take a look.
Establish Your Workspace
Setting up a dedicated space where you can do your best work is the first step in creating a successful work-from-home experience.
Setup Your Space. Arrange your equipment and surround yourself with the tools you will need (pens, paper, calculator, etc.) to do your job.
Get Comfortable. Pay attention to ergonomics and use the most comfortable chair you can with back support. Consider using a hands-free headset if you have one.
Create a Quiet Environment. If noise is an issue, consider using headphones, earplugs, or even a white noise generator or app to help tune out distractions.
Share Your Schedule. Keeping your roommates or family aware of your schedule and need for quite during calls or meeting can be helpful.
Keep Kids Occupied. Kids home from school? Find an activity for them to do while you are working such as an art project, reading time, or homework. Keeping their minds engaged and focused will allow you to do the same.
Establish a Routine
Keeping your regular morning routine going can help you stay motivated and ready for each day.
Dress for Success. While remote work could mean sweatpants, it doesn’t have to! Making a point to still “dress for work” and start the day off right will signal to your mind that you’re ready to succeed throughout the day.
Take Breaks. Take breaks and lunch away from your remote workspace! It’s important to move around, get fresh air, and take breaks just as you would in an office.
Tidy Up. At the end of each day, tidy and clean up your workspace to prepare for the next day’s work.
Unplug and Unwind. Once your working hours are over, shut down your workstation and enjoy personal time with family. It’s important to maintain a healthy work/life balance even when working from home.
Establish Communication Channels
Working remotely means that regular communication between teams is more important than ever.
Check In Regularly. Be honest with yourself and your manager about what isn’t working or what obstacles you’re encountering.
Communicate Frequently. Err on the side of over-communicating, especially with work progress.
Stay Social. Just because you are stuck at home, doesn’t mean the work experience has to be lonely. Proactively reach out to coworkers with a call or email to see how they are doing. Staying connected with your coworkers is an important part of maintaining an environment of teamwork.
For more helpful tips on working remotely, check out these resources:
23 Essential Tips for Working Remotely
3 Ways To Impress Your Boss While Working Remotely During The Coronavirus Outbreak
