20 Crucial Survival Tips for Working Remotely

I love working remotely and wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s helped me gain control of my health and traveling life, and I greatly benefit from the flexibility. But there are some tips for working remotely I wish I learned earlier.

One thing I would change is how I first approached being a traveling digital nomad. Remote job seekers are often so enamored by the prospect of working from home (or anywhere in the world) they don’t realize such freedom can come with downfalls — you need adjust your digital nomad expectations. This guide will help.

After years of being a remote worker, I now know some practices and routines that would’ve made my work-from-home life so much easier!

So I created this survival guide packed with wellness and productivity tips for working remotely to help you avoid those same blunders. If you haven’t secured a remote job yet, be sure to also review my guide to finding remote jobs for your unique lifestyle.

When you work remotely, your success and efficiency are dependent on your organizational skills, communication, and initiative. There are several productivity tools for remote work you can use to help along the way, but the bigger picture still relies on your reliability and professionalism.

If you are eager to take on the challenge, keep these tips for working remotely in your back pocket.

1. Invest in a good WiFi connection and phone service.

These are the primary ways your company will be in touch; a bad connection will taint your employer’s trust in your level of reliability. If you’re going to use hotel and coffee shop WiFi, be sure to have a back up plan in case that fails (and give yourself enough time to bypass paywalls / log into VPNs).

2. Set a routine and stick to it.

For your own productivity, and to manage your boss/client’s expectations, stick to a schedule as much as possible. Late night email replies when your hours are from 11am – 4pm will only hurt you in the long run when they begin to expect off-hour availability.

3. Use productivity tools for remote work to stay efficient.

There’s nothing wrong with a little help. Productivity tools like a timer (I use Be Focused), cloud storage, email, to-do lists, and more — all help make your job and remote worker reputation shine brighter!

Top productivity tools for remote work:

• Google Drive, Dropbox
• Be Focused (productivity timer with break intervals)
• Slack
• Time Doctor (for managing teams)
• Zoom (you can change your video background for free!)
• Skype or Google Hangouts Meet
• Evernote
• Trello

4. Keep your manager and team in the loop.

Whether it is as simple as an email check-in, monthly meeting, or more detailed activity reports, keeping everyone in the loop will help build team confidence, prevent miscommunications, and — if managed within a strict routine — can increase productivity.

5. Centralize shared documents.

If your remote job involves any sort of team setting, centralizing folders and assets should be a priority. When you work from home you lose the ability to walk over to the next cubicle and ask a question (and email comes with delays) so eliminate confusion by creating standard operating procedures and shared folders.

6. Make time for conference calls.

Remote work doesn’t mean never speaking with or seeing your colleagues ever again. While audio and video communications will be minimal, it always depends on the job and work culture. Expect to be in a quiet location for online meetings at the very least, and maybe even have to put on some outside clothes for video! Don’t worry, you can still be in your PJ’s or bathrobe most days.

7. Stay organized and protect your equipment.

Just because you work remotely doesn’t mean you are immune to the downfall of disorganization. Use a closet shelving system to file appropriate paperwork, hang a whiteboard or corkboard near your desk for posting reminders and to-do lists, and use protective covering on your desk and keyboard so your inevitable workspace lunch doesn’t ruin your hardware.

8. Document, document, document!

The Catch 22 about working from home is there is no one to confirm how much you are working (unless they require an activity logger). It is important to take extra care and document your achievements, leave a paper trail of important conversations, and report your activity in a timely manner.

9. Be mindful of the correct timezone.

The good thing about working remotely is you can work from home anywhere in the world. The frustrating thing? Keeping up with time zones! I’ve made a habit of switching my computer to my client’s timezone if needed, and other times I even wear a watch with their timezone! I also use Google’s email scheduler to send emails at appropriate times.

10. Embrace pre-scheduling.

A lot of your remote work may have to be done in real time, but a scheduler can be your best friend for the tasks that don’t. You can schedule emails through Gmail, schedule social media and blog posts, schedule recurring invoices (I use Wave Apps) and even create workflows for onboarding clients.

