How to Work from Home: Best Tips to Stay Productive

Long gone the days we had to work in brick and mortar offices. Now we can work as a telecommuter. This text tells you how to work from home.

Technological advancements on one hand, and different sorts of conditions (like Covid 19) on the other hand, have made it possible for us (if we don’t say they have forced us) to work from our houses, while enjoying our comforting zone. The terms we interchangeably use to describe people following this phenomenon are telecommuter and teleworker. Although this way of working is possible, we have to follow certain steps to be able to keep working in this way. This article of Tech Trends on the best tips for working from home teaches you how to do so.

How to Work from Home: Be Efficient

If you have just started to working from home, also known as “WFH,” you must change your habits and routines to become a successful teleworker. Having some fresh ideas regarding when to work, where to work and how to create a work-life balance are necessary. Here are 21 work from home tips to maximize your productivity.

Work on regular hours

Work on regular hours
Source: Jeffbullas’s Blog

When you reported to an office, you had set hours when you were expected to work. One of the essential tips for working remotely is to the same as a teleworker. Set a schedule and stay with it as best you can. One of the benefits of working as a teleworker is flexibility when the job allows it. One can start working earlier one day because he has an appointment that afternoon or work late so he can attend your errands. Nonetheless, You must set start and finish time.

Dress for the day

To maximize your odds of being productive as much as possible, dress for the day as if you’re going to a brick and mortar office. If you work in your tops, you may feel more inclined to relax and take some hours off during the day when you should be getting work done. Dress for work and you’ll see yourself more concentrated. In addition, if you must be on video calls, you’ll already be in appropriate attire. Its one of the main points of every ultimate guide to working from home.

Set a routine

When you worked in an office, you probably had a routine. Maybe you started with a cup of tea, or answered your emails before starting handling the day’s project. Following a similar routine at home will help to learn how to work from home efficiently.

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Put your phone on silent mode or airplane mode

Silencing your phone or placing it out of sight to avoid diversions is among the best tips for working from home. If not missing a phone call is vital for you, adjust your phone settings to just permit notifications from certain contacts.

Assign a deadline

Assign a deadline
Source: Time Management Ninja

If you are after some work from home tips to maximize your productivity, consider this one. Set a deadline. When you set a deadline, you’re instructing yourself when to complete certain tasks. Time blocking is a good method to ensure you’re balancing your work and personal errands and, if you share your calendar with online colleagues, they see when you’re available, making it easy to schedule meetings with you.

Create a playlist

One of the benefits of working as a telecommuter is that one can listen to music without headphones or annoying other co-workers in the office, and making a playlist is one of the essential tips for working remotely. Now is a perfect time to think about creating various playlists of your favorite music. You may rather a certain genre of music or a particular artist for certain tasks. Everyone is different, so choose the music that assist you with focusing and staying motivated, then switch it up when you change tasks.

Have a special workspace

When you work from home, it is difficult to isolate work from your personal life unless you set some boundaries. This text as an ultimate guide to working from home suggest you to have a special workspace that used for nothing but your work. If you have an extra room in your home, you can change it to your office or establish a corner of your bedroom with a desk. You may not have area to assign a particular space. In this case, only work from your office “area.” You may get diverted if you work from different spots of your house.

Inform others about your work schedule

To learn how to work from home productively, If you live with others, ensure they are aware of your working schedule. They must know when they shouldn’t distract you or interrupt your work. Tell them that although you are at home, you are still responsible for doing your job and satisfying your manager’s needs. Tell them that they can interrupt you only in emergencies.

Do not work nonstop

Do not work nonstop
Source: Repeller

When you were in a brick and mortar office, you had breaks and you used them. As a teleworker, you should set yourself time during the day to stay away from the computer screen and phone, which is one of the best tips for working from home. Take 30 minutes or an hour for lunch, and a break in the morning and afternoon. If you’re sitting behind a computer, stand up and move to get your blood circulating at least once an hour. Taking your eyes off screen regularly is also necessary to avoid eye strain, even if it’s only for few seconds.

Use timers

Another work from home tips to maximize your productivity is use timers. When working as a telecommuter, timers assist you with staying behind task and taking breaks. You can set a timer for the amount of time you want to work on a certain project. Once the timer rings, you know it’s time to have a break. This helps you become less tired and come back to the task with renewed purpose.

