15 tips to make remote work productive
There is no doubt that the practice of working at home as a Home Office is becoming more and more common. Whether it is a way of making money in a fixed way or making extra income, it is something that provides many advantages. You don't have to worry about transportation, where to have lunch or even changes in the weather. But making your remote work productive can be more difficult than it looks.
That's where we find the biggest disadvantage of working from home. After all, many people do not know how to break the domestic life of work when they are in their own homes. That is why we have separated 15 essential tips for those who want to have a productive and consistent remote job. You can check everything in detail below!
1. Make plans
To start our list of tips, we have to talk about one of the most important steps. To be able to have productive remote work, you must have minimal planning for what you are going to do.
This is something that fits with several other tips that we will give here, but just knowing that planning your day to day helps a lot. It doesn't have to be extremely detailed, but something that gives you a sense of what you are going to do each day of the week.
This will help you to focus and know what to start working on next. After all, it saves you from looking for tasks with no specific purpose or from wasting time unnecessarily.
Our recommendation is to use note taking apps, calendars or even diaries to help you with that.
2. Create your schedules
Continuing on the subject of planning, we also suggest that you create schedules for everything you are going to do. Just as if you were working locally in a company.
Of course, it doesn't have to be so strict, after all, some days will require different things and you can change the schedules a little to accommodate yourself. But other than that, create a time to start the day, to eat, to rest a little, have a coffee in the afternoon and end the day, for example.
This helps you get a better sense of the timing of your tasks and keeps you focused. When you don't have the right time to do anything, it's difficult to know whether you're spending too much or too little time on your projects.
3. Establish a routine
Taking into account the two previous topics, our next tip is to use what we have seen so far to establish your routine. Having the planning and schedules, it becomes much easier to do this.
Although routines seem tedious to most people, it can help you stay productive. This can really help to make you more disciplined and motivated.
Again we say that it is not necessary to be so strict about it. Just follow your routine calmly and make changes when you need to.
4. Avoid simultaneous tasks
Some people are definitely able to have productive remote work even when they are working on multiple simultaneous tasks. Only this is not as common or as efficient for most of us.
Our tip is to avoid this habit of multitasking when you can. If you focus on one task at a time, it will be simpler to complete them and even notice possible errors and problems.
5. Avoid social networks
We know that checking social media can be very tempting throughout the day. Only this can really get in the way and get in the way of your productive remote work.
Imagine stopping every 5 or 10 minutes to check something out on social media and losing focus every time it happens. Leave it to your pause times, which are also important and will be covered soon.
6. List your tasks
Well, with your most planned days and an established routine, it is also good to list your tasks. This helps you to know what you will do each day or at least each week.
You don't have to complete everything you planned for tasks for a day, but it's always good to have a sense of what to do next. This frees you up time and you can only continue with a workflow.
And when tasks are left up to date, just reschedule them and reorganize your schedule. It also helps you to be more productive and to have realistic goals every day.
7. Take moments of rest
In this guide on how to have a productive remote job, you will notice that we focus a lot on routine, planning and following your tasks. It's just that of course we don't expect you to do this for 8 hours straight and with breaks just for lunch.
Doing so can cause you enormous strain, not only physical but mental. So, if you really want to be more productive, make sure to take rewarding breaks whenever you finish a task.
It doesn't have to be a long break, just enough to relax, put work aside a little and get back fresh. It is also very important to take short breaks to eat, hydrate, go to the bathroom, etc.
This is not only important for staying healthy, but it also helps in the work itself. There are problems and mistakes that many people cannot solve exactly because they are already exhausted.
With a moment's rest, you can clear your head and find solutions that you hadn't thought of before. If you work with something more creative, it also helps a lot.
8. Stay out of leisure sites
Those who work from home and don't have a boss or supervisor around can fall into the habit of looking at their favorite websites. In much the same way that many of us do with social media.
Of course, this is something perfectly normal at times of pause, but in the middle of working hours. To have a productive remote job, we suggest that you avoid this activity when you are focused on a task.
