When you work remotely it is difficult to get away. Solitude is an important ingredient for creativity. You might think it would be easy to get away when you work remotely, but it is surprisingly difficult.
Working well remotely is all about connection and communication. If you are out of touch with your team you can’t do your job. You stay connected with your team over IM, IRC, email, telephones, and dozens of other technologies that will interrupt your work. Getting interrupted for an important question is a good thing, but constant interruptions stifle creativity.
The irony of being out of the office is that it makes it easier to contact you. Your coworkers don’t have to walk to your office and see if you are there; they just double-click your name and start typing.
Get away to get creative. Turn your email off for an hour or two. Set your IM status to “Away” for a little while. Help yourself stay productive and creative by getting a little solitude.