Going remote isn’t as easy as you might think. It is a difficult transition for everyone, whether you are an employee or an employer.

Remote work is not all sunshine and roses and does not mean you will be chilling out in your pajamas all day. It is a lot harder than that! Some people thrive while working from home. And others, not so much.

To work effectively from home, you need to be:

  • An excellent communicator to keep in touch with your team occasionally through chat.
  • Comfortable with working alone and have the strong work ethic
  • Able to maintain a healthy work-life balance and have good time-management skills.

We compiled this guide to help make the transition easier for everyone:

  1. Establishing a personal, dedicated workspace is key to working from home so you can better get into ‘work mode’ whenever you sit down.
  2. Eliminate distractions within your personal environment:
    • Investing in a pair of noise-canceling headphones.
    • Telling your friends, family, or flatmates that you won’t be available until 5 pm.
    • Get a browser extension that blocks your most visited time-wasting sites.
    • Setting aside a dedicated lunch/snack break.
    • Sign out and turn off all notifications that are not work-related.
  3. If you want to be productive you need to set a clear work schedule and start tracking time!
  4. Dress for work, especially if video calls are a part of your job.
  5. Remote work, by nature, tends to be goal-oriented so make sure you set clear tasks and goals daily.
  6. Choose the right project management and communication tools to ensure clear communications with your manager and colleagues.

Now you are ready and can start applying for remote jobs! Find out here how to get your foot in the door when it comes to remote work.