The global shift to remote work has exploded in recent years. Since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, remote work rates have skyrocketed, with a recent Gallup report showing that over 60% of employees worldwide now work remotely all or part of the time. As more roles become location-agnostic, remote work is here to stay. 

But working from home or a remote location comes with its unique challenges. Without the structure, socialization, and oversight of an office environment, it can be difficult to stay motivated, focused, and productive. Success as a remote employee requires adapting and implementing strategies to create an effective home office setup and schedule.

The keys to remote work success lie in three main areas: your physical workspace, work routines and time management, and communication habits. Master these three pillars of remote work, and you can be just as engaged, productive, and successful working from home as you are in a traditional office. In this article, we’ll explore actionable strategies across these three categories to set yourself up for remote work prosperity. With the right mindset and tactics, you can overcome the struggles of working from home and excel as a remote employee.

Have a Dedicated Home Office

Having a dedicated office space in your home is crucial when working remotely. Setting up an ideal home office allows you to be more productive and focused on work throughout the day. 

Creating a dedicated space gets you in the mindset when entering your “work zone”. This separation from your living space helps you mentally transition into work mode, allowing you to have clearer boundaries between work and personal life.

A proper home office also minimizes distractions. When working from your couch, bed, or kitchen, it’s easy to get sidetracked by TV, pets, kids, etc. A separate office reduces interruptions and helps you concentrate better. You can shut the door and eliminate surrounding distractions when it’s time to be heads-down focused.

Your home office should be equipped with the key essentials – a comfortable desk and chair, external monitor(s), wireless keyboard/mouse, headset, high-speed internet, scanner/printer if needed. Having your core tools and hardware enables you to be efficient and productive just as if working from a corporate office.

Make sure your workspace has good natural lighting with adjustable indoor lighting as needed. Proper lighting reduces eye strain and headaches. Organize cables and cords neatly to avoid tripping hazards. Use storage solutions like shelves, bins, and drawers to keep office supplies accessible but out of the way. Decorating your space with plants, art, and photos personalizes your environment.

Follow ergonomic best practices with your setup. Your desk, chair, and monitor height should be adjusted properly for good posture. Take mini breaks to stand and stretch. Having an ergonomic and well-equipped home office sets you up for remote work success.

Set a Routine

Setting a consistent routine is crucial when working remotely to stay productive. Without the structure of an office environment, it can be easy to slack off or get distracted. Having a routine provides organization and discipline.  

When working from home, you don’t have co-workers or bosses watching over you, so you need to hold yourself accountable. Set regular working hours and stick to them. Identify your most productive times of day and do focused work during those hours. Take breaks at consistent times to recharge.

Creating set routines around meals, exercise, family time, and leisure activities will also help maintain work-life balance. Don’t let work bleed into all hours of the day. Designate set times for non-work activities. 

Other tips for an effective remote work routine:

• Get ready for work each morning like you would for an office. Shower, dress professionally, eat breakfast. This will put you in a work mindset.
• Schedule time for deep work when you have the most energy and won’t be interrupted.
• Build buffer time between meetings to complete tasks. Don’t schedule back-to-back video calls.  
• Take a lunch break and leave your desk. Eat away from your computer.
• Do a quick tidy and reset of your workspace at the end of each workday.

Sticking to a consistent routine removes decision fatigue and helps remote workers stay engaged and focused. Establish a schedule that maximizes your productivity while still allowing for work-life balance.

Take Breaks

Working remotely makes it easy to fall into the habit of working long hours without breaks. While you may feel productive powering through your tasks, burnout, and mental fatigue often creep up. Taking regular breaks is essential for maintaining energy, focus, creativity, and motivation as a remote employee.  

Even quick, 5-10 minute breaks to stretch, grab a snack, or walk around can provide mental relief from constant screen time. Consider setting a timer to remind yourself to take a short break every 60-90 minutes. Go outside and get some fresh air if possible. Just a few minutes of movement or meditation can re-energize you.  

Longer 15-30 minute breaks are also recommended every few hours. Eat lunch away from your desk, go for a short walk or do light exercise, catch up on personal tasks, or chat with a friend or family member. Build in longer breaks to give your mind substantial rest from thinking about work. A renewed perspective helps you tackle the rest of the day’s tasks.

