Working from home tips for next-level productivity

There’s so much to love about remote work: the flexibility, creating your own schedule, working in your PJs, to name a few. But there are also challenges, including distractions (looking at YOU, fridge) and the fear you’re secretly living in your own version of Groundhog Day. That’s why it’s important to swot up on working from home tips to get the best start.

Being able to find a balance isn’t an exact science, but there are some things you can do to make yourself happier and more productive. Whether you’ve been working from home for years or you’re brand new to it all, here are our top tips to help you thrive. 

For easy navigation, we’ve grouped this guide into four focus areas: how to be (and stay) productive; how to collaborate; how to manage work/life balance; and how to stay healthy. 

How to be (and stay) productive

Some people think remote work is easier, if not skiving off completely. No commute! No office politics! No boss looking over your shoulder! But while it does come with perks, remote work most certainly is still work, and staying consistently productive requires a lot of discipline. Here’s how. 

Keep your workspace tidy and prepared

First, perfect your office setup. You’ll want a space that’s clean, bright, and clutter-free — ideally with a door and no TV in it (or at least turn it off and position yourself so you can’t see it).

Next, surround yourself with everything you need to work well, including pens and paper, healthy snacks, and a bottle of water. This will limit your need to leave your desk to visit more distracting parts of your house.

Resist distractions

On the list of ‘things that are a problem for remote workers,’ distraction is pretty high. It’s not that offices don’t come with their fair share. The difference is, you’ve probably learned how to deal with most of them. Plus, you have the helpful gaze of your boss to keep you in line.

When you work from home (or anywhere that isn’t in the office), you face a whole new world of attention-grabbing possibilities, ranging from a nap to eating non-stop. And as a remote worker, you need to learn to manage these. 

There are tools to help. White noise apps, like Noisli, are great for drowning out background sounds. You can also try apps specifically designed to help you focus, like FocusBooster. If you’re struggling to resist the allure of the internet, website blockers, like Freedom, are a more aggressive way to limit the time you spend on non-work websites.

Learning to focus is something that takes practice and willpower. If you do slip up, try not to beat yourself up about it — tomorrow is a new day.

Manage your schedule

Freedom is hands-down one of the best things about being able to work on your own watch. But many either struggle to plan, or stick too closely to the 9-5 mindset and feel guilty when they deviate. Neither is ideal. 

Experiment with your schedule. It’ll take a little trial and error, but try to pinpoint when you feel your most and least productive, then build your day around that. Just remember — it’s not about arbitrarily sticking to an office-worthy schedule — it’s about what you actually accomplish. Speaking of which… 

Set goals

Don’t sweat over a timetable. Create goals instead. These don’t need to be big, flashy milestones — even ticking off a few smaller tasks can build momentum. 

Use to-do lists to help you stay on top of things, and review your progress to stay on course. Or, even better, get set up with project management tools. These track your work (plus the progress of your teammates) and add data so you can really dig into your performance metrics. 

Dress for productivity

Some people love to get all gussied up because it gets them in that professional mindset. Others embrace the fact that people can’t see them and make their PJs their official work getup.

Your clothing choice is up to you. If you go full workwear, remember to make it practical. Looking good is no reason to wear heels on a carpeted floor or a collared shirt when your AC is broken.

On the other hand, if you do go for the casual look, make sure it’s clean and new each morning. Don’t just continue wearing whatever outfit you rolled out of bed in. It’s a small thing that will help you make the transition from a home mindset to a working one. Self-care will help you feel fresher and more professional.

Create a morning routine

When you work remotely, it’s easy to fall into a chaotic start — rolling out of bed, grabbing your laptop, necking a coffee, then retreating back under the covers. But if you want a productive flow, you’ll need to get into the work mindset, and be consistent. 

You don’t need to go full ‘5am cold plunge followed by green juice and meditation’ — just do something that signals to your brain that it’s time to shift from rest to focus. That might be a shower and a cup of coffee, a short walk around the block, or half an hour of reading before you log in. If you need a bit of time before jumping into work, then factor that in. 

The goal is to start each day feeling in control — and a solid routine can make all the difference.

Create your perfect office

Your workspace doesn’t need to look Insta-ready, but it does need to work for you. Start by finding a dedicated spot where home life doesn’t intrude. If you can, invest in a proper desk and ergonomic accessories — your back and wrists will thank you.

Next, add a few personal touches, like plants or photos. But don’t overdo it — we want calm, not cluttered. The more you enjoy being in this space, the faster you’ll smash your to-do list. 

Declutter

Speaking of clutter — mess means stress. So take a few minutes each day to tidy up. Keep your desk clear, with a few essentials at arm’s reach (laptop, notepad, water, snacks). File away any paperwork you’re not using, and avoid accidentally starting a mug/plate collection. A clean workspace can make you feel more in control — and that makes it easier to knuckle down.