Wellness tips to survive working from home

It is not just productivity that’s important to your day to day remote work life. Your wellness is number one (and for most people, part of the reason why you started working from home!) Try these tips to take care of your mind and body while working remotely.

1. Position your desk in an optimal location.

My desk is by my window, offering bright midday sun thru sundown. It is also separate from sleeping, eating, and leisure areas. Removing my workspace from my bedroom (or bed, if in a studio apartment) helped promote a better work-life balance. If you don’t have this opportunity, consider co-working spaces and cafes for your workspace.

2. Stay hydrated!

Keep a cup of water near you always and remember to stay hydrated. It is easy to get sucked into a time warp when working remotely, so use your timer’s break alarms as a reminder to finish your current cup of water and refill! Dehydration causes headaches, loss of focus and energy, and possible long-term health issues. If water is too boring for your taste, add fruit to it like oranges! Or better yet, add melons to your meal snack.

3. Protect your wrists.

I find myself at the computer more often when working from home (you use it for work, leisure, and remote job searches with not much of a break in between). Using tools that protect my wrists are a game changer, as are wrist warm ups and stretches. I recommend you use mouse and keyboard pads with wrist support, a lightweight wrist brace, and dictation software on the computer.

4. Break away from the screen.

I mentioned the Be Focused timer app earlier as a way to stay productive. The reason why I love this app in particular is because it doesn’t just turn on a timer and run it until you turn it off. It provides interval breaks in between to help you rest your eyes, get your blood flooding, and regain focus. The default setting for this app is 25-minute sessions, with 5 and 15 minute break intervals in between.

5. Stay mobile with an activity tracker.

Anyone with a desk job can attest to weight gain and possible health decline due to adopting a more sedentary lifestyle. Taking one step forward to track your activity each day can make a big difference for your remote work wellness routine. I don’t like bulky products, so a Fitbit was perfect for my lifestyle (and even helped me lose more than 10 pounds for my wedding without crash dieting).

6. Stretch often.

We often mistake wellness and physical activity to only mean cardio exercise. Stretching is just as important, if not more. Tightness in your hamstrings, for instance can cause lower back pain. A tight chest can also contribute to bad posture and lowered confidence.

7. Use filters for good health.

Filters have a bad reputation thanks to their overuse on social media. But did you know there are types of filters meant for your good health? Working in front of a screen is easier (and better for your eye health) if you use your computer display’s night mode, or even invest in glasses with built-in blue light filters. Just remember if you work in design or editing, this will interfere with color tones!

8. Use ergonomic office equipment.

From ergonomic chairs and keyboards, to standing desks and more — furniture technology has advanced greatly over the years, and all for your wellness. The equipment often has a higher price tag, but you can write it off during tax season. Your body will thank you!

9. Honor hobbies outside of work.

For many remote workers, it is difficult to disconnect from your computer, office, and work. If you are lucky enough to do work you love, why would you want to do anything else!? But stepping away from your amazing remote job and workspace will keep you sane, active, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Consider hobbies that allow you to unplug if you are in front of the computer a lot; writing music, painting, cooking, building, exercising… the options can be endless if you’re open to it.

10. Plan enriching meals ahead of time.

Without your mid-work meals, your output will decline. I never forgot lunch at my 9-5 day job, but forget to eat all the time when working from home — and it totally affects my focus and productivity. This leads to unhealthy snacking, as well as reduced energy and focus. Plan mealtime as part of your schedule and, if possible, prepare those meals before you even start your day!

Which remote work tips do you need to embrace ASAP?

We all have our strengths and weaknesses, so while some of these may seem easy for you, others may be a bigger challenge. Managing a life of remote working is definitely a long-term game, so take your time, understand your work style and ideal work environment, and make the most of your new telecommuting life!

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

xx, O.

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