Scheduling free time before or after the workday for hobbies, errands, appointments, and social activities also prevents burnout. With no office small talk or commute eating into personal time, remote workers must be intentional about taking breaks. Protect your mental health by incorporating various types of rest periods into your remote work routine.

Stay Organized

Staying organized is crucial when working remotely. Without colleagues and managers around to keep you on track, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by tasks. Having organization systems in place helps remote workers stay focused each day.

Use Project Management Tools

Project management software like Asana, Trello, and Basecamp can help you create task lists, set due dates, assign work, and track progress. Maintain one master task list that compiles all your open projects and to-do items. Break larger projects into small, actionable tasks. Check off items as you complete them to maintain a sense of progress.

Create a Filing System 

Set up digital and physical systems to store documents and information. For your computer files, use descriptive folder names like “Client Projects” and “Email Newsletters”. Delete old files regularly so your system doesn’t get cluttered. For paper files, use binders or file cabinets to store important documents. Label the outside and create an index so items are easy to find.

Schedule Time to Plan

Block off time in your calendar each week to step back and look at the bigger picture. Review upcoming deadlines, projects, and meetings. Re-prioritize tasks and delegate items when possible. Planning leads to less stress than a frantic day-to-day schedule.

Set Reminders

Use calendar appointments, phone alarms, or apps to remind yourself of deadlines, meetings, and tasks. Reminders help you stay focused on what needs to get done each day vs. jumping between tasks. Silence notifications during deep work sessions so you aren’t disturbed.

Staying organized with the right systems allows remote workers to focus time on meaningful work rather than administrative tasks. Approaching each day with intention leads to greater productivity.

Set Communication Rules

When working remotely, communication can easily become fragmented across different channels like email, chat, video calls, and more. This can lead to confusion, missed messages, and misaligned teams. That’s why it’s critical to establish clear communication rules and norms when working remotely. 

Communication Best Practices

• Set regular meeting times for team check-ins, collaboration sessions, and syncs. Consistent meeting cadences keep everyone aligned.
• Establish primary communication channels. Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat are popular options. Ensure everyone knows where to direct different types of communications.
• Over-communicate at first, then streamline later. Don’t assume things don’t need to be said. Clarify and confirm to build shared understanding.
• Default to asynchronous communication when possible. Written communication allows people to respond on their own time.
• Reply quickly to time-sensitive messages. Urgent issues require real-time discussion. But manage expectations on response times.
• Summarize long discussions and decisions. Recap Slack conversations and meeting notes to capture key outcomes. 
• Share status updates regularly. Keep team members in the loop on projects and workstreams.
• Ask questions early and often. Don’t wait until something becomes problematic. Proactively seek clarity and input.

Tools for Team Communication

• Slack offers flexible channels, threaded messages, and robust integrations. It’s ideal for day-to-day team chatter.
• Zoom enables face-to-face virtual meetings, screen sharing, and video calls. Great for collaboration sessions.
• Asana helps manage projects and tasks. Share assignments, track progress, and coordinate workflows. 
• Google Docs allows real-time co-editing of documents, spreadsheets, slides, and more.
• Trello organizes projects into visual boards and lists. See the big picture at a glance.
• Calendly makes scheduling meetings easy. Automatically find times that work across time zones.
• Loom records quick video messages to share feedback and updates. More personal than written comms.

With the right tools and practices, distributed teams can communicate seamlessly. Establish norms early when going remote to keep everyone connected.

Limit Distractions

Working from home offers many benefits but one major downside is distractions. When the office is just steps away from the kitchen or bedroom, it can be challenging to focus. Here are some strategies to limit distractions and increase productivity as a remote worker. 

Watch Out for Time Wasters

Common WFH distractions include TV, social media, pets, and other household tasks like chores and errands.  Make a list of your distractions and be self-aware of when you are procrastinating. Use website blockers to limit access to distracting sites during work hours. 

Minimize Interruptions

Interruptions can derail your focus. Silence notifications, close unused browser tabs, turn off your phone and use headphones with calm background music. Set boundaries with family about your workspace and working hours. A “Do Not Disturb” sign can be helpful. Take breaks away from your desk so you’re not tempted by distractions.

