5 Best Practices for Remote Employees

Working remotely hasn’t been the easiest experience for most of us. For those of you who are new to it, you might be experiencing a bit of a learning curve when it comes to making your day run smoothly. Transitioning to a work-from-home environment has its set of challenges, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still be productive and safe while working from home. Use these best practices to create the best work-at-home experience.

1. Limit Your Distractions

This is easier said than done, especially if you have little ones running around the house, but do your best to limit your distractions while you’re on shift. Ask your spouse or family members for help or, if it’s in your budget, hire a nanny to care for your kids while you’re working. If you and your spouse both work from home, you may even consider working in opposite shifts so that one of you can work uninterrupted with the other focuses on the kids. 

2. Secure Your Home Network

Working from home means more of a risk of security threats when it comes to online activity. There’s always the potential that a hacker could try to gain access to your network to slip into the company’s network. To prevent these things from happening, secure your tech at home by investing in an identity theft protection package that helps enhance your online security. Be sure to use stronger passwords on all of your devices (and avoid using identifying personal information like birthdates and addresses). Install a firewall and antivirus software for the ultimate protection. Multifactor authentication takes things a step further and makes it harder for thieves to gain access to your network or your employer’s network.

3. Get Organized

One of the biggest culprits of poor productivity is disorganization. Now that you’re working from home for the foreseeable future, it’s time to get organized. Everything should have a place. What do you need to complete your work for the day? Pens, paper, paperclips? Whatever it is, give everything a place. Make a trip to the office supply store (or have it delivered via InstaCart) if you have to. But get your workspace organized so that you can be the most productive employee possible. You should also keep task lists so you know what you’re supposed to be working on at all times.

4. Take Frequent Breaks

Transitioning to a work-at-home environment might be a challenge for those who torpedo through their work and have to be reminded to take breaks. If you’re in that boat, you might need to set a reminder to take breaks. Take breaks just as you would at the office. Take a 15-minute break after four hours, a lunch after six, and another 15-minute break towards the end of the day. You can use your phone’s timer or use a time management app to boost productivity.

5. Eat Plenty of Brain Food

Eating foods that are good for the brain can help you function better during the workday. Just some of the foods you could try include:

• Salmon
• Blueberries
• Whole grains
• Avocado
• Nuts and seeds (almonds, flax seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts)
• Spinach
• Pomegranate juice
• Tea
• Dark chocolate

Stock up on a few of these foods and keep them handy when you’re working. Snack on something healthy while you’re working instead of empty calories that’ll make you crash – or further contribute to your cognitive decline as the day goes on.

Making Working From Home Work For You

Working as a remote employee is proving to be quite a challenge. For those just entering the wonderful world of working from home, the above tips can help keep you on track and improve productivity and focus.

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