Corissa is a Career Advisor and Staff Writer at Resume Genius, where she loves equipping others with the tools they need to pursue their dreams.
She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Philosophy and a certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies
Create a dedicated workspace
If you want to make the most of your work hours, you need an environment that supports you. Your physical workspace has the power to impact your mental health and productivity, so how you choose to set up your home office matters.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Make sure you have enough light. If your workspace has natural light or a window, that can be a great mood-booster. If natural light is inaccessible, add another light source you enjoy, like a warm desk lamp.
- Pay attention to the noise level. If you can find a quiet spot, you’ll have more control over your auditory environment and ability to concentrate. If quiet is hard to come by in your home, invest in some good noise-cancelling headphones.
- Set up your workspace for physical comfort and well-being. Choose an ergonomic chair that supports good posture, a laptop stand that will save your neck some kinks, and a standing desk if it’s within budget.
- Create an environment that soothes you. To reduce stress and improve concentration, give yourself a view with some greenery (sit by a window, work in your garden, or simply keep a potted plant on your desk), and consider adding visual touches of blue and green to your desk space.
Set clear boundaries
When you’re working remotely, it’s easy for the lines between work and home to become blurred, making it difficult to focus and be fully present. That’s why it’s important to establish some boundaries.
Having a designated space where you spend your working hours is an excellent way to create a clear mental and physical boundary. And, as long as it’s set up well, your workspace should help you perform more efficiently.
If you set your own schedule or work with an asynchronous team, setting explicit expectations for communication with colleagues will help them understand how and when to best work with you.
Find an effective way to share your availability – whether it’s in your Slack status, email signature, or automated responses you set up. Knowing that you have that information clearly laid out will reduce any pressure you feel to be immediately responsive outside of working hours.
Be the master of your time
You need strong time management skills to stay on top of your tasks and meet deadlines in a remote work environment. Without the structure of an office workday, or managers regularly peering over your shoulder, you’re accountable for how and when you get work done.
Here are some ideas for managing your time:
- Create a schedule that aligns with your peak productivity hours
- Make a daily to-do list
- Prioritise tasks based on importance and deadlines
- Consider using productivity techniques like time blocking or the Pomodoro technique to maximise your efficiency
- Set reminders and alerts for important task milestones, meetings, or deadlines
There’s no right or wrong way to approach time management – find what works best for you through experimentation. Learning how to effectively manage your time will enhance your overall productivity and help you maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Try new tools
Working in tech has the added benefit of countless tools at your fingertips you can use to streamline your workflow. Experiment with different applications that suit your needs, making processes more streamlined and efficient.
Here are some of the most popular tools for remote tech workers:
- Project management tools: Trello, Asana, Airtable, ProofHub, ClickUp, Hive
- Collaboration tools: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Workspace, Dropbox, Notion, Every Time Zone, Dropbox
- Tools for software developers: GitHub, GitLab, Jira Cloud, Confluence, Stack Overflow, Stand-Bot, Docker
In a rapidly evolving industry, staying up-to-date on the best tech solutions can give you a competitive edge, help you keep your team agile, and improve your overall work-from-home experience.
Take regular breaks (and use them wisely)
It may go without saying that breaks are essential for maintaining focus and preventing burnout, but it can actually be more challenging to take breaks when working from home.
To make sure you’re taking the time you need, schedule regular breaks in your workday, and use them to nourish yourself in some way – drink water, stretch, walk, or prepare a nutritious snack.
While it can be tempting to do chores, scroll on social media, or get lost in YouTube reels, using your breaks wisely will help come back to your desk with a clear mind, heightened creativity, and a greater sense of well-being.
Cultivate intentional communication
Without regular in-person interactions, remote work can become isolating. By finding (or creating) opportunities for intentional communication with colleagues, you can foster that sense of camaraderie and connection that might otherwise be missing.
Here are some ideas for making more meaningful remote connections:
- Learn your coworkers’ communication styles and adjust accordingly. Not everyone loves typing away on Slack, and in fact, there’s quite a lot of etiquette to consider. If you want to improve your professional relationships, find out how your colleagues prefer to communicate and accommodate them – whether that means sending an email, responding in a thread, or hopping on a quick video call.
- Opt for video calls over audio-only meetings. Seeing your colleagues’ facial expressions and body language adds greater depth and nuance to the conversation, helps you understand each other better, and invites more opportunities for humour.
- Shout out your coworkers when they’ve done a good job. Recognizing the achievements of others creates a positive and motivating work environment where colleagues feel supported by one another.
- Invite coworkers for a virtual coffee break. Taking informal breaks with colleagues provides a casual setting to discuss non-work-related topics, share anecdotes, and strengthen your interpersonal connections.
Aside from strengthening bonds with your workmates, you can make connections through online professional communities. If you believe in supporting women in tech and addressing the gender gap in tech, join our vibrant and collaborative community, which is dedicated to learning and growing together.
