How to Stay Productive While Working From Home

4 Valuable Tips for a Successful Remote Work Experience

In a previous post, we showed you how to successfully manage a team from home along with tips to keep in mind. But team managers aren’t the only ones looking for ways to stay productive and connected. Employees continue to do their best while working from home, even advancing professionally.

Do these desires and goals have to be put on hold until after the pandemic, or should we consider this the new normal? How can you ensure that you remain part of the team and don’t get lost in the shuffle when you’re not sitting at your regular office desk, but are just a window in a video conference?

1. Stay Active

In our conversation with Silke about team management, it became clear that many spontaneous situations in the office don’t occur when working from home. Yet these are the situations that generate the most exciting new ideas! You no longer sit together in a room and overhear what your colleagues are working on. You can no longer brainstorm about future projects at the coffee machine.

It’s now a matter of staying active yourself! Suggest spontaneous meetings. Approach your co-workers and offer help, especially if you have a competence that is more in demand than before. For example, do you know a lot about the technical side of working from home and could help set up the infrastructure? Actively reach out to your co-workers and let them know that you will always be there to offer advice and support. This can lead to opportunities for advancement.

2. Find a Structure

Supporting others and staying connected with them is the most important thing during these times. But don’t forget your personal projects! If you previously required less planning and were more driven by the office structure, you’re probably inclined to take that approach home with you.

However, it can be helpful to come up with a new structure on your own. This ranges from scheduling personal breaks to trying out management tools. Take the time to plan your day, ask co-workers for help or offer help yourself once you’ve found a new system that works for you. Keep an eye on the numbers while you’re at it! Your manager can’t see what you’re doing. With results and numbers, you can keep them informed and show that you’re doing a good job.

3. Find the Right Communication Channels

Social skills can shift when working remotely. An employee who tends to withdraw in the office might be good at online networking, as virtual exchanges have a completely different dynamic. Employees who lead in the office might have trouble holding their own while working from home.

Find out who you are and give new ways of communicating a chance. But that’s not all: some introverted employees, in particular, enjoy the opportunity to work on their tasks in peace and quiet from home. This way, you contribute your share to the company’s success, while others are still struggling with the new communication channels. That’s worth a lot during these times!

4. Stay Healthy

Make sure you don’t overlook taking care of yourself. Yes, more is being asked of us. Staying connected is more of an effort when everyone works in different locations, although the office situation can be somewhat simulated with Remote Desktop tools, cloud software and video chats.

Despite everything, you shouldn’t underestimate how different working from home is. Do you feel exhausted and isolated? Don’t ignore this feeling, but respond accordingly. Also, allow yourself private conversations with your co-workers or encourage your team to have a virtual happy hour. The social aspect of the regular office is just as important as doing good work.

Conclusion

Staying active and healthy and finding a good structure when working from home can help you to get accustomed to a new Remote Work environment in no time. Productivity can only be achieved long-term if communication channels are being used effectively.

Whether it’s a transition period or the new normal, it’s never wrong to learn how to work from home. Regardless of the pandemic, we need to stay connected, even if we work on different continents.

AnyDesk can help you to overcome this distance. As the provider of a powerful Remote Work solution, enhancing the productivity of your business is top priority for us. Discover how our customers are using AnyDesk for Remote Work and be inspired. Working from home doesn’t have to mean that your productivity is declining. With the right tool you will be able to create new opportunities and long-term success in a new, digital work environment.