This can make you work more slowly and even encourage you to keep looking all day for more news.
9. Don't go back to work during leisure hours
Another very important issue that must be addressed is that you should not sabotage your leisure time by work. Unless it is really urgent, leave work only for the times you have previously stipulated.
There are many people who like to check their work emails or finish an assignment after hours. But in doing so, you will only become more tired and possibly stressed when you should be resting to prepare for the next day.
Basically, you won't be productive when you really need it.
10. Separate professional and personal life
Perhaps one of the most unexpected aspects when starting to work from home is the realization of how difficult it is to separate professional and personal life. After all, you'll always be inside your own home, so it's easy to mix things up in a variety of ways.
To name a few examples, this may include doing housework in the middle of working hours, talking to family members during working hours, stopping to rest at random times, etc. This can be something that is not respected even by those who live with you.
Our recommendation is that when you are working, forget that you are at home. Other than that, let those who live with you know that there are times when you shouldn't be disturbed just as if you were in an ordinary office.
Of course, there are always exceptions for more urgent situations, but it is necessary to reinforce this behavior whenever possible.
11. Organize your work environment
A lot of people may even consider this nonsense, but we really don't think you can have productive remote work in a disorganized environment. Nor are we talking about a super sterile environment with everything tidy.
You just have to organize your environment in a way that you can do everything easily. It is worth saying that this refers not only to the room or your desk, but also to your notes and even to the computer you use to work with.
Our suggestion is to set aside a day to organize everything and try to keep things that way whenever possible.
12. Use tools and apps
Our tip below is very simple and consists of telling you to use apps to increase productivity. There are many apps of this type that you can download and use in your daily life.
We even recommend some throughout this guide. But aside from what we already mentioned, it can also be nice to look for apps to organize your schedules, to list your tasks or even to remind you to take breaks.
What is important is to test and use those that you perceive to have real benefits for your productivity. Also, don't get stuck only on recommendations from others, as your job may require very specific apps.
13. Get rid of distractions
We have already commented on social networks and websites that can distract you from your work. But these are just the most common and general situations that most of us face on a daily basis.
Our next tip is to try to get rid of more personal distractions at work as well. For example, someone who loves sports may be tempted to watch a game on TV or read news about it throughout the day.
Or you may find it difficult not to play your favorite game when it is already installed on the PC that you also use for work. The options are numerous and vary from person to person.
Part of the tip for planning and creating a routine also serves to avoid these personal distractions. What you can do is reward yourself with this in your break times or leave it only after work.
14. Don't leave things for the last minute
Another important issue when thinking about productive remote work is procrastination. Many people suffer from this and end up leaving tasks or projects to the last minute.
Maybe because I'm not feeling inspired at the right time or because I'm stressed. Of course it is important to respect this, but it is also difficult to leave everything to resolve later.
When you are feeling this way, try to change your usual schedules a little. This way, you rest when you're not feeling well and get back to work soon after.
Otherwise, it will arrive on deadlines with nothing ready. With this, you may end up delivering a job poorly done, run and even get more stressed than before.
15. Dress for work
Finally, we have a tip that may seem strange to some people. After all, staying in pajamas all day at home can seem more comfortable than changing clothes to work.
Only that can help you separate your work schedule from the moment you are really relaxing at home. It is almost like the fact that one should not work while lying in bed so as not to confuse your mind.
Of course, we are not suggesting that you put on super formal clothes. What you can do is to separate some casual clothes that are comfortable and that you don't wear to sleep.
This can give you the feeling of routine that we mentioned earlier as well. It is a good starting step to feel more productive and get in the way of work.
Did you like the tips to have a productive remote job?
Were you able to take advantage of our tips to learn how to have a productive remote job? So don't forget to leave your comment telling us what you think of the tips!
Also be sure to check out our article on how to use digital banking. So you organize your finances without leaving your home and without dealing with red tape.
Other than that, we recommend that you check out MeisterTask if you are looking for a special app to manage your projects. When you access the link, you start using it today and for free!