Let your housemates know your needs

Sharing a space with other people — partner, kids, flatmates, pets, or a combo of all four — can be tricky. Boundaries matter, and setting them clearly can save everyone a lot of stress.

Be open about your schedule. Let people know when you’re on calls and can’t be interrupted (a closed door or a “do not disturb” sign is a good option). Likewise, be willing to compromise. 

If you’re sharing a tight space, you might need to coordinate meetings or negotiate quiet hours. Solid communication and a little planning goes a long way. 

Know when you’re most productive

We all have natural rhythms — times when our energy peaks. The beauty of remote work is that you don’t have to force yourself into the traditional 9-to-5 mold. Instead? Work to your own productivity patterns! 

Are you sharp in the morning, or do you hit your stride in the afternoon? Maybe you’re at your peak in the evening, or even early hours. Once you’ve figured that out, try to schedule your most demanding tasks for those windows.

Use time-blocking

Say goodbye to decision fatigue and procrastination with time blocking, an incredibly useful technique. 

It’s simple: you divide your day into chunks of time and assign tasks to each chunk. Start by blocking out non-negotiables like meetings and breaks. Then, carve out time for deep work, admin, and personal activities like lunch or exercise. Treat those blocks like appointments: show up and respect their limits. 

And that’s it! This helps you avoid drifting aimlessly or multitasking. Instead, you know exactly what to work on, and when. 

Tackle high-priority tasks first thing

First thing, your brain is fresh, your distractions are minimal, and your motivation is usually at its highest. This is the perfect combination for productivity, so channel it towards your biggest task(s). Something that’s colloquially known as ‘eating the frog’. 

That doesn’t mean you need to dive in cold — a short warm-up like checking your calendar can help ease you in. But once you’re settled, aim to knock out something meaningful out of the park before you check your emails or start reacting to others’ requests. 

How to collaborate

You may experience times when you can’t seem to get in touch with anyone but your cat. This is when you realise… it’s time to make contact with humankind and ask for help. 

Check out your company resources

Feeling lost, work-wise? First, turn to your company’s wiki. Most businesses have a place where they store important docs, like HR policies, schedules, style guides, and so on. Familiarise yourself with what’s available and where.

Work out how and when to reach people

When it comes to connecting with people about work, jot down everyone’s time zones (if your business is international) and find out when you can expect people to be online, including your manager. It’s also wise to find out how people prefer to connect, whether that’s phone, email, team chat, or video — and be flexible. It’s about compromising in a way that helps you both accomplish your task. 

Have regular check-ins

Schedule in regular catch-ups either via phone or video conferencing. If you’re a manager, make a little extra effort to help your team socialize with each other. 

You could create a ‘general’ thread on your team chat app, or encourage people to spend 10 minutes discussing non-work topics at the start of a meeting or weekly catch-up. Kicking things off with some icebreaker questions can also lift the mood and help people connect. 

Use collaboration tools

A solid tech lineup is essential for remote workers. Email, chat apps, and video software are in most teams’ toolbox. But get involved with other platforms like time tracking apps, diagramming tools for virtual whiteboarding — and project management software, which helps everyone stay in touch and on track when they’re working remotely. 

Backlog, our own PM tool, keeps everyone up-to-date via real-time notifications and an easy-to-read dashboard. It also integrates with Drive, Docs, Slack, and other apps, making collaboration a breeze! 

Be patient

Hands up who’s been perturbed by a curt reply, or frustrated waiting for feedback. Remote collaboration takes a little patience — and not just because of different time zones. Without the usual visual cues or in-person reactions, messages can get misread, and decisions can take a few extra back-and-forths to land. It’s all part of the process.

Try to assume good intent. If someone’s slow or seems snippy, it doesn’t necessarily mean they hate you — they might just be busy. When in doubt, clarify (nicely).

Recognize wins

When you’re working remotely, it’s easy for wins to slip under the radar, especially the little ones. There’s no manager stopping by to give you props, and no team party when a project ends. So, it’s important to acknowledge your own successes and those of your teammates, too.

Get into the habit of tracking everything. At the end of each day or week, note down what you finished or what you’re happy about — even if it’s just answering that email you kept putting off. If you’re heading a team, give shout-outs to others when they do well. A quick mention can really boost the mood and show everyone that their work matters.

Set communication guidelines

Good communication doesn’t magically happen — it needs concerted effort. So first thing’s first: be clear around how, when, and where people should get in touch. Then agree collectively on your team’s main communication channels.  

As a good rule of thumb, save casual and urgent chat for instant messaging, formal stuff for email, and important, personal chats for one-on-one video calls. Respect people’s time zones and workload — and be clear about your own availability too.

