Looking to get the most out of your remote work life? Look no further, here are my top 10 remote work tips to help get you through the day:
Schedule/Plan Your Day
Working remotely, whether that’s at home or on the beach becomes a lot more productive, in my opinion, if you have a daily schedule to keep you on track.
I find work from home routines that are kept simple and don’t try to cram too much into the day work best.
If you’re deciding to go out and about, working in a cafe, on the beach, train, wherever make sure you consider the following
- Make sure you have a battery fully charged as there might not be a power outlet available
- Make sure that you have all the necessary remote work security best practices in place to ensure your laptop doesn’t receive any unwanted visitors
- Check on Google reviews or forums if you can to make sure that your chosen location has a strong, reliable internet connection.
Now you’ve got a plan for the day, let’s see how you can make it even more rewarding.
Weekly Work Planner
Take control of your work week with this simple to use planner
Choose The Right Location
When you’re given the option of remote working and setting up your office wherever you like, there can be a temptation to get a bit too explorative.
If your thinking about racing up a mountain or even getting work done on the go, there’s a few things to consider first.
Choose the right location based upon your needs. If you need optimal internet speed hanging out in the park and getting onto the nearby Starbucks WIFI probably won’t cut it.
Equally, check for busy hours at your desired location to make sure that distractions are kept to a minimal and the wifi doesn’t hit snail’s pace due to the amount of users logged on.
Work Somewhere New/Experiment
With the plethora of options available, coffee shops, restaurants, libraries, shared workspaces, bookstores, bars, parks etc it’s rude not to experiment with a few to see what suits you best
One of the drawbacks of working from home is the same view every day. I find freshening up my environment really helps keep me stimulated. A new perspective can also help unlock your creative side, if that’s something you desire.
Personalize Your Workspace
One of my favorite remote work tips is to personalize your workspace. Even when you’re out and about, you’ll probably be setting up shop somewhere for a solid amount of time to get your work done.
Personalizing your workspace, even when working remotely gives you the ability to cater your environment to your own preferences.
A small plant, framed inspirational quote, a toy mascot, trinkets, whatever suits you. Making yourself comfortable and at home helps you get into your groove and stay motivated.
Listen To Your Body
Poor ergonomics can be a big factor when working out of home. Unlike the small personal touches, you can’t wheel your orthopaedic office chair into town.
You can however take a laptop stand and choose somewhere with comfortable chairs to make sure you don’t end up with neck ache at the end of the day.
Check in advance the table and seating arrangements at your desired location, you don’t want to be hunched over a laptop all day.
Take Breaks
In tandem with ergonomics, is the need to take breaks and stretch every few hours. Setting reminders on your phone/fitness device etc, or even getting in a few lunges and extra steps when you head to the bathroom really helps eradicate any stiffness at the end of the day.
Getting the blood flowing again is good for the mind and body.
Always take your belongings with you if you move out of eyesight with them though. Hypervigilance is integral to everyone working remotely, it’s not just your laptop that could be being pried on. Usernames, passwords, sensitive information are all concerns remote workers have to be aware of to keep safe.
Connect
Even in a public space, we can tend to become hermit-like as we zone in on our work. One of the main benefits of working out of home is that you have the opportunity to be social and connect with people.
Shared workspaces often have networking lunches, or you can always strike up a convo with another remote worker to get their story.
If you’re not feeling sociable in the real world, take the chance to connect with your wider team (if you can) on Slack/Zoom etc.
The sense of togetherness in a company can be lost when working remotely, I find it helps to take a moment to step back and refresh that side of work now and again.
Listen To Music/Radio/Podcasts
You’re bound to get distracted by all sorts when you’re out and about undertaking your work, coffee machines, screaming children, even animals will have their say
A good pair of noise cancelling headphones go a long way to keeping you focused and blocking out external stimulus
These are also a great idea when you realise the cafe you’re in only has one 45 minute playlist that’s now on its third go round.
Choose The Right Comms Tool
Being diligent around whether you need a Slack message, email or Zoom can be a smart idea when working remotely in public spaces.
The aforementioned internet speed can be an issue (trust me) when working in your local independent cafe, for example.
In my experience, this is also a great way to understand team members’ preferred channel of communication. Some prefer a concise email, others a 5 minute video call to unlock a blocker.
Gathering this insight per individual team member is a great way to improve your communication and show adaptability, which is highly valued, especially in remote teams.
Moreover, working in public locations can lead to a lot of distractions. There’s a high chance there might be a lot going on around you, or in the background which can make video calls a bit chaotic.
Try to choose a spot where you have a wall or solid background behind you so that you and the attendees on the call can both focus on what you need to discuss.
Enjoy Work-Life Balance
Most of all, enjoy the work-life balance that remote work gives you. Personally, I love it. Not being tethered to a corporate desk 8 hours a day 5 hours a week makes me want to embrace this new found freedom as often as possible.
Make sure you cater your time to find your own harmony of work-life balances and in no time you’ll be on the road to remote working utopia.
Remote Work Tips Conclusion
I hope I’ve picked up a few good remote work tips over the past 5 years to help impart some knowledge and enhance your remote work experience.
If you’re finding you’re spending more time at home than out and about and want some tips, check out my top work from home tips.
James Waite
Founder of Remoteopia, James has worked in remote roles for 6 years. After a stint in recruitment, he now works as a director of website strategy in tech.
