6 Tips on Staying Productive While Working Remote

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Depending on the type of job you have, especially if a corporate job, you might have the opportunity to work remote sometimes. Most people don’t get to work remote often. This makes it hard to figure out how to successfully be productive while away from the office. For my job, I go in to the office most times but I still get to work from home a couple of days monthly. For people who haven’t figured out how to stay productive while working from home, they find themselves wasting away a work day because they can’t stay focused. Here are some tips to successfully working remotely:

1. Plan the hours you want to work (and stick to it)

Working from home doesn’t have to mean you’ll just wake up and stay in your pajamas all day while taking business calls on the couch. You can’t get much done that way. I typically treat my WFH (work from home) days as though I was going in to the office: I wake up at regular time, have breakfast, shower and put on regular clothes. I definitely don’t put on work clothes if I’m staying at home. However, I still put on something decent but comfortable. It’s very important to start your day early, just like you would if you went in the office. This keeps you on track and would make you productive while working from home.

2. Choose a location to work 

I have a chair and desk in my apartment and I use those as my workstation whenever I work from home. I’m able to focus while working from home but some people struggle with that, especially if they don’t work from home often. Rather than stressing too much and trying to force yourself to focus at home, find another place to work. This can be almost anywhere. If you live in an apartment complex, there might be a community room or workspace that you can use that has WiFi. If not, there’s always Starbucks or any other local coffee shop. Wherever you decide as your offsite spot to work, commit to it and try your best to keep to your planned schedule. This would increase the chances of you staying productive while working remote.

3. Dress the part

I really want to emphasize your WFH outfit because it can make all the difference. If you decide to work outside your home, then I’m assuming you’re dressed decently. However, if you’re at home, it can be tempting to stay in PJs all day, but that will do you no good. I’ve had unplanned business video calls while working from home and if I wasn’t dressed sensibly, I don’t even know what I could have done in those scenarios. Besides the possibility of a video call, the main reason to dress up is that it’ll convince your brain to switch to work mode even though you’re at home. You definitely don’t need to put on a business professional outfit while at home, but putting on a pair of jeans while you sit at a desk will increase the chances of being productive while working from home.

4. Minimize distractions

If you’re not used to working from home often, it can be difficult to minimize distractions. You probably can’t sit at your desk and watch Netflix all day in the office. But when you’re home and the TV is right there, it can be easy to stay on the couch and be fixed on your favorite TV show. To prevent this, you need to have a designated home workstation. For me, it’s my desk and chair area. I know that when I sit there, it’s to work and nothing else. If you live in a smaller place or have a hard time concentrating at home, it’ll be easier to find a workstation outside your home. This really comes back to keeping to your planned schedule. If you made a plan at the beginning of the day, it’ll be easier to keep yourself accountable.

5. Make sure to eat healthy 

Staying healthy is something people don’t think about when it comes to working remote. If you’re working from home, it’s very easy to find yourself snacking all day. As the kitchen is so close, it’s easy to keep going there and eating all throughout the day. After breakfast, determine when you will eat lunch and dinner and maybe a midday snack and stick to that schedule. If you’re working at a cafe, it can be tempting to keep ordering snacks or lattes while you’re there. A solution to this can be to have fruits and snack on this when you’re tempted to buy a pastry. Structure your meal plan for the day like you would if you were in the office and this would keep you on track.

6. Don’t keep working after work hours

It is not healthy to overwork yourself. Sometimes I lose track of time while working from home. I live alone and I don’t have to worry about kids or other responsibilities in the evening. This can sometimes make me forget that work time is over. Ofcourse, you don’t need to give yourself a hard stop at 5/5:30pm. However, you shouldn’t work until 8/9pm every time you work from home. Your day plan for working from home should include a dinner time. This can be a good benchmark to know that it’s getting late and you should take a break from work. Overworking is not healthy and if you have a productive day while working from home, you won’t need to work into the night.

It’s great to have the flexibility to work from home. Depending on your lifestyle, distance from work and other factors, this can be very helpful. However, it is very easy to stay distracted all day. This is why it’s very important to figure out how to be productive while working from home. It might take some time but it’s important to figure out what works for you. I feel comfortable working from my desk in my apartment. I know people who can’t stand doing work in their homes and have to work elsewhere. It really comes down to understanding your personality and your needs and then you can succeed. If you work remotely periodically, I would love to hear some other tips you have. Leave them in the comments!

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