8 Remote Working Tips For Beginners

Perhaps your company has finally decided to go remote, or you’ve just landed a new job that promotes a hybrid or work-from-home/work from anywhere mentality. Either way, transitioning to the home office for the first time can be intimidating.

That’s why we’ve compiled the following list of remote working tips for beginners. We consulted with remote work veterans and asked, “What do you wish you had known or done differently when you first started working remotely?” 

Are you looking for a job that will allow you to work remotely? Learn more about remote work trends for 2022 here.

Top Home Office Tips for Beginners

Most professionals would agree that remote work is here to stay. Give yourself the staying power to avoid burnout by embracing the following tips:

1.   Get a Good Office Chair

“Get a good office chair.” That’s what longtime remote worker Cara Siera, travel and work from anywhere website curator, had to say when asked, “What advice would you give to someone new to remote work?”

Having an ergonomically designed chair and an ergonomic desk or computer station is vital to your physical wellbeing as a remote worker. Why? Siera continued, “When I first started, I was sitting at a straight-backed wooden chair from the kitchen. Back pain and poor posture plagued me.”

Comfortable furnishings will help you endure longer at your desk and prevent damage to your body.

2.   Control Your Surroundings

Distractions were a major issue for some remote workers, especially during the pandemic lockdown. Kids, spouses, pets, and other family members might be watching television, demanding your attention, or otherwise pulling your thoughts from your work. 

Set boundaries, both literal and figurative, that cater to your needs and those of your family. Set rules about when you can be interrupted, and when others should wait. Escape or set limits on noisy activities.

Having a dedicated home office is also important for tax purposes.

3.   Upgrade As Needed

Most remote jobs require only a computer and an internet connection, things you likely already have at home. Working from a tiny screen or with a slow computer can become tedious, however.

You don’t have to spend your entire paycheck in the beginning, but budget funds to upgrade your tools as needed over time. You might consider upgrades like faster internet; a laptop or desktop computer with more memory, a faster graphics card, a bigger screen; or adding a second monitor to your setup.

4.   Keep Good Records

It can be hard to know what records to keep when you start working from home and difficult to play catch up later. If your work is freelance or you’re otherwise self-employed, you will need to keep records of payments received, expenses, hours worked, and values of your equipment for tax purposes. 

5.   Make It Mobile

Your home office can begin to feel like a prison if you spend all your time there. Consider going to a coffee shop or taking a mobile hotspot with you to a local park. You may even be able to travel to a vacation destination to work by day and party by night.

6.   Plan Your Meals

Did you pack your meals for work at the office? It’s a good idea to do so at home, too. Having a fully stocked kitchen just steps away has proven a temptation for many and produced a gain of “pandemic pounds.”

Instead of mindlessly snacking all day, plan and perhaps prep your meals ahead of time. If healthy pre-made lunches are easy to grab, it will be easier to bypass unhealthy convenience foods. You may also consider setting regular lunch, snack, and coffee breaks, rather than nibbling at your desk whenever the mood strikes you.

7.   Take Breaks

You can use the pomodoro technique to increase your productivity and prevent burnout. This technique involves setting a timer for 25 minutes of focused activity, followed by a five-minute break. It’s not as difficult to stay at your desk just a little while longer when you know you have a much-needed break coming in less than 25 minutes. Apps are available to make doing so easy.

8.   Maintain Work/Life Balance

When your workplace is also where you live, it can be a challenge to keep work from getting in the way of the things and people that make life, life. To maintain a proper balance, set boundaries that your employer is not allowed to cross. Have times when you are working, and times when you are not. Resist the urge to check work-related emails or do other work-related tasks outside of working hours.

Set routines that mark the beginning and end of your workday. Your commute and perhaps a morning cup of coffee once likely filled this role. Now, you might have some coffee, read a bit of fiction, or go for a jog to get your day started.