You have the potential to become more productive when working from home, according to a study conducted by Stanford. But then, there are many distractions at home that can slow you down. Insufficient or inefficient tech infrastructure also dents the productivity of many remote workers. That is why, to maximize your productivity, there are routine changes that you need to make and tools that you need to procure. Here are a few suggestions:

Develop a schedule and stick to it

There is more flexibility in remote working compared to traditional in-office working. But, with the intersection of household and office duties, the added flexibility can hurt your productivity if you don’t create and stick to an inch-perfect schedule. Your schedule should capture your personality, available tech, the nature of your job, and your responsibilities.

Note: To stick to your schedule, you might need to switch from home mode to office mode every time you sit at your workstation. You will do that by dressing up just like you would do when going to a traditional office. It is also important to break down big daily targets into small hourly targets. Small targets translate to frequent wins that can motivate you to keep pushing your daily limits, so you don’t switch back to home mode during office hours.

Remote Working Bonus tips:

• Daily 10-30 minutes full-body morning workouts will make you more alert, focused, and productive during the day. These include cardio, Yoga, and high-intensity interval training. Remember to squeeze them into the schedule.
• You need to know if you are a morning lark or a night owl. Schedule to work during the hours you feel most energetic and alert.
• Include your social life in the schedule. Have time for visiting friends, walking your dog, playing with kids, and at least one resting day in a week.

Organize Your Workstation for Optimal Efficiency as a Remote Worker

The key here is to make your home office or workstation as functional as possible. You can, for example:

• Organize your work in a 2-tray system. The most urgent work for the day or week goes in one tray, and the work that can wait a little longer goes into the second. Any “work” that doesn’t make it to either tray is probably not worth your attention.
• Invest in comfortable office furniture.
• Ensure that your office is well-lit, preferably with natural lighting.
• Get rid of any distractions that might lower your concentration. That includes your family members and pets, TV, and social media. 

Invest in Productivity Tools

You need more than just an email to be productive in your remote work. You will need apps like Evernote to mark important details at virtual conferences. Also, get cloud storage devices such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive to help with the management of files and documents. Using digital tools, you can transfer large files to your colleagues seamlessly. You also need to invest in conference call services to enhance communication with your colleagues and other stakeholders. If you work in project management, you need to get tools such as Basecamp, Asana, Podio, Workzone, ProofHub, or Scoro. Compare the price plans of Asana and the other options to find one that fits your budget.

Conclusion

The beauty of working remotely is that you have the liberty to plan your time better and incorporate creativity in your work for faster actualization of both professional and personal goals. That is why you must make the most of your remote workday by following all the tips we’ve shared.