Working remotely can seem like the best thing ever; no commuting, no office distractions, unlimited access to coffee. However, working efficiently can be difficult when working remotely, and managing a team can be even trickier. To help you out, here are a few tips on how to stay productive when working remotely.

 

One of the best ways to motivate yourself to stay productive when working remotely is to set up your workspace in a consistent area, which should stop you from feeling stressed. A great workspace idea is a simple desk and comfortable chair, as this should cause your neck and back to ache less than if you were sat on a sofa or bed for extended periods of time. Also, this set up should keep you well organised and reflects the office environment at work.

 

Organisation is a vital tool for productivity, so notepads, calendars and to-do lists can be a great help. I find it helpful to write a weekly to-do list of everything that needs to be done, and then I split the tasks up on my calendar between each day. This ensures that I know what I need to do and when, and I can also factor in any meetings or appointments that might affect my schedule on those days.

 

It is important that you try to stick to whatever schedule you make, so make sure that the workload you are giving yourself is manageable and realistic. Is it also important to set your working hours properly, meaning that even if you are working from home you should probably attempt to work your normal office hours. Also, remember to schedule breaks to allow your brain a quick rest.

Remember to communicate with your colleagues for clarity about what is expected of you. Obviously working remotely makes it slightly harder to collaborate as you would face to face, but a phone call or skype call gives you the opportunity to interact and share ideas.

 

If you struggle to stay focussed while working from home, you could try working remotely from a café. It might also help to buy some noise-cancelling headphones, especially in busy places, to limit the amount of distractions around you. These can also help on important calls, as it will stop you from getting distracted by events around you, allowing you to focus on the subject at hand – and this applies whether you are at home or not.

 

So, while it can be difficult to stay productive when working remotely, these tips should be helpful! If you want more helpful articles on HR, business and recruitment, check out the rest of our blog.