It seems we’re all starting to do it. Working from home or when we’re out of the office has been made possible in recent years because of greater connectivity and cloud services, and a willingness of employers to let it happen.

Businesses can offer better, flexible options for their employees and help improve productivity at the same time.

According to Forbes, remote workers also appear to be happier than their counterparts who spend more time in the office. But how do employees make sure they work remotely as efficiently and effectively as possible?

Make Sure You Have the Right Infrastructure in Place

There are two key factors that help remote working succeed. The first is having the right mind set. For businesses, this involves picking the employees who are good at working out of the office or have been trained to do so. Second, and just as important, is selecting the appropriate remote working software that ensures your staff can always stay connected when they are in the home office.

Set and Keep to Your Work Plan

If you spend a lot of your time remote working, you need to have a personal regimen that works. It can be easy, when you’re operating under your own steam and don’t have someone standing over you barking instructions, to fall into bad habits. That means getting to your work station at a set time and putting in the effort during the day. It helps to plan what you need to do and set achievable goals, perhaps more so than if you are in a dedicated office environment where things are often road mapped for you to a greater degree.

Dress for Work and Have Your Space

It might sound simple but you shouldn’t be sitting down to your remote desk wearing your pajamas. Get dressed for work as if you were heading into the office and it will give you that psychological kick to commit to the day’s challenges.

There are other things that you can do as well. Creating a dedicated space or office that you can sit at also gets you into the right mindset. This is a location where you don’t want to be disturbed. If you have family, including children around, make sure they know this is your office and you are going to work.

That doesn’t stop you, however, changing things up now and again and getting yourself out to the local coffee shop to do some work. A change of scenery can often help if you want to improve productivity and give yourself a break from the standard work regimen. The trick is not to use it as a way to procrastinate.

Take Every Opportunity to Connect with the Team

Remote working can leave you isolated and that’s one way many people start getting into bad habits. Use your remote working facilities to ensure that you stay in contact with your peers – that includes video conferencing and operating as collaboratively as possible. Put some planning into social interaction with your colleagues at least once a day if you don’t’ want to feel like a hermit who has been set adrift from the real world.

Do Something with That Extra Time

Finally, if you’re not commuting to work every day, you may indeed have extra time on your hands. After all, that’s something most telecommuters value when they start working this way. Rather than wasting these extra minutes in your life, make sure you use them to do something more productive – spend time with the family, indulge your favorite hobby, even get a little more shut-eye so that you have better energy levels during the day.