Working from home is a privilege that many people don't get to experience. It also has its upsides and some downsides. Sure remote work may take some adjusting, less socializing with colleagues, more isolating, and more responsibility to maintain your schedule, but there is a HUGE upside. For those new to this transition, this was not meant to fill you with a heavyweight of doom and gloom, but there are many perks. Trust me, and it gets better from here on in, much like a Disney movie.
Long past is the days of being stuck in traffic, annoyed at honking cars with nowhere to move, and cursing out the window. You have the option to create a tailor-fit office in your vision and have more time for yourself and your loved ones. According to a study done by Stanford, people who work from home are more productive than those working in an office. That’s great news if you’re trying to make a case for remote work to your boss. Many other studies show how remote work positively affects employees and their employers.
Food for thought. According to a study published by McKinsey Magazine, since the pandemic, a surprising number of (41% according to this research) workers have said that they are more productive using a hybrid and completely remote model. I’m not sure about you, but with higher productivity and lower CO2 emissions, maybe fewer people on the road equals a cleaner environment. According to reports, the remote version is gaining more ground within various industries.
The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.
Vince Lombardi
If you’re looking to start working from home or have been doing it for a while and feel like you need some help crushing it, here are seven tips and tools to help push you forward. There are many types of advantages that remote work offers. From freelancers, entrepreneurs, to those who want more time with family and friends, to those who want a change in scenery, working remotely can be an excellent fit for anyone. In this blog post, we will discuss seven tips on how to crush working from home as well as the tools you’ll need to succeed!
Did you add a personal touch to your workspace?
When four walls do not confine you, it’s easy to let your creative juices flow. This is also true when it comes to designing your ideal workspace. Some people prefer complete silence when they work, while others may enjoy listening to music or having some background noise. The important thing is to find what works for you and stick to it.
If you’re someone who likes a lot of visual stimulation, consider filling your space with plants, art, or pictures of loved ones. If you prefer a minimalist look, try sleek furniture and simple decor. Experiment until you find what makes you feel productive and comfortable.
A schedule will make you more productive
One of the benefits of working remotely is that you have more flexibility regarding hours worked. However, this doesn’t mean that you should take advantage of this freedom and work fewer hours than usual. One study showed that more hours work from homework than those in an office!
The key to maximizing productivity when working from home is creating a schedule and sticking to it. This may not be easy at first, but it will get easier with time. Invest in buying a daily planner or even take a whiteboard and write out what you need to accomplish. I like to do both as I am found I regain more info when I write it and see it consistently. Keep in mind that planning your day the night before or use tools like Monday.com or a personal favorite Google Calander to help you stay on track.
Decide what you should wear
It’s easy to let yourself go when you’re working remotely(in more ways than one), especially if you’re not in an office environment. However, one of the quickest ways to kill your motivation is by dressing inappropriately for work. Just because you’re not going into an office doesn’t mean that you can slack off on your appearance. Common now, get yourself together for you and I both know you’re better than that.
You should dress even better than you would for an office job. This may sound odd, but it plays a psychological factor in your productivity. When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you’re more likely to be productive! Think about the last time you wore a suit or dress(whichever applies…) that had that wow factor that made people around you stare and say, Damn!
How do you feel? Do you feel more confident and striking a Superman pose ready to take on the world? The same goes for work. Dressing sharp not only shows your boss that you’re taking your job seriously, but it will also help increase your productivity levels and boost your mood and may even help your personal, romantic life; who knows, I’m not a fortune teller
Are you staying connected with colleagues?
There is no sense in taking on the lone-wolf mentality and taking on the world alone. Although you may not be physically present in an office with your colleagues, that doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected with them. One of the benefits of remote work is that you have more flexibility regarding hours worked. This means you can easily overlap time zones and communicate with team members during their regular working hours. Besides changing Zoom background and playing around with a green screen, you can have some fun while putting on a presentation in style.
There are many ways to stay connected with colleagues when working remotely, such as using video conferencing tools like Zoom, Google Meet, participating in online forums and chats, and even using social media. The key is to find what works best for you and stick to it.
Why taking breaks is important?
