Has the work-from-home process and your productivity started to get out of control lately due to a bit of laziness, procrastination habits, and maybe a burnout syndrome? If your answer to this question is yes, there is no need to worry. By following the right steps you can get it back on track and start following a much more efficient routine! For this, it is very important to get the right advice from those who have been doing this for a long time and to learn what actually causes failure and disorder.

Well, it’s time to avoid don’ts and track dos. 

Here is the good news: Remotto has prepared a bunch of efficient performance-boosting tips for remote workers. And let’s be frank, we are sure that these suggestions will be of great help to you!

Boosting Remote Working Productivity: Best Tips

We can’t get to tips without agreeing on what productivity means, can we?

How much of your desk time do you really focus on work? Do you think you’re busy with work all day but find that your to-do list still has many unchecked boxes? Have you started to have problems with your colleagues for the incomplete tasks?

That’s it! You need a set of tips that will teach you to sit at the table and focus on your tasks. We’re going to give you some suggestions that work like crazy!

1. Dress for Work – Don’t Lose It!

productivity tips

Working at home can sometimes mean sitting in front of a computer without taking off your pajamas after waking up. But does this really make sense?

Many studies have revealed that dressing as if you go to work in the morning has a direct effect on performance. This is due to two factors:

  1. The symbolic meaning of clothes
  2. The physical experience of wearing official clothes

Both factors combined, allow you to get out of bedtime aura and focus on your work. This can increase both the possibility of focusing on work and not being distracted, as well as reducing the frequency you get up from the table (apart from break times), which can strengthen your performance. At the end of the day, you will be doing much more productive work.

2. Create a Dedicated Workspace for Yourself

So, here is the thing: A productive workday requires a designated workplace for yourself, your computer, the coffee mug you take with you, and all your other gear.

Do you live with your family or alone? It does not matter. In any case, you must have an area reserved only for your work and establish order there.

A computer that never moves from its place, a coaster that is always on your desk, your planner with a to-do list next to your keyboard call you to sit down and tell you that the only thing missing is you.

However, if you have to create a setting every time you want to start working, it can be much more difficult to convince yourself to sit down.

In short, a good workspace is important for both being inspired and focused, as well as feeling comfortable. When all these come together, it is possible to use time more efficiently and to increase your level of productivity.

3. Ensure Your Working Hours Are Fixed and Regular

Let’s tell you what our brain likes: Things that do not change, that maintainş their familiar patterns, and that are not unexpected. Remember what Gestalt Principles say!

By following patterns that they are used to, your neural pathways can continue working at their average performance. That is, sitting in front of the computer at the same time every day is a good persuasive factor to do the same thing again the next day: Because your brain often takes you to your desk almost automatically.

Many studies say it takes about 21 repetitions to form a habit, that is, about 21 days. Well, are you ready to experience regular and fixed working hours for 21 days?

Here are the benefits of doing so:

  1. Knowing when to get up from the desk helps you plan for the rest of the day. This way, your job doesn’t eat up your whole day.
  2. Being at your desk makes it easier to persuade yourself to get the job done. But if you are not sure when to sit down, maybe that day will end without doing much.
  3. Determining your working hours by making a plan allows you to focus on work during the times of the day when you think you are most productive. In this way, you get the maximum efficiency from your own fuel.
  4. Finally, these patterns and habits can increase your job satisfaction by increasing your serotonin level.

4. Plan Your Workflow, Have a To-Do-List Using Various Tools

Especially for freelancers who work with a large number of clients, it is quite possible for a job to be overlooked and forgotten. Similarly, for employees working for a company, even forgetting to forward an e-mail can cause a great deal of trouble.

And hey, it’s not just about negative consequences! When you start the day, seeing what you need to do and ticking the boxes as you progress with your tasks will motivate you. Moreover, it will be possible to get away from the feeling of being lost, messy, and chaotic thanks to the tasks you assign to yourself.

Startling Working From Home Productivity Statistics of 2021

Many recent studies conducted in 2021 revealed important facts about productivity and remote working. These are as follows:

  1. Shifting to work from home increased productivity by about 13 percent, according to the study of 16,000 remote workers at Stanford.
  2. A survey conducted by ConnectSolutions revealed that 77 percent of employees experienced an increase in productivity after switching working from home.
  3. Another study by Prodoscore focused on which days remote workers are more productive. This study showed that especially on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, between 10:30 and 15:00, remote employees are more productive.

Are remote workers more productive? What do the studies tell?

The most recent studies from 2021 show that productivity has increased in the recent shift to work at home. Of course, this increase can be shaped by factors such as the quality of the working environment, working conditions, break times, and the ability of employees to organize their own time.

For example, according to a study by Airtasker, 37 percent of remote workers say they experience an increase in productivity levels as long as they learn to take breaks. In addition to all these, it is also stated that it is necessary to socialize with colleagues through digital platforms in order to prevent the loneliness of working from home.

What tools can help you stay productive as a remote worker?

We will examine this in more detail in other articles dedicated to this matter, but for now, let’s name a few tools. In particular, tools such as Slack, Asana, Zoom, ClickUp, Trello, RingCentral, Dropbox, and Blink facilitate task tracking, communications, and planning.

Is working remotely a good path to choose for career development?

As many studies say that the number of permanent remote workers will increase in many sectors after COVID-19, it can be said that this path doesn’t look bad at all.

What are the characteristics of effective remote working practices?

In general, planned, disciplined, self-motivated work time and business planning made by using tools that help with time and task management are among the key components of an effective remote workday.

How would you measure the productivity of your work at home?

Divide the output you get at the end of your work during the day by the time you spent. What percentage of your tasks were you able to complete in the given time period? This will give you an idea.

How can time tracking software benefit your remote business?

Time tracking software, which allows you to keep the process under control by immediately recognizing and marking delays or discrepancies, can enable you to have a disciplined and regular working day.

Originally posted on November 20, 2021 @ 2:05 pm