Best Practices for Working from Home: How to Stay Productive
Since the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic, more and more people have begun to make the transition to remote work. In early May, NPR reported that about one-third of all Americans are now working from home. That’s a remarkable number, even though remote work was on the rise before the pandemic.
If you’ve always had to physically go somewhere to work, remote work can turn out to be quite a challenge. Working outside of the office is often touted as the best of both worlds and praised for the extra benefits, but it can pose some unique challenges too. If it’s your first time working remotely, here are a few tips and best practices to follow to make sure you’re staying productive without stressing out.
Experiment with What Helps Your Productivity
Remote work offers flexibility in your work environment and schedule. You can choose any area of your home to work from, whether it’s your bedroom, a home office, or the kitchen table. Working from your house also gives you the freedom to split your day into different blocks of time and fit in work where it’s best for you.
However, without the natural rhythm of the office—a morning break to get a cup of coffee, an quick afternoon walk to stretch your legs—you may feel like you aren’t working hard enough if you’re taking breaks. This feeling that if you aren’t working constantly, you aren’t being productive is one of the surprising downsides of working from home. Rather than slacking off, conversely, people often experience burnout from overworking while at home. This may be because it’s difficult to set your own limits when your environment isn’t doing it for you.
So take some time to figure out what works for you when you’re in your home office. Set aside time for work as well as time for short breaks, and be sure to have lunch away from your workspace if possible. Maybe you know you are more productive after walking the dog in the afternoon; if so, incorporate it into your routine at home.
In an office, distractions are minimized, making it easier to stay focused. You can mimic your office at home by setting aside a specific spot at home for work. If you can find a room with a door you can close, that can help, but whatever space you choose, make it one you feel comfortable in. Try to make it well lit, comfortable, and free from unnecessary clutter so you can focus.
Keep Communication Lines Open
One of the top problems remote workers report experiencing is issues with communication. It’s easy to feel isolated and out of the loop when you’re alone at home. Organic social interaction simply doesn’t happen.
What’s more, your communication via emails, texts, phone calls, and chats can easily be misunderstood, misinterpreted, or simply not heard due to poor connections or problems with audio or video technology. Additionally, gestures and body language are a huge part of communication. Take those away, and it can sometimes be difficult to get your meaning across.
In order to make sure everyone is heard and understood, communication for remote workers needs to be carefully planned and extra documentation is often necessary. Record meetings, take extra notes, and collaborate on shared documents.
Err on the side of overcommunicating rather than under-communicating. Carefully review any emails, chats, or texts before you send them. You can also read them out loud to yourself; sometimes this can help you identify problems with clarity in your writing.
During video and phone conferences, check frequently for comprehension: “Does everyone understand? Anyone have any questions?” You also want to be specific. Don’t say that you’ll “circle back around later in the week”—instead say that you’ll contact the person on Thursday by 3 p.m. When people aren’t able to meet in person, projects sometimes have a way of drifting off course. If your company hasn’t already, consider using project management applications like Asana, Wrike, Trello, or similar.
When sitting in on meetings, try to make sure that everyone turns on their video. Virtual meetings are easier when everyone is visible since it is more obvious when people aren’t engaged. When hosting in-person meetings, glancing around the table to see who is listening is simple, but during a phone meeting, participants could be doing just about anything. Make the meeting happen over video to eliminate that factor and help participants pick up visual cues from their colleagues.
If you’re a manager, you may also want to schedule regular one-on-one video check-ins with employees. This can help keep everyone on the same page. It also gives the employee the chance to communicate any problems they’re having working from home. When you have a remote team, you need to be more deliberate about reaching out to employees, since you can’t just drop by their desk or call them to your office.
Schedule Social Time
Being stuck at home all day long doesn’t make it easy to socialize with friends and family. After your remote workday is over, try to schedule time with your family and friends. In many places, it’s unwise to get together with people outside your household, so explore some alternatives, like a virtual happy hour, trivia night, or watching a movie “together’ in your separate homes. You need that socialization to keep the balance present between your work life, social life, and home life. Stay positive and stay safe while you’re at home during this unprecedented time.