Given the recent state of the world, a lot of people have been asked to start working from home if possible. We're privileged that most of us in this industry are able to.
While this is great, not a lot of our industry is already remote. So being thrown into this, on top of everything that is going on, can be challenging.
I'm enrolled in Microverse, a software development program that's fully remote, so I have some experience that could be useful to you if you're just treading water on remote life.
Routines are what makes the world go round
I know it's hectic since you might have a lot going on at home, but try to outline a routine. Set up a calendar with your work hours and let everyone home that, while you are physically present, you are busy.
Make time for things that matter (and block it on your calendar)
Schedule your lunch break, seriously. It's easier than you think to skip breaks and lunches now.
Remember to take breaks
We can get very absorbed into what we're doing that we completely lost track of time and since we're not going out for lunch, it's easy to stay put for hours. To tackle this I personally use Posture Minder, a chrome extension that lets you know when its time to take a small break and when to check your posture.
Resist the urge to be in your PJs all-day
This comes along with the routine point. It's very tempting but in order to get your mindset into 'work mode', it's better to change up into something else that's equally comfortable. (Slippers allowed though, we're not going all business attire like)
Take a few minutes a day to clean up clutter in your new workspace
A cluttered area will not help you out. You will probably make video calls too, so while we all get that we're dealing with what we have, make a bit of effort to keep it clean and lean.
Video calls are your friends
Slack is good but now that we're being more isolated, it doesn't hurt to schedule a call or two. Do you have a question about something? Ask to jump on a quick call. It might get you clearer answers than a slack message plus you get social interaction.
Keep an eye on your mental health
Productivity is cool but give yourself a break. If you need to take a longer lunch break on some days, it's okay. Try to get yourself by a window to get some sun, pet your dog, make yourself some tea. Everything works out great when you are good and great. Take a minute.
Mind your noise
Houses are crowded now, but make sure to let people at home know that you're on call. Your standup doesn't need to know someone forgot to do the dishes. Also, it's perfectly okay to mute yourself if you're not talking, just be present and don't forget unmute yourself when talking.
Write a list
What are your top 3 things that you want to get done today? Write them down. Schedule them, label them if it helps you out. (I use Todoist for this and it has worked wonders).
Our headspace can be a bit of scattered right now, so help yourself stay on track.
Communication is key
If you need to take some time to help out a family member, do some errands or are just having a hard time, it is completely understandable. Reach out to your team. It will be generally okay and adjustments can be made as long as you don't leave them in the dark. We're in this together.
I hope you found this helpful, stay safe and please remember to take a break.
Got something to add? Please feel free to reach out for any question, comment, meme or dog photos swap.
Top comments (9)
Set a designated spot for work that is separate from the place you normally use for leisure. It can be hard to separate them if you use that location for both activities.
Todo apps are good, but as someone with ADHD I find that paper lists help me better. I highly recommend starting with the basic bullet journal website videos and customize for whatever your needs are. This comes up often enough that I believe that I'll write a post soon.
I do a bunch of paper lists too! But had to switch to a to-do app because I kept misplacing them which kind of defeated the purpose haha. I'd love to see your article! I'll keep an eye open for it.
remember - I just finished it. I try to post every Friday. It'll probably be 3 or 4 weeks before that one gets posted. I'll try to come back here and update once it is. (noted at the beginning to find later due to how comments are listed on the profile page)
Edit to add post:
Bullet Journaling Basics
Corey McCarty ・ Apr 10 ・ 5 min read
I just updated my other comment to include the post link.
$15,000? I find it very expensive considering their curriculum is a mixed bag. I think you should be spending 900 hours either on Javascript and SPAs alone or Ruby+ Rails backend alone.
Then you need another 900 hours for Interview Prep as you need to learn how to ACE those interviews.
Best project manager! 😍
It's all about doing the best we can with what we have, right? Thank you, Richard. Hope you and your team stay safe.
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