Remote work is possible – and now even necessary – for more and more people. No matter if going remote is a conscious decision or compulsive step, it has a lot of advantages. But home office does come with great challenges as well. Even though – according to statistics – employees are more productive when they work outside of the conventional office, they tend to have a better work-life balance and save money on everything from commuting to lunches, they’re also more vulnerable to several factors.
Working longer hours and switching off properly at the end of the day, communicating with teammates when you’re not face-to-face, loneliness and isolation, distractions and work-home interference are just some of the challenges a remote worker might face.
In short:
- Remote work offers flexibility but comes with challenges like distractions, blurred work-life boundaries, and isolation, requiring structured strategies for success.
- Key tips include setting a dedicated workspace, defining working hours, and creating daily and weekly schedules to maintain focus and productivity.
- Clear communication routines and end-of-day rituals help reduce stress, avoid burnout, and separate professional and personal life.
- Staying socially connected is essential, and DEVELOR supports remote efficiency through tailored virtual training programs.
Have Your Own Home Working Spot
Have a dedicated working spot in your home that allows you to work undisturbed. Ideally, it is a separate room, but it can also be a small desk or a corner, which is dedicated to your computer and work materials only. Having your own working spot can help you separate your work and private life as well. If you cannot have a fixed desk, a floating working space will suffice – all necessities for working at home in one box, so you can easily set up in any room of your home depending on the schedule of the rest of the people in your household.
Remove Distractions
Once you have your workspace to work at home, get rid of anything that might be distracting. Having your weight-lifting kit, television or other household items by your desk might easily draw your attention from work. Also, it is worth to discuss and set expectations for the people you live with. Let them know when you can and can’t be disturbed, set clear guidance with children as well.
Define Your Home Working Hours
Consider your day like any other workday. Define your working hours or adjust it to your company’s requirements, and then stick to it. For example, make sure that you start working at 8 AM in the morning and call it a day around 5 PM in the afternoon. If it is not possible, define slots, but keep them as fixed as possible (e.g. 10-11:30 focus work, 13-15 meetings time). Very important is to define the finish time! You can adjust your hours later to be more efficient, and also helps you to avoid making a habit of stretching out your working hours. If you need to adapt to partner and children, communicate to find the way to align schedules.
Create a Daily and Weekly Schedule
Once you’re ready to go, start by creating a schedule. It will help you plan your day, remain focused and get the most from your work, while managing home responsibilities as well. Create a list of the tasks that you need to do and place the ones that need the most focus at the times of day you know work best. Make sure to include regular breaks and decide when your day will end. Also, consider having some offline time to help remove distractions when you need to focus.
Clarify the Ways and Frequency of Communication
Communication and interaction are probably the greatest challenges of remote work. Therefore it is of crucial importance to mutually clarify expectations with your manager, team- or project members on how much communication they want from you, in what frequency and what details they’d like you to share. Same needs to be set with family members. Technological solutions like Zoom, Skype or other communication tools help to support daily interaction, many of them, free of charge. Make sure you are not available everywhere and all the time – chose preferred communication options and define who and about what can reach you there, how often you check this particular channel (e.g. e-mail every 2 hours, WhatsApp hourly, phone every 30 mins). Always on means no focus!
Have an End of Working Day Ritual
One of the benefits of commuting is that on the way back home we can switch off from work, clear out our mind and be more ready to relax. If switching off is a challenge for you, an end of working days ritual can be a great help. Close your day with reviewing the tasks that you managed during the day, and make a list of the remaining ones. It is worth to create a to-do-list for the next days, keeping your priorities in mind. End your day by turning off your computer and – though difficult – try not to check your work emails on your phone. If need be, simply disable e-mails on the phone and put the computer in a locked drawer. Your rest is as important as the work you put in.
Remain Social
Working from home doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be lonely or isolated. Creating daily habits like regular calls and huddles with your team members or using video calls instead of phones can help you remain connected even though you are not sitting in the same room. And who said that sometimes you can’t get together for an informal chat or drink your coffee after lunch while all of you are online.
THERE’S MORE TO WORKING FROM HOME
Although we all do it, it is not self-explanatory. Many people experience great difficulties in actually following the myriad of rules about working from home. The devil is hidden in the implementation – carefully selecting, committing and taking steps to better home office working. We will be glad to accompany you or your people on this journey using our Efficiency at Home training programme, which is customised for remote delivery. Find out more here or directly reach us via form or call below.
Frequently asked questions about home office success and remote work productivity
Employees can stay productive while working from home by creating clear routines, defining working hours and setting up a dedicated workspace. A home office environment can easily blur the line between work and private life, so structure becomes essential. Daily and weekly planning helps employees focus on priorities, manage distractions and protect time for deep work. It is also important to include regular breaks and decide when the working day ends, because productivity can decline when people stay “always on.” For HR and L&D professionals, remote work productivity should be supported through practical habits, communication norms and training that helps employees turn flexibility into sustainable performance.
Communication rules are important in remote teams because people cannot rely on spontaneous office conversations or face-to-face signals. Without clear expectations, remote employees may either overcommunicate across too many channels or feel isolated and disconnected from the team. Teams should agree on preferred tools, response times, meeting routines and what information needs to be shared regularly. This helps reduce stress, protect focus and make collaboration more predictable. For managers and HR teams, setting communication norms is one of the most practical ways to improve remote teamwork, engagement and accountability.
Employees can maintain work-life balance in a home office by setting boundaries around time, space and digital availability. A dedicated working spot, fixed working hours and an end-of-day ritual can help the brain separate professional and personal life. Turning off work notifications, closing the laptop and reviewing unfinished tasks before ending the day can make it easier to switch off. Social connection is also important, because working from home can increase loneliness if team interaction is not planned intentionally. For organizations, supporting work-life balance in remote work is not only about employee wellbeing; it also helps prevent burnout and sustain long-term performance.
