During the pandemic, many companies started implementing voluntary or mandatory telecommuting guidelines. For many of us, this represents a rare challenge: working full-time from home for the first time. Even if you’ve done it before, working from home can feel like a whole new world. It can continue for a longer period than a day (and you have no idea how long it will be). Your entire company is involved. And you can’t always meet in person outside of work.
Here are some pro-tips which I experienced and compiled for working remotely, possibly for an extended period of time. These guidelines will really help you to work from home like a pro.
Establish a Routine
You can decide your working hours yourself, but keeping a consistent schedule is an important part of successful work at home. Determine your daily working hours and book this time just for work.
Choose the time frame that suits you. For example, if you’re a morning person, you can choose to start work early so that you’re full of energy when working on high-priority tasks. You can also save certain time for other responsibilities, such as housework, meals, time with friends and family, to balance work and life.
Maintain a professional attitude
You may want to wear pajamas and work every day, but taking the time to dress can help you find the right attitude for your work. Even if you have nowhere to go or plan a video conference with your boss, dress so that you are not always in relaxation mode.
This doesn’t mean you have to wear a nice blazer or tie, but it’s okay if you can get into the right zone with it. All you have to do is wear clean clothes that are suitable for the day. Take the time to do the rest of the grooming. Take a shower, brush your teeth and hair, and do everything else you normally do to get ready for your workday.
Get your technology in order
Working at home is much easier when you’re ready to use the right technology. Of course, you probably have your computer at hand, but there are devices that you can add to make your workflow smooth.
- Headphones
Invest in a headset with active noise canceling to block and focus on background noise. Even better, get one with strict conversation restrictions that only send your voice, not the dogs barking or the garbage collectors making noises outside the office.
- Cameras
Forget the laptop cameras, enhance your visuals with high-quality webcams and video conferencing tools and improve teamwork. If you want to be serious, get a video-only monitor and webcam so you don’t run out of video images in your monitor space. Ideally, choose a device with a resolution of 1080p or higher. As a bonus, choose a camera with speaker tracking that tracks all your movements as you stand up and move around.
- Hands-Free Phones
If you prefer speakerphones and headsets, then desk phones and portable hands-free phones are for you. It’s nice to get up and move around a bit-especially for voice-only calls. With new features such as Noise Block technology, if you forget to unmute during multitasking, the device will automatically mute the keystroke sound so the meeting will not be interrupted during a call.
Communicate any issues
The first step to addressing issues is communicating with them. Whether you’re dealing with a sudden connection problem, food poisoning, or even an annoying and unproductive email sequence, it’s essential to let your manager or team know what’s going on.
Clear and concise communication is important in a traditional office environment, but in a remote office situation where problems such as illness or hardware problems are not immediately and visible, it’s important to communicate those and instead of further misconceptions.
Avoid distractions
Home distractions can significantly reduce productivity. Clean up your phone at work and avoid time-consuming websites like Facebook and YouTube to help you maintain your productive routine. Avoid working near other distracting objects such as TVs and radios.
Consider installing app or browser extensions on your phone or computer to avoid time-consuming apps and websites. If you have other people at home, explain that you need to be alone while you work. Ask your friends to use minimal phone calls and text during working hours.
I hope the tips above will really help you boost the productivity of anyone working remotely.
