No Place Like Home | Tips For Working Remotely

I don’t know about you guys, but I have been absolutely thriving while working from home. I never thought I’d say it! As someone who’s been in the marketing for a few years now, you interact with companies who have remote employees. While, of course, I was intrigued at the prospect of working in my pajamas, I never really felt like it was something for me. Well, about three months ago many were thrown right into the deep end that is working remotely. As industry landscapes changed across the globe, those who worked predominantly online were pushed into working from home. That group included me. My nice, spacious desk was replaced by a drafting table and a dryer used as a place to put my coffee cup and glass of water. Lunch breaks spent walking to the local pizza place were now spent taking out the dog and reheating leftovers from the night before. At the end of the day though, I loved it! Below, I’m going to go over some tips for working remotely so you can enjoy working from home and thrive in your new office location.

Tips For Working Remotely

Location is Key

Just like buying a house, remote success is all about the location. One of the biggest obstacles I came across when working from home was finding a good place to set everything up. While I certainly don’t have the ideal home office, I found a location that works for me. Ideally, you want someplace that’s quiet and has limited distractions. You wouldn’t want to set up in your kid’s playroom, would you?

Try to make your home office as clean and professional-looking as possible. You should feel like you’re sitting down to work, not just jumping on your laptop at home. If you have trouble finding a flat surface, try using a coffee table or even the kitchen table. For those who are used to a standing desk, try working off of the kitchen counter.

Keep Steady Hours

Depending on your company’s policy, some employers are allowing for more flexible work hours. Instead of punching in for the traditional 9 to 5, instead, employees can work from 8 to 4, or even noon to 8 o’clock. If your hours are flexible, we recommend sticking to them. Sticking to a routine is one of the best tips for working remotely that we can provide. This will help you stay focused and is also a way to separate work and home, which we’ll discuss shortly.

Take Breaks

This is one of the hardest pieces of advice to follow, but it’s one of the best tips for working remotely. You need to take your breaks, and not only take them but use the entirety of the time allowed. I like to use a phrase called “break guilt.” I experienced break guilt when I first started working remotely. A lot of the times, working from home is seen as a “perk,” even when it’s mandatory during times like these. You’re already feeling grateful to be working from the comfort of your own home, you feel guilty taking a few minutes to stretch your legs or surf the web.

However, just like in an office, breaks will help you be more productive. Sometimes we just need a few moments to reset before we continue working. This is especially important for your lunch break. Lunch breaks should be spent eating and recharging, not running errands.

Try to Keep Work and Home Separate

This one is especially tough. The COVID-19 pandemic not only first many adults’ homes, but children also found themselves attending school remotely. While teachers and students adapted, many parents were forced to take on a teacher or tutor role for their kids. Not only are they balancing getting work done, but they also might have to help teach long division or write an essay on Moby Dick.

While you certainly can’t ignore your duties as a parent, it’s also important to try and keep work and home separate, despite the location of the two being the same. All of the tips for working remotely listed above should help that!

Are you working remotely? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!