It’s easy to get caught up in work while you’re grinding away at what seems like an endless task; hours have gone by without you realizing it and suddenly find yourself light-headed, starving, and wondering when was the last time you had a bathroom break. You don’t want to be that person, trust me, and besides, you got remote working covered, right? This is why it’s essential to take breaks throughout the day and get some fresh air. You owe it to yourself to go outside get those eyeballs a good dose of vitamin D and while you’re at it some fresh air. The last thing you want is to be cooped up indoors, having doubts about taking on this hybrid work model simply because you did not plan out your week properly. It’s never too late to take some time to plan out the week for success.
Take some time for yourself, get up and stretch, take a walk around the block, shoot some hoops and never forget to hydrate. Recharge and relax; this is you; you are in charge, so when it comes to breaking time, put work on pause for a little bit(you deserve it) and do what makes you feel relaxed.
Does An Organized Office Help You?
One of the benefits of working remotely is that you have more flexibility in organizing your workspace. You can choose to work from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection, crazy to think that we wield so much power towards designing how we choose to work now. This also means that you have the freedom to organize and style your layout how you see fit. Heck, I have seen some people customize their van to be a studio or office on wheels. Don’t believe me check out Kal Penn On TikTok. More clever and trendy ways to take working to the next level are popping out of the woodwork every day.
However, it’s essential to stay organized when working from home. This will help keep you focused and productive, and besides, there is no sense in getting lost in piles of papers, files, or week-old pizza boxes. There are many ways to stay organized, such as using a planner that you are inexpensive on amazon, creating folders for different projects, or using task management tools like Asana. Find what works best for you by trying various layouts and tools and stick to it.
Do you Use Technology As Much As You Should?
Since I have been working remotely for two years now, I found tapping into various tech tools to be a HUGE game change that continues to make my workload go faster and be more streamlined. For example, there are many online tools and resources available that can help with productivity regarding communication and organization. Learning is simpler than ever with such sites as Code Academy, Udemey, or if you want to test your artistic skills, Cana is a cut above and constantly updated. I can go on for days, but you get my drift, and feel free to add your game-changing tools in the comments below.
A few of my personal favorite tools that I use frequently are:
Google Docs, Zoom, and Slack. These tools allow for accessible communication and collaboration among team members, which is essential when working remotely.
On a side note, a few things personally helped me.
Taking breaks, I can’t stress this one enough. Since working from home can be an excellent opportunity to run some personal errands, catch up on a task around the house or save time on dinner prep.
Try to take a break every two hours and make sure that they are no longer than 15-20 minutes. Using an egg timer is a simple a great way to make this happen or on your phone. This will allow you to step away from your work, relax, and come back feeling refreshed and ready to continue wow the pants off your boss.
Invest in a good headset. This was key for me as I do a lot of video conferencing. My coworkers and clients appreciate not hearing all the background noise.
Exercise in the morning. This helps me get my day started and offers me the time to focus and energize.
To Sum It Up
The bottom line is that working from home can be a great experience if you first take some time to set up some ground rules or you can Macgyver your plan as you go and resources you have available and hope for the best. Hopefully, the following tips can assist you in bringing your game to the next level and crush it in style. Ensure your work environment is comfortable and productive, take breaks, stay organized, and make use of the technology at your disposal (no shortage of them). These seven tips will help make your work-from-home life just as successful (or even more successful). Try out some of these tips and see which ones work best for you. These tips will help you stay focused and on track while taking on the day in style. Hey, this is not a perfect science, but what matters is you have fun!
We’re going to change the world! I know it may sound lofty, but this effort toward empowerment, education, and inspiration is something that needs your help. It might even give you a little inspiration on what we can achieve when working together as one team towards these goals.
Please share this article with friends/family members who could benefit from reading it. The first step usually isn’t easy; however, thanks for being part of my journey, and keep in mind that the best is yet to come.
Please share what strategies and tips work for you in the comments below. This has been “7 Ways To Crush Working From Home.” I hope it was helpful.
References
Lund, S., Madgavkar, A., Manyika, J., & Smit, S. (2021, March 3). What’s next for remote work: An analysis of 2,000 tasks, 800 jobs, and nine countries. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from
Greta article. Very helpful tips.
Hi John,
Always appreciated and thank you.
Thank you, I have just been looking for info about this subject for ages and yours is the greatest I’ve discovered till now. But, what about the bottom line? Are you sure about the source?
Pardon, not sure I follow when you are referring to a “bottom line” can you elaborate, please.