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Ryo Naruse
Ryo Naruse

Posted on • Originally published at remoteful.dev

What Does Remote Work Mean | 10 Tips for remote work for YOU

Imagine, you went on a trip and took your job with you! You are surprised, right? It’s possible if you are a remote employee.

You may ask me, *“What does remote work mean?” *

My readers, please have patience. I’ll explain everything. This article is going to be very informative.

What Does Remote Work Mean?

Suppose you work for a company. But need not work in a traditional office environment. Then how is it possible? Is not it interesting?

Hmm, I understand. But it is possible. You have flexible work environment opportunities. You can work at a coffee shop, from home, from a local coworking space, on a train, or bus or anywhere else for your company.

This is mainly the concept of remote work. So, *what does remote work mean? *

Remote work means employees do their work from a location other than the employer's traditional office.

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Now is the age of the internet. You can communicate with each other by texting, through email, video conference, and more.

You have the freedom to store your work on the cloud and share it with your coworkers and supervisors.

Today it is not necessary the actual presence of all employees physically in a central office. All the team members may be thousands of kilometers apart but able to work as a team.

Guess how? Yes, with the help of modern technology.

Don’t you think how easy it is to work remotely nowadays?

I think now you have got the complete answer of what does remote work mean.

Attention please:

It is (remote work) also known as telework, telecommuting, virtual work, distributed work, work from home, work from anywhere, flexible workplace and more.

Tips for remote work:

Do you know over 26 million Americans work remotely, either full-time or part-time?

26 million! It’s a huge number, is not it? The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has given this number. So, it’s time to know more about remote work.

I am still working 100 percent remotely; long before (about seven years) the COVID-19 pandemic started. Some of my friends started working with me from that time. All of us face unique challenges. Why unique? I have found the answer.

This is because of different lifestyles and personalities, types of work we do. Despite this, many of the difficulties we face as remote employees are similar.

From my experience, I can say those who work remotely have to figure out when to work, where to work.

Not only these, but they should also set the boundaries between work and personal life. You have to be concerned about the office equipment, training opportunities, building relationships with other team members, and more.

So you have to figure out these issues and others.

My dear, you must agree with me that every remote worker wants a more productive remote work life. Who does not want to?

From my real-life experience, now I’ll share with you some proven tips for remote work, and I believe after following these tips for remote work, you will get some unbelievable positive results as a remote worker.

So, let’s read on.

Make a schedule for yourself and stick to it:

Try to maintain this most of the time.Many remote employees find that having clear parameters for when to work helps them maintain a work-life balance.

Flexibility is one of the best advantages of remote work. In many cases, you may have to extend your day or start work earlier according to the time zone of different countries.

If you do so, wrap up earlier than usual. If you have a lack of sleep, get a little more sleep the next day.

Another great thing I need to share. There is an app named RescueTime will help you check whether you are maintaining regular hours.

This app will help you monitor at which time of the day you are more productive and when you are not.

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For example, the app “RescueTime” shows that you are most productive between 12:00 and 1:00 a.m. You should avoid scheduling meetings around that period.

Take a break:

If you work for a long work, you have to take a break. Know your organization’s break time.

Are you self-employed? If yes, then give yourself enough time. During day time stay away from computer and phone for some time for walking.

Standard break time for full-time US employees is a lunch hour and two 15 minutes breaks.

For computer-based work, you should stand up and move for a while at least once an hour for blood circulation. It also helps to take your eyes away from the device.

Ask what you need:

If you support your work-from-setup for a company, ask what you need to your company. After joining, when you feel you need something to provide support within a few days, then do not hesitate to ask.

Those pieces of equipment are needed to get your job done perfectly. Many organizations may have a budget home setup for remote employees.

If you need a printer, ask them. I think you may be clear now.

Use a VPN:

Now, I will share one of the essential tips for remote work. As a remote worker, you can work in any place—for example, libraries, cafes, airports, and more.

There may have a free wifi zone but don’t use it when you work for your organization in those places.

It is better to use a VPN. Your organization may have its VPNs. You have to use that for internal use (for your office work). It is always safer if you use a VPN always.

One more important thing, do not visit porn sites using your corporate VPN. Your organization can see that.

A dedicated office space:

As a remote worker, you need to keep your office space separate if you work from home.

Sometimes it can’t be possible for some workers. In that case, at least separate your desk, computer, and other devices for official use.

And try to keep your office room and desk organized as you spend most of the time there.

Socialization:

Are you an extrovert or introvert? I am asking this question because isolation, loneliness is common problems for those who work remotely.

Companies with a remote work culture are more likely to provide opportunities for socialization.

They may have messaging app for talking about the common interest. Now, it’s your turn to find out how much interaction you need to feel connected and take the initiative.

Feel like you are going to the office:

You can increase your productivity by associating work with an office.

Are you a bit confused? Okay, I am making things clear.

Do what a man does before going physically to his office. Set the alarm to wake up. Make coffee and wear official dresses.

You might be wondering. Why are all these necessary as you are a remote worker?

All these activities will give your brain a good reason to feel that you are doing your official work. These activities keep you pumped throughout your work hours.

It is one of the best tips for remote workers. Those simple actions can make you more productive than before.

Break up your day:

Plan what you will do and when you will do it throughout the day. For staying on schedule, it is essential. Create your personal events and reminders on an online calendar.

This online calendar will tell you when to shift gears and start new tasks.

You can use Google Calendar to do it.

Conclusion:

My dear reader, now it’s time to wrap up everything. If one of my readers gets a benefit after reading this article, my efforts will be successful. I think now my readers are clear enough what does remote work mean. They will benefit from following the tips for remote work that I have shared with you. So, remote work means you can work from any part of the world for any organization or a buyer without going to the office physically. You can work from home, in coffee shops and any other places. To maintain your remote work-life balance, you need to follow some tips: try to do work when you are more productive. The app RescueTime may help you to maintain this. Take a work break after a specific time. Ensure dedicated office space, a dedicated office desk, and computer, and use VPN (security purpose) for your remote work. These proven tips for remote work may help beginners or those planning to start a virtual career.

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