Sign out of social media

Social media, while useful for many things (even for finding essential tips for working remotely), can be a large distraction for many. Sign out of your accounts, so you don’t feel the temptation to visit and scroll. If you have accounts in social media, make sure you check them only for a short time, otherwise you will find yourself spending more time scrolling the feeds than working.

Use a creative working space

Many jobs that you do as a telecommuter offer you the flexibility to work outside your home while having an ultimate guide to working from home. Use this advantage and look for a working place that improves your working efficiency. Getting out of your home office can improve your creativity, focus and productivity, and keep you fresh and motivated.

Demand you needs

Demand you needs
Source: Capital.com

If you are employed to a company that supports your teleworking setup, they may give you equipment similar to what you had at the office to help you how to work from home more productively. They want you to be productive no matter where you’re working from. Don’t hesitate to ask for the right equipment and whatever you need. Companies with established WFH policies often assign a budget for home office equipment, so ask about it and how often equipment is updated.

Overestimate the time required to do your tasks

It’s normal for tasks to take longer than you assume they will, which can be disheartening. As one of the best tips for working from home, overestimate how long you think something will take so that when you complete it under your assigned deadline, you feel rewarded. When you’re able to commit to and deliver in this way, it can set the tone for a positive work environment.

Try to automate tasks

When you’re working as a teleworker, feeling bogged down by the boring tasks you are assigned to is easy. As one of the work from home tips to maximize your productivity find methods to automate them, so you work mostly on things that demand your attention. Some ways to automate your tasks are making workflows, setting up email filters and utilizing an automatic meeting planner.

Improve your momentum

Because you may don’t have the same level of motivation throughout your day, organize your tasks in a way that assist you with building momentum in your work. Its one of those essential tips for working remotely that calm your mind. As an example, you may want to do simple tasks first since you feel motivated by a checkmark on your to-do list. With the easy work done, you may feel more focused to conquer the most time-consuming or complicated tasks next.

Stay connected with colleagues and managers

Stay connected with colleagues and managers
Source: FourVision

In every ultimate guide to working from home its mentioned that working as a teleworker accompanies many benefits, but you may feel isolated. It’s crucial to stay in contact with your colleagues and managers so you feel like a part of a team. Some organizations with remote work policies usually offer ways to socialize. As an example, they might have channels in a team messaging application or have regular online video chats. A simple check-in with others builds up your confidence and inspire you to work harder.

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Schedule your day ahead

Dedicate some of your working time (for example 15 minutes) to schedule your next day and it helps you regarding how to work from home better. Things like creating a task list and time blocking your calendar help you about when to start your day, as you know precisely what you’ll be working on and when. While this schedule is a great starting point, it also helps you adjust accordingly if something unexpected happens.

Use training and conferences for self-improvement

Although you work as a teleworker and may not be as privy to the same in-person training as your colleagues in the office, ask your manager if you can sign up for online training and conferences. If your colleagues are learning more about the industry and growing their skills, you should do the same so you don’t feel behind. It is one of the best tips for working from home.

Attend to online meetings

If you are a telecommuter, you’ll surely be drawn into more online meetings. As an essential tips for working remotely ensure you will “show up” for meetings since your absence can be tracked. Also, speak to inform others that you’re attentive and listening. Simple words and phrases like “hello” and “thank you everyone” go a long way to assuring colleagues and managers that you’re still part of the group even if you’re not at the office.

Establish expectations

Establish expectations
Source: Buffalo Center for Cultural Innovation

When you start working as a telecommuter, it’s a good to set expectations with your manager. Ensure you understand your manager’s needs, measure of your accomplishment, how often you must check in and how they prefer to receive updates regarding your work. This will guide you in finding out if you’re being as productive as you must be, and will also reduce the stress that originate from not knowing how you’re performing. No ultimate guide to working from home is complete without this one.

Make a balance between your work and life

One of the most essential things you can do when you’re working as a teleworker is to set a sound work-life balance. With it, you can avoid unnecessary stress, burnout and low productivity. With a work-life balance, you can attend to both your work and personal responsibilities and be accomplished at both. You should also be happier at work, positive in interactions with your colleagues and have greater loyalty for the company you are working for. We hope this guide have helped you to learn how to work from home more efficiently.

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Source: Tech Trends

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