7 Tips for The Newly Remote
Amidst the (understandable) panic of COVID-19, many companies are opting to keep as many employees as safe as possible and urging (or in some cases demanding) employees work remotely. And if you’re like me — currently sniffling your way through the day with an anxiety-inducing head cold — you’re grateful for the transition. No more coworkers in the office shuffling around zombie-style trying to give you the plague. Thanks, patient zero.
But working remotely isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sure, you can catch up on your dishes, laundry, and DVR, but it’s a tightrope balancing act when it comes to managing work life and home life when the boundaries are blurred. Take it from someone who worked remotely full-time.
One caveat: In the summer when the days are long and there’s a warm breeze, being remote is amazing. I used to work from the rooftop lounge of my apartment building, soaking up the sun, taking in the fresh air and sounds of the nearby harbor, and making everyone else jealous during video calls. Drab and dusty cubicle without a water view? Don’t know her.
Here are my 7 tips for making it a smooth (and effective) transition:
Give yourself some (work)space
It may not seem like it matters all that much, but I promise, having a designated workspace will be monumental in staying productive. Whether you have a home office, spare desk lying around, or post-up at your dining table, try to find a space that you can work comfortably at that’s as free from distractions as possible. Working from the couch (or worse, your bed) is a big no no. It honestly makes it exponentially more difficult to find and keep your focus.
Set alarms and/or timers for breaks
First off, if you don’t take breaks while you’re at the office, you need to start. And you especially need to take breaks when you’re working from home. I’ve found I’m most productive when I focus on work, and set timers every hour or so to take 5-10 minutes to get up and walk around (aka switch tha laundry, water the plants, play with Beau, etc.) I recently read an article by Inc, in which they shared, “…you can reach ‘perfect productivity’ by working for 52 minutes, and then taking a break for 17.” (Research by Atlantic)
Stay connected with your team
Missing out on the social component of being in the office and around your team is difficult. You start to get a little stir crazy and maybe even a little dilusional — talking to yourself (more than normal), etc. — but staying connected with your coworkers on Slack, chat, Fecebook, etc. will help immensly. If you and your work crew normally eat breakfast together, start a #breakfast or #watercooler Slack channel and share snaps of your spread. Anything you can do throughout the day to keep that sense of connection and normalcy will help.
Observe normal office hours
When talking to others that have experience working remotely, you’ll hear some that feel more productive, and some less. What you’ll hear even more often is that people ended up working more hours than they would in the office because they’re constantly online and stay online later. I urge you to set (and maintain) that boundary for your own mental health, and stick to regular business working hours. If you normally work 7-3, or 9-5, keep those same hours. Granted, it’s a bit tougher for salaried employees and one-offs will pop up, but don’t let that become the norm.
Opt for music in the background, not TV
If you ever had Sirius or XM Radio (or worked in food service or retail) you know how irritatingly repetitive Top 40 can be. Having YouTube or TV on in the background is obviously more entertaining, but that’s exactly my point. You don’t need to be entertained, you need to be productive. And even if it’s that rerun of Friends you’ve seen 100 times, you’ll still be sucked in. I usually switch between a few different playlists during work (depending on my mood) but almost always opt for Deep Focus when I edit. The lack of words help give my brain an extra boost to focus on the task at-hand.
Don’t skip lunch (or snacks)
I know this ties back into taking breaks, but some people need the reminder to eat. (Can’t relate) Do your best to schedule your snack breaks, and lunch. And like your normal day, walk away from your computer to do so. If you need to put up a temporary status change or OOF response for the 30 minutes or hour, do so. You need fuel to recharge mentally and emotionally. Pro Tip: Trader Joe’s has some killer frozen food items that you can prepare in a snap, that actually taste good. LMK if you need some recs, and I can ask our resident TJ’s expert, Billy.
Plan for a (short) dip in productivity
Look, you’re not going to get in the rythym of remote work right away. It’s a process and will take some time to test and experiement a bunch of elements to find your new normal. Cut yourself some slack and set your expectations in reality — you’re probably going to see a dip in your productivity as you figure it all out — but it won’t be long lasting. You’ll find that rythym (and your success) in time. Manage your task list with your boss and team — and if you need to only commit to sharing your top three initiatives for the day, do you.
Good luck, stay healthy, and wash your damn hands — with soap. And if you’re tired of singing happy birthday, check out these other (more interesting) options. May the odds be ever in your favor. 🤞🏻