Remote working is the future. It was increasing in popularity over recent years but has escalated since the COVID-19 crisis started.

Many companies have realized that they can save money by making workers work on a remote basis. Not only do they save on office space, but office expenditure can be reduced by asking workers to work from home.

Workers also benefit. Working from home, often means that one can avoid office politics. In addition to this, working from home can have mental health benefits and also boost motivation.

Think about it, most of us spend hours on end at the office engaged in non-productive work.

The following are some things you can practice in your remote work-life in order to boost productivity:

Keep social and work separately

Communication applications have become the norm for communicating with co-workers remotely. Whilst some opt to use Watsapp, the application itself is used by the vast majority of its users for social purposes. This includes communication with family and friends.

Using Watsapp for work purposes can have disadvantages. If you have a lot of contacts, there is a chance that you may miss out on reading an important message.

Having to look at social messages whilst working can also affect your concentration and thus decrease your productivity. It is better to use a designated application for work purposes. Popular choices include Telegram and Slack.

Having separate mediums for your work and social life will also help you to strike a balance. You won’t want to receive a work-related message while you are at a party or whilst at a family gathering for instance.

Don’t work after hours

Some people are workaholics and will do work or check their messages after normal working hours. This is an unhealthy habit and something that you must avoid at all costs.

Unless you have incomplete work to catch up on or have an urgent deadline to meet, you should not work over-time or respond to message outside your working hours. This is apparent with students trying to cram for exams. We all know that, in most cases, this works against the student and they often feel lethargic come exam time.

For example, a fitness student trying to cram an NSCA CPT Study Guide the night before an exam. Not only will the student feel tired and lethargic the next day, but they’ll most likely also fail the exam.

This can also lead to burnout which can lead to you becoming less productive and losing motivation towards work. Taking the time to enjoy yourself is necessary for good mental health and productivity.

The best workers are those who are able to strike a good balance between their work and leisure life. Working from home can lead to an unhealthy precedent.

Some employers are good and some bad. Some will take advantage of and exploit you for extra hours or labor if they find that you are easily willing to work outside business hours.

Make yourself visible at work

In spite of remote working becoming popular, some businessman is still hesitant to allow their staff to abide by the practice. Their reasons for this justified.

Let’s face it, some people are lazy and if they get a chance to work from home, will not work at all.

You can impress your boss by regularly updating him/her on the status of the work you are doing. You should also make yourself visible on the communication application which you choose to use for working purpose.

Keep yourself signed in on the communication channel on one of your devices. This will ensure that you do not miss any important messages. One can easily miss a deadline or read an important message later than they are meant to if they are signed out.

Practice good meeting etiquette

Video calling has become a common way for people to hold meetings. If you attend a video call/practice, it is a good practice to turn on your camera.

If you turn on your camera, you should be wearing a presentable shirt and pants. Do not wear your pajamas or anything which could make you feel embarrassed.

If you do not turn on your camera, it could indicate to others that you are doing something else. Furthermore, it could indicate to your other team members that you may be trying to hide something or are disinterested.

You should always aim to have your video on unless you have been specified to not have it on. This can happen if there is an emergency or if your camera is not working.

Find a schedule that fits you

Everyone is different. Some people work effectively for eight hours straight and small breaks in-between. Others work well for two hour periods before taking a break and then resuming work.

When at work, people often take time off to interact with co-workers and make time to leave the office and go galavanting for their lunch break.

Whilst the advantage of working from home is that you avoid office politics, you also avoid human interaction. A lack of human interaction can lead to depression and loneliness.

You should find the work pattern which works best for you and stick to it. Some employers are giving their workers the chance to work flexible hours at their own choosing as long as they get the work done.

If you are given this choice, see what works for you. Some people prefer to work during the day whilst others are more productive at night.

Build connections with your team-mates

Working relationships generally work better if you build connections with your colleagues and team-mates.

When you are introduced to a new team or are appointed as a team leader, try to learn about your fellow team-mates beyond their work life.

You should ask them questions about their life away from work and also exchange common pleasantries.

Granted, this is not possible with everyone. Some people are just not friendly in general. You should not feel sad or angry if someone is not friendly. Just be happy that you tried your best and what happened was beyond your control.

If do this, you will develop a few connections. Those connections will turn into valuable working relationships in the long-run.

Aim to continuously develop

The key to success in the modern age is to keep on learning. Technology is constantly advancing. You should aim to learn about the latest trends, applications, and software. This will help you to maximize your productivity.