10 Secret Tips to Work From Home More Effectively and Efficiently

If you currently work from home, then you probably already know about the comforts of doing so.

Working remotely has changed the game for workers all over the world.

Considering that there are plenty of careers that you can take on that allow you to work from home, you’re more likely to find a variety of careers available if you do decide you want to change jobs.

Remote working isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

This means you need to learn how to work from home effectively if you don’t already know how to do so.

If you’re switching from a physical office as a receptionist to your Home Office to work as a virtual medical receptionist, then you should think of all of the ways that you can make remote working as comfortable as possible for you.

A lot of people tend to think about what they might be missing out on when they’re working from home. 

This is most expecially for those who would no longer be in an office full of people anymore.

But there are so many things you can benefit from by working remotely. 

So with that in mind, we’ve put together a list of how you can make remote working more comfortable. 

1. Start from the beginning

If you want to be comfortable while working from home, then you need to know how to make your workspace more productive.

You need a comfortable place to sit.

This means you need to think ergonomically in the same way you would in a business center as you would at your home.

You can’t sit and work on the couch all day, and you can’t sit up in bed either.

Because while those ideas both sound great, it’s not going to be good for your posture.

You need to choose a proper desk, a proper table and a proper chair so that you can have everything around you at a decent height.

You also need to think about your back and how comfortable your back will be if you’re sitting upright in a proper chair. 

That doesn’t mean you can’t give it a personal touch. 

You need these 4 steps to design an office to have an optimal office space in your home 

Your office should have your favorite flowers or artwork, and it should have a place for your favorite mug. 

2. Get a list of the equipment that you’ll need

If you’re working as a virtual medical receptionist, then there’s every chance you’re going to need a VPN to keep your workstation private.

You may even need a noise-cancelling headset so you can take calls as soon as you start to work from home.

Speak to the tech department so that you can assess whether you have all of the tools and equipment for the job.

Look at remote tech support software and think about whether you need a computer or a laptop. 

Also consider if you need a keyboard and mouse to go with it as well as any extra screens, desks, support, and space

You may already have your equipment, but you may need to ask your workspace for a pedal if you’re going to be doing transcription services. 

Also read  Tips to make your workspace more productive

3. Layout the boundaries

Working from home doesn’t mean you’re not able to necessarily combine housework or childcare alongside.

Yes, those things may fall to you from time to time by your choice.

That is, you may decide to switch over the laundry while you’re in the middle of your working day. 

However, this doesn’t mean that people can encroach on your workspace if they know that you are at work.

Laying down some rules with the adults and the children in your house will help you to keep your work and your home life relatively separate.

There will always be blurred lines but if you keep your boundaries firm you can minimize those.

4. Limit your distractions

Unless you’re the kind of person who can watch TV while working, it’s a good idea to limit distractions.

As a receptionist, you might be taking calls, so you don’t want to have too much noise around.

It’s also a good idea to possibly stay away from your social media as much as possiblewhen you work from home.

This is to avoid you constantly looking at your phone rather than looking at your work.

When working remotely, you are trusted to use your time appropriately.

This means making sure that you balance your day just like you would in the office.

Getting some good time-tracking software involved can help you to stay on top of things.

Remote employees tend to be more relaxed because there’s no boss or anybody else around, but that doesn’t mean that you should relax too much.

Keeping your own time can be helpful, but your employer may enforce time tracking anyway, so this particular point would be moot. 

5. Create and stick to a routine

You need to have both a morning routine and an afternoon routine when you work from home.

Your morning routine should involve setting up your day, having something to eat, having something to drink, and making sure that you feel comfortable.

If you are a student, these 20 morning routines of a successful student would help you to be more efficient. 

Your breaks should be dedicated to eating and some leisure activities, so try not to spend too much time prepping meals in advance.

If you have a good routine in place, you’re going to find yourself able to set up your work in the morning.

You would also set the slow cooker on for the evening meal, and then feel like you’re more in charge of your day.

It’s always a good idea to be as ready in advance as possible so that you feel like you are able to stick to something that keeps you working productively.

6. Devote your mornings to the high-priority tasks

As a receptionist taking phone calls, you might find some of your to-do list gets waylaid by incoming calls.

When you’re having your morning routine put together, you need to make sure that you are organizing your time appropriately when you work from home. 

Give yourself a rough estimate of how much time you need to dedicate to tasks and try to stick with that as much as you can.

As you tick off your list, you’re going to feel the biggest sense of fulfillment because that’s going to make you feel stirred up to get on with the rest of your duties.

Your schedule is important, and as a remote employee with nobody breathing over your shoulder, you need to keep on with your schedule as much as you can.

7. Keep your working hours regular

Some people like to start work very early in the morning so that they can have an early finish.

This particularly works for working parents.

Others prefer it the other way around, where they can start their day at lunchtime and finish towards the evening.

Speak to your boss about what their policies are and as much as possible, try to keep your current choice as regular as possible.

If you’ve picked a 9 to 5 schedule, stick to it.

If you’ve picked a morning to earlier afternoon schedule, stick to that.

You need to have your work-life balance in place, and one of the beauties of remote work is that you’re able to implement that work-life balance as much as possible. 

8. Do not shorten your breaks

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to be tied to your desk through your lunch breaks.

It’s important that you take breaks from your working routine and take time away from your computer.

It’s not just important for your health, but it’s a good idea to make sure that you feel productive.

How can you feel productive if you’re flagging by lunchtime but then you don’t take a break for yourself?

Whatever your style may be, make sure that you stick to it for the maximum comfort of your work.

It’s always easier to follow a natural pattern at home where no one can dictate when you take your break.

Notice your hunger cues and eat when you feel hungry rather than waiting and waiting until your evening meal.

9. Don’t forget to socialise

Just because you and your teammates all work from home in different locations doesn’t mean you can’t socialise together.

There are online chat and Teams options where you can catch up over things that are not just work.

You should make sure that you are still able to catch up outside of work too.

This means scheduling time together where you can when you can meet up and come together as a team to decompress.

This improves collaboration in the team and it is one of the 34 powerful ways to motivate your team for improved performance

10. Consider the advantages

Sit with the advantages when you get a chance to be at home.

Or when you get a chance to go to the school runs and attend any school events.

You can work around your housework, you can inject cooking during the day, and you can still stay on top of all of your tasks.

You get to be productive in both your professional and your personal life when you work from home.

So sit with the advantages and smile at your newfound fortune.