Remote Work Tips for a Productive and Comfortable Home Office

Working remotely has become a permanent fixture in our professional lives, making effective remote work tips essential for anyone working from home. 

However, remote workers face common challenges: fuzzy boundaries between work and home life, discomfort from poor ergonomics, and distractions that interrupt focus. 

As a result, many experience decreased productivity, physical strain, and eventually burnout if these issues aren't addressed.

Fortunately, you can address all these with the right workspace setup, daily structure, and wellness practices.

In this guide, we'll explore practical remote work tips that will help you do your best work while supporting your overall wellbeing.

Let’s get started!

Design a Workspace That Works

First and foremost, your physical environment directly influences how you feel and perform during your workday.

Here's a visual guide to help you get started:

Now, let's expand on how you can create a thoughtful workspace serves as the foundation for remote work success.

Ergonomics & Setup

To begin, position your chair and adjustable standing desk at heights that maintain your arms at a 90-degree angle when typing. 

Additionally, place your monitor at eye level to prevent neck strain, with the top of the screen aligned with your forehead.

Importantly, avoid working from your couch or bed, as these comfortable spots actually encourage poor posture and often lead to neck and back pain. Instead, dedicate a specific workspace with proper body support.

For best results, pair a quality ergonomic chair with an adjustable height desk to give yourself flexibility throughout the day, which reduces physical strain and helps maintain alertness.

Environment & Focus

Moving beyond ergonomics, your surrounding environment plays a crucial role in your ability to concentrate. 

When possible, position your desk to maximize natural light, which naturally boosts mood and reduces eye strain. Furthermore, consider adding simple soundproofing elements like rugs or curtains to minimize distractions.

Also, personal touches make a significant difference, too. For instance, adding plants improves air quality while creating a more welcoming space. Similarly, choose decorations that spark creativity without creating visual clutter.

To help maintain boundaries, create a mental transition between work and home by taking a short walk before starting and after finishing your workday. This simple "fake commute" helps your brain switch between work and personal modes with greater ease.

Time-Blocking and Scheduling

Without the inherent structure of an office environment, creating your own schedule becomes essential. Specifically, time-blocking (assigning specific tasks to dedicated time slots) helps prevent the endless drift that often happens when working from home.

To implement this effectively, start each morning by reviewing your calendar and priorities. Then, batch similar tasks together to reduce mental switching costs: create focused blocks for creative work, meetings, email, and administrative tasks.

At day's end, develop a 5-minute planning ritual. Simply write down tomorrow's top priorities and any thoughts you need to clear from your mind. This quick practice prevents work from spilling into your evening and prepares you for a productive start the next day.

Importantly, remember to schedule breaks too. Because remote work offers flexibility, it sometimes leads to overworking. Therefore, set firm start and end times, and honor them as you would in a traditional office setting.

For additional support, productivity tools like Google Calendar, Notion, or Trello can help visualize your day and keep you accountable to your schedule.

Movement and Posture

As a practical solution, use an electric standing desk to alternate between sitting and standing positions, which helps reduce back pain while boosting energy levels. 

Moreover, try implementing the Pomodoro Technique: work focused for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break to stretch or walk around. Even simple desk stretches like shoulder rolls or wrist exercises can prevent tension from accumulating during your day.

Boost Mental Wellness

For mental refreshment, create a small wellness corner with elements that help you reset: perhaps a yoga mat, noise-canceling headphones, or a journal for quick thoughts. 

Throughout your day, practice micro-recovery moments. Even 60 seconds of deep breathing between tasks helps reset your nervous system and preserves mental clarity during busy periods.

Communicate Using Tools and Software

In remote settings, use platforms like Slack and Zoom with intention by establishing clear expectations around response times. Remember that not every message requires an immediate reply, and creating communication norms helps everyone focus better. 

As a best practice, document important decisions in shared spaces where teammates can easily reference them, which reduces misunderstandings and builds a valuable knowledge base.

Build Connection

To counteract isolation, schedule occasional non-work check-ins or virtual coffee breaks to maintain the social connections that naturally develop in offices. 

Also create team rituals such as starting meetings with quick personal updates or celebrating achievements together. These small practices significantly contribute to team cohesion and overall job satisfaction.

Stay Connected with a Remote Work Community

Establishing genuine human connection is a crucial part of remote work, as it provides valuable support, motivation, and growth opportunities.

And the best part is that, while you can meet with your co-workers for this to happen, you don't have to!

Here's a visual guide to give you ideas on how to do this:

For accountability, services like Focusmate or Flow Club connect you with partners for virtual coworking sessions that recreate a shared office atmosphere.

You can also consider joining industry-specific Slack communities or forums where remote workers exchange ideas and offer peer support. 

To maintain your professional network, schedule occasional virtual coffee chats with colleagues outside your immediate team.

And to stay mentally healthy, watch for signs that you might need more connection: feelings of low motivation, losing perspective, or experiencing increased stress. 

As a change of pace, try working occasionally from a local cafe or coworking space to refresh your environment and be around others, even without direct interaction.

Set Weekly Goals and Track Progress

As part of a complete remote work strategy, creating clear goals and tracking your progress provides structure and motivation for continuous improvement.

To stay organized, break larger projects into weekly milestones by identifying 3-5 key priorities at the start of each week. Then, make these goals visible in your workspace using a simple kanban board with "To Do," "In Progress," and "Complete" columns. 

For greater insights, track your productivity patterns with tools like RescueTime or Toggl to optimize your schedule around your naturally productive periods.

To improve continuously, end each week with a brief reflection on what worked well and what could be better in your remote work approach. 

Always remember to celebrate progress, not just completed goals, by acknowledging small wins and creating positive associations with your work achievements.

Remote Work Tips FAQs

What's the best way to separate work and personal life when working from home?

Create both physical and temporal boundaries by designating a specific area solely for work. Then, establish start and end rituals, like taking a walk before and after work hours, to help your brain transition between modes. Finally, put away all work equipment at the end of the day to visually signal that work time is over.

How do I stay productive without supervision or deadlines?

Set internal deadlines ahead of actual due dates and find an accountability partner for regular check-ins. Additionally, time-tracking apps can increase awareness of how you're spending your hours and motivate more focused work. Finally, create a visible system for tracking progress to maintain momentum even without external oversight.

What kind of lighting is best for a home office setup?

Position your desk to maximize natural light with the window at your side rather than directly in front or behind you. For additional illumination, supplement with layered lighting: ambient overhead light and a task lamp for focused work. Consider daylight LED bulbs (5000K color temperature) that mimic natural light and reduce eye fatigue.

Can standing desks really improve my productivity?

Yes, standing desks can boost productivity by increasing energy levels and focus, especially when you alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. Many users report increased alertness, better concentration during afternoon slumps, and reduced physical discomfort. These benefits combine to create a more comfortable, distraction-free work experience.

What should I do if I feel burned out or unmotivated working remotely?

Take a restorative break, even if just for a day, to disconnect completely from work. Next, refresh your workspace with simple changes like rearranging furniture or adding new plants. Finally, connect with colleagues for social support and reassess your work structure to include more movement breaks or clearer boundaries.

Build Your Best Remote Work Setup Today

Ready to make a change? Start creating a workspace and routine that supports both productivity and wellbeing by focusing on one improvement at a time. 

An ergonomic chair paired with a quality adjustable standing desk creates the flexibility your body needs for comfortable, focused work. 

Browse EFFYDESK's collection of standing desks, chairs, and accessories for a more positive, energizing remote work experience.