As more employees are expected to work remotely, many discover that maintaining concentration and continuing to produce results calls for a new set of abilities and resources. Making remote work successful requires some thought and effort.

Here are seven ways you may reevaluate how you spend your time working from home to stay productive and make the most of your newly discovered work/life balance.

1. Reevaluate how you travel

Maintain the same schedule you had when you went to the office, even if you might not have to fight traffic or take the bus. Create a “commute” buffer so that you may ease into or out of it rather than getting out of bed straight to your laptop.

Create a “commute” gap instead of getting out of bed straight to your computer to ease yourself into or out of your workday. Before starting your workday and after finishing it, take a stroll. 

This serves as your commute and can assist you in setting yourself up for success or failure in your day. Additionally, if you typically listen to music or podcasts throughout your commute to stay informed or for entertainment purposes, think about continuing to listen to your favorites during this time.

2. Be successful and video conference ready!

In addition to continuing your “commute,” try to stick as closely as you can to your typical daily schedule. At the same time, get up, take a shower, and get dressed.

While some people might find the concept of working from home while wearing yoga pants and a top bun appealing, getting dressed for work might help you get in the correct frame of mind by establishing a distinction between “home” and “work.” And according to certain studies, the way you look can actually affect how well you perform. 

When you’re prepared, spend some time setting up a great video conference shot. When working from home, this is your face to the outside world, so give it some thought. Your background, lighting, and camera angle should all be adjusted appropriately. (

3. Establish communication standards. 

When everyone is working from home, communication and collaboration look different. You miss the benefits of brainstorming over a water cooler, and you are unable to casually drop by someone’s desk. You might need to use several tools to get the information you need to proceed with your work.

Be clear about the channels and tools you’ll use to contact your team throughout the day, as well as how you want to interact with them. To give your calls a more personal touch, use video conferencing. 

Share cell phone numbers as needed for hurried phone calls. Create a discussion thread in which you inform your team of the day’s goals, the projects you’ll be working on, and what to anticipate. 

In addition to your monthly meetings with your boss, you might also want to schedule regular one-on-ones with your team. You can reclaim some of the camaraderie and casual ideas you might lose when you’re not in the office together, even if it’s just for a 15-minute discussion once a week. 

Some video conferencing programs have whiteboard features that can be used to continue brainstorming with your team while you are on video chat. 

4. Continue to answer to your team.

Your team does not have the visible clues they are accustomed to in an office to indicate whether you are available when you work from home. 

Put the start and end hours, as well as any pauses for lunch or exercise, on your calendar. Additionally, if an unforeseen circumstance arises, inform your colleagues via chat that you will need to take a break from your computer for a time. Inform your management and team members of your flexible work hours as needed if your circumstances call for a more accommodating schedule.

5. Step away from your computer to take breaks.

While it may be tempting to spend the entire day on your computer, doing so won’t actually increase your productivity. To remind yourself to take a break between focused work sessions, set a timer or calendar reminder.

Additionally, make sure that your break time involves getting up from your computer and moving about physically. At work, don’t you get up from your desk? Do the same thing at home, please. If you have a dog who can accompany you on the stroll or if you’re more of a cat person, get up and give your neighbor’s cat a pat, a brief brisk walk around your neighborhood might do the trick. Additionally, you might use the time you have at home to stretch, do yoga, or squeeze in a small fitness routine during a break. 

Conclusion 

Be aware of your distractions while working from home, and make plans to avoid them. Make sure your home environment is tidy before you log off for the day so it won’t be a distraction. 

Every morning, prepare your lunch so you won’t have to worry about it at lunch. Put a note on your door instructing delivery people not to ring the doorbell if your interruptions are dog barking.

Working from home may demand a different set of skills and special concerns, but with diligence and organization, you can stay on task and maintain producing results.