7 Tips for Making the Most of Remote Work

I've been working remotely for several years (since 2016), for local, national but also international companies.

My experience is based on different working methods, with colleagues not always used to remote work, sometimes even with big time differences.

So here's a list of some tips that are valid regardless of context and that, I hope, can also be useful to you!

1 - Force yourself to maintain a healthy work routine

The temptation, when no one is there to watch your every move (at least not your management), is to save time in the morning by getting up at 9:29 to start your day at 9:30. Even if those few dozen minutes can be very pleasant early in the morning, your productivity won't be any better for it—quite the opposite.

Use the minutes you save to take the time to have a proper breakfast, to get some fresh air and to start thinking about how to organize your day calmly. Even if you don't sleep or work any longer, the motivation to complete your planned tasks one by one will help you move through your day faster!

Whether you have a partner or children at home, it's important to define and explain the schedule and rules during your remote work period. This step is essential because there's nothing worse for concentration than being interrupted every 5 minutes.

If needed, make yourself a small sign with an "I'm available" side and a "Do not disturb" side that you'll display clearly, which can especially help children understand (from a certain age onward).

2 - Get dressed (even the bare minimum)

I know, it's tempting.

But believe me, an urgent video call invitation or an unexpected delivery (which normally never happens) will make you regret not having taken the time to put on something simple, comfortable but above all presentable.

Come on, at least a t-shirt, but make sure you don't get up from your chair during the video call!

3 - Take care of your work environment

I worked on my couch, with the computer on my knees, for more than a year. If my back could talk, it would still be calling me every name in the book.

Besides the poor posture, it's essential to have a work environment separate from any distraction and from the rest of your daily life. Even if you live in a small apartment, set up a small dedicated space that you'll use only for working, it will be your concentration's best friend and will keep you from mixing up your work and personal life too much.

4 - Favor asynchronous communication

When you make a phone call, you know that you're available, but most of the time you don't know if it's the same for the person on the other end.

By training your colleagues and collaborators to favor emails/messages and to only use phone calls in case of emergency, you'll be able to gain precious focus time and, at the same time, give yourself specific time slots during which to check your notifications.

Also remember to structure your messages well; don't bury your important questions or information in long paragraphs, favor bullet lists. Pay attention to your "non-verbal" communication, think about your phrasing and don't hesitate to add a few emojis if the context allows it, as this can prevent misunderstandings between colleagues over poorly interpreted sentences.

Bonus tip: Information written in an email can be found again, while information dropped casually during a call is very easily forgotten.

5 - Save the information you receive

Once you've received information by email, take it out of your inbox to gather and organize it, by topic, by task or even by collaborator. This will save you from having to dig through your emails every two minutes.

I can't recommend enough using the Trello platform, where I organize my professional (but also personal) tasks.

https://trello.com

6 - Clear your mind

I'm not going to advise you to go sit in a café to work for a few hours just to get out of the house. At least, not for now...

What's certain is that staying home all day without breathing fresh air or talking to another human being for several days can drive you crazy, and I know what I'm talking about.

Take your laptop and go sit on a bench, outside (thank goodness for tethering) and soak up some Vitamin D, take breaks, drink water and keep in regular contact with your friends and family by message or by phone (without being bombarded with notifications either), it can completely change your experience.

It's in moments like these that you can truly appreciate remote work!

7 - Report on completed tasks

There's nothing better for reassuring your colleagues or your management than regularly sending a report on the progress of your current projects and tasks.

Be concise, reassuring but honest, and if your experience is going well, you'll have proof to show that remote work is a good solution for you, but that it's also a good solution for your employer!