8 BEST Tips for Working From Home Remotely

1. Create a Routine

One of the first things I learned after working sporadically while traveling the world is that my productivity dropped dramatically if I did not work in a routine.

You see, our brains work in different ways at different times, and without a proper routine that fits the type of person you are, you will likely be utilizing your brain ineffectively, hence affecting your work outcome without knowing it.

For example, I know that I am a morning person, so I will often work on the hardest task that requires my brain to be fully engaged first thing in the morning, right after coffee (very important for me 🤣), and leave the mundane tasks for the evening when my brain is not at its best.

You may be an early bird like me or a night owl who works best at night, and so it is important to create a routine that will allow you to maximize your creativity and productivity to the fullest, depending on your preferences.

Set up a routine for weekdays just like when you are at an office. For example, wake up at 8 AM, have breakfast at 9 AM, start working until 12 PM, go for lunch until 1 PM, and focus on more mundane tasks until 4-5 PM. Finally, enjoy your free time for the rest of the day.

2. Create a Personal Workspace

This is also another important point on how to work from home effectively. Having your own personal space that is not on a sofa or in your bedroom is essential to keeping you productive for the rest of the day.

Find a space where you can work without any distractions and commit to working in your workspace every day. This will allow your mind to associate the environment with working and help prepare your body and mind for the task at hand.

Make sure that your workspace is ergonomically comfortable with an office chair that has lumbar support, a table that is low enough for your hands to be at a slightly 90° angle, especially if you work on a computer all day. Also, make sure there is enough natural light coming in so that you will feel more energetic when you are in your workspace.

Do not work on a sofa in front of a TV. This is a sure way to constantly distract yourself and/or unintentionally fall asleep. Also, avoid working near a bed because, for me, a bed is like a magnet. It keeps pulling me in for a nice little nap, and then 3 hours later, I end up even more tired and still haven't accomplished anything all day.

3. Maintain a To-Do List

This is one of the easiest yet most important changes to make when you start working remotely. When I started working remotely for the first time, I was completely lost and struggling to keep myself motivated throughout the day due to the fact that I did not have a particular goal in mind.

After a few months of aimlessly shooting for a non-existent goal, I decided to use Google Tasks, which is perfectly embedded within Gmail, and started maintaining my to-do list every day. I often create new tasks in the morning and tick them off one-by-one at the end of the day.

With a to-do list, it allows you to trim down big tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks that you can focus on each day. By the end of that day, you can see exactly what you have accomplished and what you can expect to work on the next day.

4. Eat Properly at Proper Time

With all the talk about the importance of working effectively while at home, you might sometimes forget that without your good health, none of these tips matter. Working remotely can really ruin your body if you are not careful, so it is important that you have a proper meal at a proper time each day.

Set up your preferred lunchtime and dinnertime and commit to them. For me, I would often go for lunch at 1 PM and dinner at 6 PM, with enough time to digest before going to bed before midnight. With constant intake throughout the day, you will have the energy to tackle your work and stay productive while working at home.

5. Optimize your Communication Tools

I used to work as a freelancer before I became a travel blogger, and with that job, I had to be in communication with many people in the company I was working for. Therefore, I know how important it is to stay connected and keep the work flowing while working at home.

Be sure to optimize your communication tools before you start working remotely. Your company may have its own list of preferred communication tools, but if not, I often use Slack to communicate with people company-wide. If there is something urgent, I often use Skype to talk directly to the people I am working with.

That said, I always keep the communication on Skype below the 15-minute mark and no more than once per week, as you don't want a Skype session turning into a daily meeting, which personally I think is a waste of time and is not compatible with a healthy work-life balance we are aiming for. Keep your Skype communication short, concise, and straight to the point.

6. Maintain a Regular Schedule and Stick to It

One of the things that working in an office gets right is providing you with a regular schedule to stick to. With working remotely, you can be unintentionally interrupted by almost anything throughout the week, or worse, you might unknowingly work overtime and lead yourself down the rabbit hole of being burned out.

To avoid these problems, you need to keep a regular schedule and make sure to stick to it whenever you can. For example, I would often work from 9 AM - 4 PM with several breaks scheduled throughout my day, five days a week, and end my work right at 4 PM sharp.

There might be some situations where I might have to move the time slot around, but I will always compensate for the change and will continue to stick to the schedule I came up with, so that my life does not interfere with my productivity.

7. Do NOT work after Hours

Continuing from the point above, I cannot stress how important it is to maintain work hours within a reasonable time frame. When working remotely, the line between work and leisure can be blurred to the point that it can lead you to burn out, which is something I will never put myself through again.

If I set my work to end at 4 PM, any work that comes after 4 PM, the client can expect it the next day. I made this very clear with all my clients (or even when I was working in an office) early on, and with their expectations managed, I was able to keep myself sane and work with them more effectively in the long run.

It is important to manage your employer's expectations when it comes to deliverables. Do not set yourself up for failures and do the work that comes after the end of your workday. Once you do it once, your employer will expect you to do it again. Manage their expectations, stick to your schedule, and do not overdo your work.

8. Stay Healthy - Exercise

Last but not least, keep yourself healthy and exercise regularly! Now that you are working at home and have been freed from the nightmare of commuting through the horrendous traffic jam, you now have the time to stay healthy and work on yourself, ideally starting an exercise routine after work.

Recent scientific research has claimed that in order for your body to be healthy, you will need at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of exercise per week.

With you working at home and sticking to your schedule religiously, you should have more time and energy to finally start integrating exercise into your daily routine. That way, your mind and body will be synchronized, which should drastically improve your work performance as well as your health and so much more.