Non-tech tips for remote working long term.
I've been self employed/worked from a home office for years now and thought I'd share a few things with people. I know we're all used to working remote however we're currently facing a situation where a lot of people who only work from home a few days here and there will be looking at doing so full time for weeks or months. It's different, trust me.
- Get a proper, dedicated, OH&S compliant workspace. This is the biggest one for more reasons than you think. Just because you can do your job on the couch with a laptop watching Netflix does not mean you should, if you do this long term you are going to find yourself unable to switch off from work mode as relaxing on the couch just feels like your job. The perfect solution is a dedicated room set up the way you would have a work office set up, with a door that closes (and if you have kids, locks). Some of us have this, some do not. If you don't, do the best you can with the following goals:
- Quiet as you can get.. even if you stick yourself in a corner and whack on the noise cancelling headphones like you do in the office.
- Out of the way of your household operations. If you have kids and such who will be running around all day you can't expect to work in the middle of the house undisturbed. Set up shop as far away from the chaos as you can.
- Ergonomic. Your back might be able to handle the odd day here and there splayed out on the couch with a laptop but long term you're gonna have problems. Get a good desk and chair, set them up properly. Take breaks to hydrate and stretch your legs.
- Get and stick with a schedule. I recommend you get up, shower, dress for work (well, a little more casually and comfortably), have your breakfast and all the other jazz you usually take care of before you used to get in the car and drive to work. Enjoy the extra few minutes in bed and take your time getting ready, but then go through your regular routine. Don't sleep in till one minute before you start and just roll out of bed right in to work.
- Don't overwork yourself. When you don't have a home to leave and go to it's so easy to just work through the day and in to the night. Don't. If you normally start at 8 and finish at 5 then stick to that schedule at home... when 5pm rolls around then shut down and go unwind or long term you will burn out hard. You do not owe them your life.
- Make goals each day. Right now everything is frantic so we're all flat out.. but that will calm down. A great habit for assessing how well work from home is going for you is to write down your goals and then check if you achieved them. If not, why not? If it was a work reason then fine but if it wasn't then assess if there's a way you can address that.
- Go outside. Given the recent events this may be a little less practical but if you can, go out and walk the dog or just get some fresh air.
- Get some exercise. As above, walk the dog or go for a run or whatever else.. you don't need to be an olympian but do some stretching and bodyweight exercises. Sedentary takes on a whole new meaning when your commute becomes a 8 second walk from bed to the desk, don't let your health suffer.
Hope that helps some folks, stay safe!
Posted Mar 19, 2020, 1:07 AM UTC · edited
7835
Well said. Everything mentioned here is crucial. The routine is important. Many say, "I wish I could work from home.", but it's not as easy as most think. It's difficult to separate the two, home and work, if you don't actually separate them.
The final part of my day at work routine is to actually shit the door and come upstairs. Without shutting the door, it doesn't seem to be over.
So you shit on the door before you go upstairs, or shit out a door?
I shit out a door. It's necessary due to the force I've kicked the original open with at the end of day. At first, the splinters were tough to deal with, but now they're my favorite part.
Hahahaha!
Everyone's out of TP so we stocked up on doors to wipe with.
That's one way to avoid the temptation of heading back down to work I admit.
Yeah, but then you really have to face that shit in the morning... with splinters no less!
LMFAO!!!
Routine is key, yep.
I wear something company-branded, so if I go upstairs for water or food or whatever, everyone knows I'm on the clock and inaccessible. When the shirt/sweater comes off, it's family time. It helps for being "in the mode."
This is great idea. Thanks for this.