How to Get the Most from Working Remotely

Thanks to all of the huge advancements in modern technology, working remotely, I.E from home and out of the office, is thankfully easier than ever before.

In the blink of an eye, those of us who would ordinarily commute to work in busy towns and cities have now been told to work from home in order to keep our various places of employment ticking over, and to keep the economy going in these times of uncertainty.

Because of the worldwide pandemic we currently find ourselves in, socializing with others is simply not safe. We now need to adapt and find alternative methods of working, which is where remote working proves to be so handy.

But how does one go about working remotely if they’ve never done so before?

Here are a few tips on how to get the most from working remotely.

Familiarize yourself with remote working tools

Okay, be honest, how many of you reading this can honestly say that you know how to use every single application and digital tool installed on your laptops and tablets etc? We’d wager that not all of you, which is why it’s so important to learn how to use them right now.

Take the time to learn how to use Skype, familiarize yourself with Zoom, learn how to use Outlook, and learn to use any other apps or pieces of software that your company may require you to utilize.

Create a productive workstation

Due to the fact that not everybody works from home, not everybody will be blessed with a home office or a dedicated workstation. Either find a spare bedroom, a summer house, or anywhere else quiet and comfortable and go about turning it into your home office.

Invest in a good quality desk such as a standing desk, remove any clutter, create a basic but effective filing system, and organize all of your work-related items here, like you would in your regular office at work.

Be sure to take breaks

When you’re at work, you don’t clock in and spend the next 8 hours sat at your desk, not moving until it’s time to head home, so don’t do that here. When you’re working remotely from home, make sure to take semi-regular breaks.

Taking breaks will help you to break up the monotony, it will help alleviate the boredom, it helps you to stretch your legs and get a little exercise, and it helps keep morale up. Set reminders on your phone to remind you to take a break every hour or so, just for a few minutes, and don’t forget to have a lunch break.

Engage with your team

Unless you are self-employed and work solely by yourself, make sure to engage with other members of your team regularly.

Use video calling features, send emails, and create group chats.

This is not only beneficial for the workplace, I.E asking questions about work, but it also helps to keep morale up, it gives you a little human interaction, and it helps to create a sense of normality.