50 Remote Work Tips - Productivity, Balance & Home Office

Home Office Setup Tips

Position your desk near natural light but perpendicular to windows to reduce screen glare.
Invest in a quality chair with lumbar support—your back will thank you after years of remote work.
Keep your monitor at eye level to prevent neck strain from looking up or down all day.
Use a separate keyboard and mouse when working from a laptop to maintain better posture.
Add a plant to your workspace—studies show greenery boosts mood and productivity.
Ensure your internet connection is reliable and consider a backup mobile hotspot for emergencies.
Use noise-cancelling headphones to block distractions when deep focus is required.
Keep your workspace tidy—clutter creates mental fog and reduces concentration.

Start each day by writing down your top three priorities before opening email or Slack.
Block focus time in your calendar as meetings so colleagues know you're unavailable.
Use the Pomodoro technique—25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break.
Close unnecessary browser tabs and apps to reduce context-switching and distraction.
Set a hard stop time for work to prevent remote work from bleeding into personal life.
Batch similar tasks together—do all emails at once, all calls in sequence, all writing in blocks.
Keep a running list of small tasks for low-energy moments between meetings.
Review your completed tasks at day's end to maintain a sense of accomplishment.

Test your camera, microphone, and internet connection before important calls.
Position your camera at eye level so you're looking straight ahead, not down.
Use a ring light or face a window to avoid looking like a shadowy silhouette.
Mute yourself when not speaking to reduce background noise for everyone else.
Look at the camera, not the screen, when speaking to simulate eye contact.
Keep your background simple and professional—or use a subtle blur effect.
Have water nearby and take sips during pauses rather than coughing on camera.
Use headphones with a built-in microphone for clearer audio than laptop speakers.

Create a shutdown ritual—close your laptop, tidy your desk, and mentally leave work.
Dress in work clothes even at home to psychologically separate work from leisure.
Set specific working hours and communicate them clearly to your team.
Avoid working from the sofa or bed—keep work confined to your designated space.
Turn off work notifications on your phone outside of working hours.
Take a proper lunch break away from your desk—step outside if possible.
Close your office door at day's end, even if it's just a metaphorical boundary.
Schedule personal activities in your calendar to protect time for yourself.

Write messages that are clear and complete so recipients don't need follow-up questions.
Use video or voice messages for complex topics that are hard to explain in text.
Include relevant context and links in messages so readers have everything they need.
Set expectations about response times—not everything needs an immediate reply.
Use threads and channels appropriately to keep conversations organised and searchable.
Default to writing things down—async documentation reduces unnecessary meetings.

Schedule regular one-to-ones with your manager to maintain connection and alignment.
Use shared documents for collaborative work instead of sending files back and forth.
Overcommunicate progress on projects—visibility matters more when you're remote.
Celebrate wins publicly in team channels to maintain morale and recognition.
Make time for casual conversation—schedule virtual coffees to build relationships.
Be explicit about deadlines and expectations since casual check-ins happen less often.