Millions of people across the UK are working from home for the first time following the government’s instruction to work remotely where possible. However, staying productive, in contact with colleagues and managing workflow is completely different at home compared to in the office.

Here at Optionbox, our entire team began working remotely a few weeks ago, as you may have done. We’ve worked through the teething issues and we’re all continuing to live up to expectations despite the unexpected change. To help you and your business adapt, we’ve put together 3 tips for remote working based on our own experiences over the last few weeks.

#1: Over-Communicate with Colleagues

Suddenly working from home completely transforms the way that you communicate with colleagues. As a telecoms company, we know a thing or two about how crucial communication is to the success of a business. When you’re working from home, making the effort to communicate with colleagues is more important than ever!

Since you’re no longer sat with your co-workers or a few steps away from your manager’s office, you need to make sure everyone continues to communicate as best as possible. Projects can soon grind to a halt and productivity severely impacted if communication suddenly stops. Fortunately, we’ve lucky to live in a time where there’s plenty of technology and software to keep teams communicating freely.

Here at Optionbox, we use Collaborate, which is a piece of software that fully integrates with our office telephone system. Basically, this means we can use every feature of our telephone system even though we’re not in the office. It also has video, text and voice functionality so our team can communicate and work together in many ways.

#2: Decide on A Dedicated Workplace – And Use It!

While you can’t work at your office desk, you shouldn’t just slouch on the sofa with a laptop either. Selecting a dedicated workplace is good for both productivity and mental wellbeing, so it’s an important step when working from home.

We’re not all lucky enough to have a home office. However, something as simple as setting yourself up at the kitchen table will help your productivity and focus. While it might sound like the dream to work in front of the TV or in bed, working in a space you associate with leisure time is sure to impact your productivity negatively. Dedicate a room or a space in your home to working and it will help you to get in the right frame of mind for a day’s work.

#3: Pretend You Are Going to The Office

It’s so easy to slip into a negative routine when working from home and negative tendencies can prevail if you’re not careful. One way to keep your usual productivity is pretend you are going to the office. But what does this entail?

If you were going to the office, you’d set your alarm, wear smart clothes, and be sat at your desk a few minutes before you’re due to begin working. Keep this routine when you’re working from home – including getting ready and dressing in clothes you’d wear to work!

The routine of getting ready for work all contributes to having a productive mindset and being able to achieve your goals throughout the day. If you drop the routine, your productivity is going to skydive. And when you must get back into that routine in a few weeks when we can all go back to the office, you’ll really struggle!