Introduction
During lockdowns, we all experienced remote work.
And for many people, it's now part of normal life, at least a few days a week.
We often get asked what the best remote-work practices are.
This page is a pragmatic, concise answer.
It's a bonus page.
If you rarely work remotely, you can skim it.
But if you work from home regularly, these principles can make a real difference.
Why remote work requires more structure
Remote work has a huge advantage: fewer interruptions, more freedom, deeper focus tunnels.
But it also creates real challenges:
- communicating effectively at a distance,
- staying motivated without group energy,
- managing blurry boundaries between work and personal life,
- working without a physical framework imposed on you.
In remote work, no one structures your day for you.
So you need to be even more rigorous than in the office.
1. Set weekly priorities
In remote work, organization is not optional.
Every week, define your 3 big rocks, the three tasks that will make your week count.
Then block time in your calendar to do them, before everything else eats them.
That's exactly the principle explained in
-> Sharpen your axe: prepare before you execute
Prioritizing also means deciding not to do everything.
2. Focus on one win per day
Every morning, set urgencies aside and define your win of the day.
Ask yourself a simple question:
"What will make me satisfied tonight?"
Or:
"If someone asks what I did today, what do I want to answer?"
One win is enough.
Everything else is bonus.
3. Separate work and personal life clearly
In remote work, the risk is paradoxical:
you often end up working longer than in the office.
The solution is simple: block "off" time on your calendar.
- before the workday starts,
- after the workday ends,
- optionally midday.
Your coworkers see you're unavailable without needing to know why.
This separation is essential to avoid burnout.
4. Take real breaks
In the office, breaks happen naturally.
At home, they disappear.
Schedule them.
And above all, take real breaks away from screens.
Scrolling Instagram or Twitter doesn't rest your brain.
Walking, stretching, drinking coffee with no screen does.
5. Define team rules
Remote work works much better when rules are explicit.
For example:
- team meetings on fixed days,
- chat reserved for urgencies,
- no-meeting blocks,
- virtual coffees with no work talk.
These rules prevent misunderstandings and make communication smoother.
6. Isolate yourself if you live with other people
If you're in a couple, sharing a home, or have kids, isolation becomes crucial.
Ideally:
- a dedicated room,
- otherwise a cafe or coworking space,
- at minimum, clear rules with people around you.
Fewer interruptions = tasks finished faster = shorter days.
This is directly linked to the principles developed in
-> Create your focus bubble
7. Set rules for video calls
Video calls are meetings.
They follow the same rules:
- zero lateness,
- clear agenda,
- short duration (25 to 30 minutes),
- speaking rules.
These principles are detailed here:
-> The two-pizza rule: make your meetings effective
8. Communicate explicitly
In remote work, everything goes through writing.
So you need to be even clearer than usual.
Always give:
- context,
- what you expect,
- the deadline.
Use structures like "if... then" to avoid useless back-and-forth.
These techniques are developed in detail in
-> Explicit communication: speed up exchanges
One last point people often forget:
also express your emotions in writing.
An emoji or a clear sentence prevents a lot of misunderstandings.
In summary
Remote work is neither a miracle solution nor a problem in itself.
It's an amplifier.
It amplifies:
- good organization,
- poor discipline,
- clear communication,
- or blurry communication.
With these 8 practices, you build the right foundation to work effectively without burning out.
Go further
If you want a short daily email to help you organize better, stay focused, and avoid burnout at home or in the office, just leave your email below.
One email a day.
No more.
Just enough.