As recently as 2019, the idea of employees working from home was met with resistance by the leadership of many companies as they believed it would ultimately result in a loss of productivity. One global pandemic later changed that thinking and has proven that fear completely unfounded. Employees at remote-first and 100% distributed companies have embraced their new work environments and thanks to technology and innovative thinking, companies are reaping the rewards in actually higher productivity.
There’s absolutely no doubt the remote-first and hybrid employment models are here to stay as evidenced by recent surveys that show that 81% of workers surveyed believe their employer will continue with remote work post-pandemic and 59% saying they would be more likely to accept a job that offered remote work.
Other studies show that the productivity of remote workers is higher than that of those in the office. On average, remote workers spend 10 minutes less each day being unproductive, save an average of 40 minutes on their daily commutes, and report greater job satisfaction.
While the productivity data is becoming more clear, some employees who are new to remote-first work can experience an initial loss of productivity while they make a full adjustment. With that in mind, we have compiled some fun work hacks for remote employees to improve their productivity while working from their homes.
The Hacks
1) Keep a Schedule
One issue that can impact a remote work setup is becoming too relaxed in your familiar environment. The lack of a commute could lead to sleeping later or skipping routines that get you in the work mindset. In order to counter these concerns, it is important to maintain a set schedule while working from your home. This schedule will create and reinforce clear boundaries for both work and non-work hours.
2) Choose A Dedicated Work Space
Experts all agree on this; don’t sit on a couch or bed while working at home. There is a good chance that you could get distracted, or blend your personal space too closely with work. It’s best to have a dedicated workspace so your body knows when it’s time to work and when to relax.
Having a clean, dedicated “office space” will improve focus and create a more professional environment. An added bonus to having a professional-looking workspace can also subconsciously reassure managers that you are getting things done.
3) Limit Distractions
Just like at the office where gossip, water cooler talk, boss pop-ins, and mandatory lunches can keep you from being productive, the work-from-home environment can have its own distractions. From family to pets, the mail, and more, the things we love can pull our focus from work responsibilities.
Limiting these distractions can sometimes be a challenge. Our next hack to help limit these distractions is to implement boundaries for your dedicated work area. If you are able, close the door. Another tip is to make a “do not disturb” sign which can help alert family members that you are busy. If all else fails, just put some noise-canceling headphones on and get to business!
4) Use A New Time Management Technique
Outside of an office environment with more natural start and stop boundaries, the remote environment can sometimes have employees working away until they realize it’s past work time.
To combat this tendency, we offer a hack of numerous time management techniques. Review the list and find one that fits your personality and try it for a week. Keep trying different techniques until you find the one that’s right for you.
5) Take a Break
When working from home, you can sometimes feel you are already in a relaxed space and don’t need to take time away from your workspace. Despite this, studies have shown breaks from work help boost productivity and creativity.
In order to make them work best, we recommend that you set specific times for your breaks and consciously specify the duration of each break. We encourage you to move around. Play with your pets. Take a walk. Put the dishes away. Get the mail. Check on the kids. Make the bed.
The possibilities here are really endless and being able to connect with those you love makes these breaks extra special.
In Conclusion
The benefits of remote work are well documented already. Increased productivity is one of the most important benefits to employers. For employees, the ability to do their job from home while maintaining needed productivity has led to increased happiness, savings of time and money, and a desire to continue participating in remote work.
For those still adjusting to being fully remote, following these hacks will surely help you get adjusted quicker.
How have you improved your productivity while working remotely? Share your tips/work hacks with us!