Set project expectations early (and agree on them)

Before any project kicks off, make sure everyone knows what they’re doing, why, and when. 

That means defining the scope, timeline, and deliverables in writing. Who’s doing what? What does ‘done’ look like? When will check-ins happen? Getting these sorted early on helps you avoid last-minute scrambles down the line. The clearer you are up front, the smoother the journey. 

Document things, including meetings

Information doesn’t always flow as naturally in remote settings — which is why documentation is a must.

Take notes during meetings. If you’re working on a team project, keep a running log of progress and next steps. Good documentation also gives people the freedom to work asynchronously — instead of relying on real-time updates, people can catch up when it suits them.

How to manage work/life balance

When you work in an office, the divide is clear and separated by distance: work is one building, life is in others. But when you work from home, that distinction isn’t only blurred physically; it can be a real struggle to separate the two mentally.

This works both ways. Some remote workers struggle to get into a work mindset; others end up glued to their laptops until it’s time for bed. Spoiler: neither is good. 

Set boundaries

Yes, responding quickly is good. But it’s equally important to set boundaries. Break your day into work/rest chunks. Tell people when they can (and can’t) reach you. And give yourself a clear end point. That way, you can close your laptop with confidence at the end of the day. 

If you still find it hard to disconnect, set an out-of-office message on your email, letting people know when they can expect a reply. That should help calm those nerves! 

Schedule time for yourself

When your home is also your office, it’s easy for work to expand — which is why it’s super important to carve out some you-time. We’re not talking chores or answering messages — just time to decompress.

Block out half an hour (at least) in your calendar, and treat it with the same importance as a meeting. Give yourself that mental reset that helps you stay balanced and avoid burnout. And remember: rest isn’t the opposite of productivity. It’s part of it.

Take screen breaks

When your entire job happens on a screen, it’s easy to end up staring at pixels for hours — especially if you doomscroll in your breaks. That’s a recipe for headaches and fatigue.

Give your eyes and brain a break by stepping away from your devices regularly. Use the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Better yet, stand up, stretch, or walk around the room. Even a few minutes away from the screen can help reset your focus and reduce eye strain.

Take time off

Just because you’re not in the office, doesn’t mean you don’t need a break — especially if your workspace is only a few feet from your bed.

But time off is crucial for both mental health and long-term productivity. So take your annual leave, even if you’re not going anywhere. Use it to reset, and focus on the parts of life that have nothing to do with work. And don’t forget to set an out-of-office reply and resist the urge to check in. Your future self will thank you.

How to stay healthy

Poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle can leave you feeling foggy and stressed. If you want to stay productive, take care of your body and mind.

Eat healthily

Let’s start with the diet. People often swing between two extremes: either forgetting to eat entirely or snacking nonstop.

Start your day with a hearty breakfast, then keep healthy snacks — like fruit and nuts — on your desk to save you from having to make trips to the kitchen whenever you feel peckish or fancy staring into the fridge. And when it comes to lunch, resist the urge to stuff yourself, which is a one-way ticket to an afternoon dip. 

Move your body

When we work in an office, we tend to walk or take public transport. Then, we spend the day running between meetings, break-out areas, and coffee shops. All of that disappears when your commute reduces to mere paces, and your lunch is within arms reach.

Avoid physically stagnating. To keep your energy up, go outside for a walk at lunchtime. Better yet, hit the gym or grab a coffee somewhere. The change of scene will perk you up, and the fresh air and movement will leave you feeling more alert. 

Don’t become a recluse

At first, you enjoy the peace and quiet. Then you start feeling a little too comfortable with your own company.

There are two tried-and-tested ways to stop this from happening. First up: coworking spaces. These places offer up a change of scene, which can perk you up mentally. We also tend to work harder when we’re in the company of others – something known as The Hawthorne Effect.

If you don’t like the sound of coworking, then try to schedule lunch or coffee breaks with your friends, colleagues, or family once or twice a week. The change of scene and conversation will help you relax and refresh your mind.

Project management software is the remote team’s secret weapon

Whether you’re fresh into this remote thing, or fine-tuning a long-standing routine, the right tools can make a world of difference. Nulab’s suite of collaboration software is designed to help remote workers stay connected, organized, and aligned — no matter where they’re working from. 

Use Backlog to manage tasks, track progress, and keep your projects moving forward with full transparency. And when it comes to brainstorming or mapping out complex ideas, Cacoo makes it easy to create and share diagrams in real time. Better yet? Both integrate with each other, and a range of other apps and tools that support remote work. Try both for free today! 

This post was originally published on April 17, 2020, and updated most recently on August 20, 2025.