Take Advantage of Flexibility

One great perk of remote work is flexibility. Structure your day to match when you are most productive. Knock out difficult work during peak energy times and do admin work when you’re energized. Adjust schedules to avoid overlap with household distractions.

Create Work Blocks

Use productivity methods like the Pomodoro technique to time block-focused work sprints of 25-30 minutes followed by short breaks. Find blocks of time with the fewest potential disruptions. Disconnect distracting apps like email during work blocks to maintain deep focus. 

With some adjustments, it’s possible to limit distractions, improve focus, and be productive when working remotely. Set yourself up for success by proactively managing time wasters.

Master Time Management

Time management is critical when working remotely since you don’t have co-workers or managers watching over your shoulder. Without proper time management, it’s easy to get distracted and fall behind on your work. Here are some tips for managing your time effectively as a remote employee:

• Use a calendar app – Apps like Google Calendar or Outlook allow you to block off time for focused work, meetings, breaks, etc. Set reminders so you don’t forget important calls or deadlines. Share your calendar with co-workers so they can schedule accordingly.
• Use a timer – Set a timer for 25-30 minutes and focus just on the task at hand during that time. When the timer goes off, take a short 5-minute break before the next 25-30 minute timer. The timed intervals help you stay focused. 
• Schedule your most important tasks – Don’t just start working on whatever seems urgent first. Take a few minutes each morning to identify your most important 1-3 tasks and schedule those first.
• Limit interruptions – Disable notifications, close email, silence your phone, and close distracting apps and tabs when you need to focus.  
• Take breaks – Get up and move around periodically to recharge. Take a short walk, stretch, grab a snack, etc. 
• Review weekly – Each Friday, review your completed tasks and assess if you manage your time effectively. Identify areas to improve.

With some preparation and discipline, you can master your schedule and ensure you are using your time efficiently even when working remotely.

Make Time for Ergonomics

Working from home allows you more flexibility to get comfortable, but it’s important not to sacrifice your physical health in the process. Setting up an ergonomic workstation at home is essential to avoiding repetitive stress injuries or problems like back and neck pain when working long hours. 

Here are some ergonomic tips to keep in mind:

• Invest in an adjustable chair and desk or laptop stand so you can regularly change positions. Look for products that allow your feet to rest flat on the floor, thighs to be parallel to it, and arms even with the surface of the desk. 
• Place your monitor at eye level to avoid neck strain. If using a laptop, use books or a stand to prop it up to the proper height.
• Keep your wrists in a neutral position while typing to prevent injury. Use an external keyboard and mouse so you don’t have to reach up to your laptop. 
• Set a timer to take a break and stand up every 30 minutes. Simple stretches can go a long way in preventing muscle soreness or stiffness.
• Arrange your workspace so you don’t have to twist your neck or body excessively to reach things. Keep the phone, notebook, and other items you use regularly within arm’s reach.

Investing in your home office setup goes a long way in maintaining productivity and well-being as a remote employee. An adjustable desk and chair, external mouse/keyboard, and laptop stand are worthwhile investments for your workspace. Don’t forget to budget for essential ergonomic accessories like monitor risers, footrests, back supports, and wrist pads. Your health is the most valuable asset when working from home.

Conclusion

Working remotely takes dedication, focus, and self-discipline. But with the right strategies, it can be an extremely rewarding experience that allows you to have flexibility and work-life balance. Here’s a summary of the key tips covered:

• Have a dedicated home office space. Outfit it with proper office furniture and equipment to maximize productivity.
• Stick to a set routine as if you’re going into an office. Get ready, dress professionally, and start/end work at the same time daily.  
• Take regular breaks to recharge. Get up and move around, stretch, or meditate. Breaks boost productivity.
• Stay organized with calendars, to-do lists, and file systems. Use technology to collaborate and communicate.
• Set communication rules with household members to limit disruptions during work hours. Be available when expected.
• Minimize distractions in your workspace and when online. Use focus modes, website blockers, or noise-canceling headphones.
• Practice excellent time management. Prioritize important tasks, limit interruptions, batch similar tasks, and meet deadlines. 
• Make time for ergonomics. Ensure your desk and chair are set up properly to avoid pain or strain.

Working remotely allows for flexibility and comfort. But you have to be strict about creating structure and minimizing distractions. Implementing these tips will set you up for success as a remote employee. With dedication and focus, you can thrive working from home.