How to Work from Home: Tips to Boost Productivity

Working remotely and flexibly has become the new normal for many workers across the US—so much so that 39% of executives would rather go through a breakup than return to the office full-time.

Some people are work-from-home champions. For them, working from home means fewer distractions, more flexibility and greater productivity. They have the perfect home-office setup, they stick to a careful routine, and they crank out high-quality work daily. But not everyone falls into this category. For some, working remotely can be a challenge, and they find their home office full of distractions.

Whether you’re a productivity pro or need a little help, this article covers some of the most important tips for working remotely to help you—and your remote team—do a great job, no matter where you are.

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Are remote workers more productive?

The 2024 Flex Index Report notes that 82% of Fortune 500 companies offer some degree of flexible working. Our RTO report revealed that while over half of workers (52%) prefer remote work, it’s highly dependent on personal needs and circumstances. But the data about actual productivity can be murkier.

Our RTO report found that employees who work from the office typically spend around an hour socializing with colleagues during the work day. Remote employees would spend this time doing tasks related to their role. Those working from home also feel a greater need to prove that they are being productive, with 64% of respondents in our survey making sure that their online status is green even if they’re not actively working.

Research suggests that remote workers also take fewer sick days, offer better work-life balance and allow businesses to hire from a wider talent pool as they aren’t limited by geography.

Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests the link between remote working and productivity is a positive one, while research from Stanford University claims that fully remote workers are 10% less productive than those fully in-person.

While there’s definitely been a push towards return-to-office mandates recently, RTO policies are by no means going smoothly: 62% of HR leadership admit their company is struggling to enforce them.

How to be more productive working from home: Create the right environment

Where you work and your setup can make the biggest difference to your overall mental and physical wellbeing and productivity levels. Maybe your home office is the kitchen table or a desk in your unfinished basement. When you don’t have a proper workspace, it can be tricky to focus on your tasks.

Here are some strategies for creating the best home-office setup for productivity without remodeling the house:

Designate a workspace for yourself

This doesn’t need to be a large space, but it does need to be a designated spot in your home where only work takes place.

Using one side of the kitchen table, or a lap desk and the sofa can make it difficult to draw boundaries between work and personal life—but the bottom line is you need to do what works for you. The important thing is to set clear boundaries for yourself and others: when you’re in your “work space,” you’re working.

Set expectations with others in your home

Data from our RTO report suggests that people can be a distraction in the office and at home. It’s important that those living with you understand when you need focus time, and what working remotely looks like for you. Parents, siblings, partners, housemates—whoever you live with, make it clear that when you're in your designated working space, they should try to avoid interrupting you.

If you’re working from home with children, sometimes a bit of flexibility is necessary—you may need to work with your manager to adjust hours to work around your kids’ schedule, depending on your situation.

Keep home tasks and work tasks separate

The housework can wait. It can be very tempting when working from home to quickly run the vacuum around between calls or to get the washing out of the dryer when it’s finished. But it’s important that you set aside those sorts of tasks during working hours, or your home life can quickly blend with your work one. If it needs to be done, wait until you’ve finished for the day or sort things during your designated breaks. Reclaiming your time is important to reduce the risk of burnout.

Get the right equipment

When it comes to remote work tips, few are more important than making sure that you have everything you need for adequate at-home work. Luckily, a lot of employers will provide you with the essentials such as a laptop and IT equipment, but there are other things you may need to create a comfortable and productive remote workplace, including but not limited to:

Having the right equipment can make working remotely a far more comfortable experience.

Remove all distractions

It’s no secret that we’ve become attached to our devices—sometimes, quite literally. With the privacy of being at home, it can be very easy to find yourself doomscrolling on company time.

One simple productivity “hack” is to set up a Do Not Disturb setting on your phone. Turn this on when you need to focus so only emergency or necessary notifications come through. Or better yet, leave your phone in another room so you’re not tempted to pick it up between tasks.

Take a break

Working for too long can actually harm productivity and lead to burnout.

It’s easy for time to get away from you when you’re working from home—there’s no work colleague to ask where you’re getting lunch or to pull you out of that spreadsheet. So, it’s important you find a way of splitting your day and taking breaks when needed. Some businesses even operate on four day work weeks in a bid to boost productivity while working less.

Block out lunch in your calendar so it’s always there or set an alarm to signal that you need to pause. Get away from your desk for 30 minutes or so, head out for a walk or do something for yourself, like a workout or lunch with a friend. You’ll come back to your desk afterwards feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of the day.

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A work-from-home tip for boosting trust in a team: Communicate with colleagues

Trust and productivity go hand in hand. When a manager trusts their team and colleagues trust one another, there’s less repetitive checking in and micromanaging, which can waste time. Trust is imperative for remote teams to work well together—and without proper communication, that trust breaks down.

Here’s how you can keep up effective communication while working remotely:

When working from home, it’s easy for people to withdraw into their own workloads and assume everyone is on the same page—only to discover that’s not the case at all. Both employees and managers can help their teams (and themselves) become better remote workers by communicating often.

Socialize with colleagues

Sometimes working from home can feel isolating—but it doesn’t have to be! Whether you’re living alone, with housemates, or with family, it’s important to socialize and keep yourself connected to your network.

Not only this, but it can be helpful to connect with your colleagues on a personal level as well as professionally. Even when working remotely, you can still enjoy the usual office chit-chat on your instant messaging service or email. Better relationships can lead to improved collaboration and enhanced productivity overall.

Talking about your day, your weekend, or anything other than the task at hand can be a great way to stay alert and motivated, as well as nurture those connections with your teammates.

Our final tip for working remotely and enhancing productivity: Turn the laptop off

It’s now easier than ever to let work time bleed into leisure time, so you need to make sure that you’re maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Downtime makes you more productive—don’t be afraid to stick to your regular working hours and log off when you’ve done all you need to do. The more you push yourself, the more your work (and your colleagues) will suffer.

If you haven’t completed a task before the end of the day, resist the urge to work into the wee hours of the morning. Emails may flood in after 6 PM, but that doesn’t mean they can’t wait until the morning. While you may need to work late or start early on occasion, try not to make it a habit.

Establishing boundaries between work and personal time can feel like a challenge when your “office” is mere steps from your bedroom, but it’s critical to take time for yourself.

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