3 Tips to Increase Productivity While Working Remote

Whether you've always worked remotely or quickly got shuffled into a home office during COVID, making sure that you stay productive is key to fulfilling work and a happy employer. This may mean changing up the time you start working, rearranging your connection time to function around children's remote school schedules, and connecting with your team both in fun and in focused work.

Use a Timer to Define Your Routine

For those working from home with family around them, distractions can become a serious issue. Instead of constantly having to find your place after getting interrupted, use a timer to let yourself and your family know that you will be available soon.

A simple tool for timing can be found on your phone. Run your stopwatch or timing tool for an hour, and when it beeps, either step away in the middle of the day or wrap up your current project at the end of the day. Part of job satisfaction is knowing that your project is done before you go home at the end of the day; if you can take an extra 20 minutes while working remotely, you can actually complete the task and move forward with something new in the morning when your brain is freshest.

Remember that anything can be turned into a timer. If you've been working hard for an hour and need a break, but five of your favorite dance songs on and celebrate 15 to 20 minutes of moving around so you can get energized. When the songs are over, you can go back to work refreshed.

Create an Office Barrier

Many who were sent off to work at home don't actually have an office. A simple way to create space and privacy for thinking and working is to pair

●  a standing screen, and

● noise-canceling headphones

Your standing or folding screen can include tools to help you in your work. You could add a corkboard, a whiteboard, or any number of tools to give you a spot to pin notes and post reminders. It can also serve as a reminder to roommates and family; when the screen is up, noise and questions need to be reduced to a minimum. You can even hang a clock with movable hands to let your clan know when you'll be available.

Noise-canceling headphones often have a thick foam cover to reduce noise from the outside. This foam can get quite warm, so again, be sure to use your timer so you remember to take your headphones off and let any moisture that forms against your face to evaporate.

When taking physical breaks from your computer set-up, make sure to do a bit of socializing. Even if you're all alone in your apartment or house and plan to spend your next break sorting laundry, take the time to text a loved one and share a smile. All work, no play and no fun breaks can make both Jack and Jill less productive due to stress. Isolation can be good for your mental health in small doses, but loneliness is destructive.

Have Some Virtual Fun With Your Co-Workers

Working remotely can sound fun if you're set up in a coffee shop, but the reality is that remote work can actually be rather lonely. If you look around and everyone else at the shop is chatting with a friend while you labor alone, you can feel quite isolated.

Look for fun ways to connect with your team, especially those you've never met in the real world. A virtual team building can lighten the pressure of a big project with a hard deadline and help you dig in a bit more deeply when you next go back to work. It's also a great way to reduce the feeling of isolation and rely on your co-workers.

Remote work is probably something that will continue even after the COVID pandemic challenges have been resolved. If you are interested in continuing to work remotely, carefully review your home for a spot where you can put a more permanent office, such as a closet. If you've got an office, consider ways to improve your Zoom view. Finally, make sure to find tools and apps that will allow you to connect with your coworkers for more than just work.