The Future of Remote Work: 7 Strategies to Optimize Productivity

Many office workers now work remotely. An opportunity to work remotely. However, you have to know how to get the most out of it. Optimizing time, tasks, and schedules are key to increasing productivity in our work.

7 tips to optimize time and productivity when working remotely

• Establish a routine and be disciplined

Working remotely from home or outside your office, telecommuting, requires a new adaptation. Find a corner of the home with natural light, isolated from noise and where concentration reigns. At first it will take you some time to find the rhythm, establish a routine and be disciplined. Therefore, it is essential to set a daily goal, finish that task and avoid distractions.

• Keeping the news under control

While information is excellent, it can have a negative effect. Sometimes, instead of relieving our emotions, news about the current pandemic can worsen them, increasing our levels of stress and anxiety.

That's why it's important not to read and look at the news every five minutes and to carefully choose your news sources. Check them at the beginning and end of the day. Consider scheduling a time to dedicate to news, tips, and explanations.

Working remotely from home or outside your office requires a new adaptation. Find a corner of the home with natural light, isolated from noise and where concentration reigns.

• Don't work from your bed

You really don't want to take work to bed, or you'll start associating your room with work, and honestly, who wants that?

It will be more difficult to concentrate on the tasks at hand and you are much more likely not to give 100% of yourself. Later on, this type of attitude can lead to a vicious cycle in which you will feel guilty for not getting up and not doing all the work you would like to do. It's really not worth it.

• Set up a home office

It doesn't have to be a complete room, it can be a corner in the living room or somewhere on the balcony or garden if you have one. The goal is for you to have a space within the home that is directly associated with work. It will be easier to establish a routine and it will help you maintain some boundaries of work life and remote work.

If you can't work from home, we recommend finding a coworking space so you can get the most out of your workday.

• Socialize, virtually

One of the main challenges associated with remote work is isolation. If you find that you are losing the social connection you had with your co-workers in the office, or that you just need a little conversation to motivate you to work, consider using group chats or video calls more often. Slack is an option that many companies use as an internal chat for remote work. The engine of your work, as they call it.

Many companies have created virtual workspaces where people can connect and disconnect as needed.

• Take regular breaks

Take breaks during the day as you do in the office. Get up, read, eat something light, do some deep breathing exercises, check on your children, spend time with your partner, take care of your pet, or do a quick exercise at home or a yoga routine. Remote work gives you the opportunity to do things that you cannot do in your traditional office. This also applies if you are a freelancer, so it is very important to know well what it means to be freelance and the advantages of working for yourself.

• Get enough sleep

Sleep and mental health are closely related. Lack of sleep can negatively affect our psychological state, including stress and depression, among others. Take advantage of the fact that you no longer have to go to the office and use that time to do things for yourself.