Given the recent situation with the spread of COVID-19, most of the employees across the PNORS Technology Group are now working remotely and this might turn into 100% over the coming months.

The world as we know it is changing and we're extremely lucky that we have the technology at our disposal to ensure that we can operate as usual. 

We do not exactly know what will happen in the near future. Perhaps this shift towards remote working will change the way we work forever and more often than not, we will be working from home rather than in the office. 

However, regardless of what you are used to, working from home can be great for some and distracting for others.

Here are my top 10 productivity tips to ensure that you get the most out of your work day, when working remotely. 

1. Get up at the same time every day  

It may seem silly or even a waste of personal time as you no longer have a commute, but the earlier you get up and get your body moving, the faster your mind starts waking up. I would not recommend waking up at 8:55 for a 9:00 am start as your brain needs 30 - 45 minutes to fully wake up. Get up at the same time as you were when commuting, use this time to exercise, read a book/newspaper, spend time with your family, and ease into your day. You would be surprised at what you could get done before you begin the work day. 

2. Dress as if you were going into the office

If you don't break up your routine into work time and personal time the lines quickly become blurry making you feel as though you can not escape from your work. It is very easy for us to wake up and walk over to our desk and get cracking on our emails. I am not suggesting you wear a suit and tie at home, however I find that there are numerous benefits to tricking your mind into thinking that there is little to no disruption to your regular routine both on your productivity and your mental health. 

Keep your routine the same and ensure that you have showered, shaved, etc. and continue your routine as if you are going into the office.  

3. Hide the remote

Working from home is a luxury for most people. Turning the TV on in the background can mean that you are only working/concentrating at 50% and taking breaks when you should be working.

Try and maximise your time as much as possible. You have many hours to watch TV after work and a minute of sacking off can very quickly turn into an hour or two.

4. Establish a dedicated workstation

I highly recommend that you find somewhere free from distractions. If you have children, chances are that they are now on school holidays or remote learning. Therefore, it is important that you don’t set up your home office at your dinner table awaiting distraction from your children, the TV or the dog.

Find a nice, quiet, well-lit area and set up shop. I would recommend somewhere near a window or natural lighting.

5. Get out at lunchtime (unless you are in isolation)

If it is necessary to self-isolate by the government, please follow their advice. I cannot stress this enough.

But, if you are working from home and not in isolation, it will be very important that you try and get out as much as possible to get fresh air and sunlight. By all means, try a new café, go for a walk, meet a friend (maintain social separation) and get out of the house. Do not try and work for 8-9+ hours straight at your desk without leaving your house for a day or two. You will quickly burn out.

6. Don’t change your hours 

I have found that overall productivity is enhanced when I work against my regular work hours. Although I may not the best example as I am the CEO of an international technology organisation and I sometimes work around the clock.

Overworking or splitting hours can be a good idea for a few days, ongoing, I have found that I was not as productive as I enjoyed spending time with my family/friends during non-work hours and I get a better response rate from my team when we are all logged on at the same time.

7. Ensure you have the right tech stack 

This might be a good question to ask your employer. Can you get the job done with your current tech stack?

Collaboration tools are extremely affordable and can have massive impacts on inter-company communication and collaboration and also your communications with your clients. Please refer to Netway Networks' remote working IT solution for more information.

8. Invest in a comfy chair

We can spend over 1/3rd of your day sitting in our office chairs. Stand up desks are not always an achievable solution for remote workers. However, if you do not work from home regularly, you might not have an ergonomic chair with lumbar support at your disposal. Sitting on a dining room chair for 40+ hours a week is not good for your health.

9. Don’t limit meetings!

Social interactions are as important as ever.

Just because you are not in the same location doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pick up the phone and have a chat with your employees/boss. Give them a call, schedule a Teams/WebEx meeting and utilise your webcam/smart device for a video conference.

10. Take advantage of the situation

Have fun, go out to lunch (if allowed), watch some TV during your breaks, listen to music loud on full volume and make the most of this situation. It might not last forever and before you know it, you might be commuting to and from the office again.

One of the greatest things about being the leader and CEO of the PNORS Technology Group is going around the office and speaking to all of my employees on a daily basis. The social interaction is a great part of my daily work life. However, I do occasionally work remotely and see the benefits of it.

Regardless of the unfolding COVID-19 situation, I believe that all businesses should be flexible enough to allow their employees to work remotely going forward.

Technology is there, we can now collaborate like never before.

Let me know if you ever need a hand setting up your technology for your remote workforce.