I have worked remotely for the past 4 years. I have learned some valuable lessons that I think can help you with doing remote work. During our current times with a lot of the population being forced to work from home due to COVID-19, I thought this post may help a couple people transition to remote work. These are in no specific order.
1. Stick to a schedule
Now that you are working from home, you are going to probably feel like you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. For some people, you may be able to get away with this and still get all your work done, but I have found great benefits to creating a schedule and sticking to it. As a software developer, I don't have the luxury in having an unplanned day. Deadlines for tasks and projects are very real and usually can not be moved, so things need to get done quickly. It may help to have a dedicated schedule. Here is what mine looks like. It's actually pretty simple. I usually start at 8 am and end at 5 pm. I'll sometimes end at 4 pm if I decide to work through lunch. That's about it! Be sure to set small breaks for yourself during the day so you can recharge and refocus. This part over all is not so different than working in an office which is the whole point. Familiarity and structure.
2. Be active
This is something everyone should do, regardless if you are working remotely or having to drive into an office. Being active is healthy and will help you be more productive. I'm not going to list all the benefits as I'm sure you already know. I love getting my activity in before I start the day for a couple reasons. The gym is never busy at 4:30 in the morning. I also usually just want to relax after work. I know myself well enough to know if I don't go in the morning, I will not go in the evening. This also provides great energy throughout the entire day. At the very least, make yourself get up and move throughout your work day.
3. Video conferencing
Video conferencing is something remote workers use often. I know you are probably use to this while in the office to meet with clients, but you should embrace this while working remote when you want to meet with your team as well. Since you can no longer meet your co-workers for a quick meeting, this is the next best thing. As for software developers, this is a big help because you are able to share your screen with other developers if you need help, or if you are demonstrating something. You can't walk over to your friends desk and ask for help or show them how to do something, which is why this is very valuable. A couple options for this are Zoom, Skype and Discord.
4. Create a separate work space
I'm not saying you can't be productive without having a designated work space. You can, but in my opinion, this only last so long. If you work from your bed or couch in the living room or even dining room table, you will start to feel like you have no work life balance and it will all blend together. It is a great feeling if you have a designated desk or even better, an office that you can go to. For me, when I enter my office, I know it's time to work. I hardly ever enter my office without the intent to work. This helps me flip a switch mentally to know I need to focus and get some work done.
5. Force yourself to put your work down
Now that you work from home, it is very easy to lose track of time and keep working. Above, I mentioned sticking to a schedule, which helps solve this. If you don't take breaks and make time to recharge, then you will become burnt out and start to lose focus.
6. Change your clothes
I will admit that I don't always follow this rule, but I use to. This is because of after 4 years of working from home, I have learned for myself what works and what doesn't. When I first started working remote, wearing something other than sweatpants forced myself to not be lazy and to get into a work mindset. I know this is a hard one to follow, especially if you are new to remote work. For you, this seems like a huge perk, and it can be. Just don't let it make you lazy.
7. Enjoy
Overall, if you are able to work from home and still be useful, then this opportunity is a huge benefit. Even if this is temporary for you, enjoy it! You no longer have to commute which allows you to do more things you enjoy. You have pets laying by your side all day long (biggest perk in my opinion). You will more than likely be less stressed as well. So, enjoy your time!
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