5 Tips for Working Remotely

In this day and age, remote working is quickly becoming the norm. Typically, this is when you can work from home or another remote location instead of in an office. Although it sounds easy, remote working comes with its own set of challenges, which could potentially hamper your productivity and performance if they aren’t overcome.

To help you successfully navigate remote working, here are five important tips you can adapt:

Choose a Dedicated Workspace 

Being cooped up in your bedroom or the living room – places typically associated with relaxing and leisure – can cause you to become unfocused and unproductive. To help you ease into a working state frame of mind without any distractions, set up your workspace in a dedicated area of your home.

Establish Ground Rules

Set out a couple of ground rules if you’re sharing your workspace with other people. For example, make it clear to your spouse and/or children about your working hours and what they can/cannot do during that time. Or, for example, if you’re sharing your workspace with someone who also does remote work, speak to each other – and make compromises – about sharing equipment and meetings so that it doesn’t interfere with each other’s work.

Take Regular Breaks

Need to stretch your legs and give your eyes a rest from staring at your computer screen? Use your lunch-hour to grab a bite to eat, take a walk around the block, catch a quick nap, or take a trip to the shop. Also, schedule at least two 15-minute breaks so that you can relax away from your desk.

Reach Out and Socialise

Communication is key to staving off feelings of loneliness and boredom. Don’t hesitate to video-call your colleagues and speak to them for advice or for a chat, like you would do if you were both in an office. Alternatively, if your loved ones are close by, use your break to spend time with them.

Don’t Tip the Balance

Establish a clear balance between your working life and home life. It’s easy to lose track of time to the point where you continue to work during your off-hours, which could lead you to feeling overworked and burned out.

Set an alarm on your cellphone or laptop so that it can alert you when the work day officially comes to an end; likewise, don’t become distracted to the point that you forget to focus on your tasks and projects.