Advice from a remote-work veteran
I've been working remotely for the past 12 years. For most of that time, I've been the only remote employee at my company. Suddenly, that has all changed.
Suddenly, like much of the world, all my co-workers have become remote workers. This is a stressful time, and major work changes like this only make it more stressful. So with so many entering the remote workforce for the first time, I thought I would offer some simple advice for getting started and not freaking out!
Get up
None of us spend all day at our desk when we’re in office – we get up and talk to people, we have meetings away from our desk, we stop by the game room for those critical “meetings”, and we enjoy a cup of tea while talking with coworkers. Make sure you continue to get up from time to time. Walk around the house. If it’s nice out, take a lunchtime stroll outside. If you have more than one quiet space in your home, move your work location from time to time. This may be a little difficult with spouses and kids at home too, but even moving from your desk to a comfortable chair can help!
Get dressed
It’s tempting, but don’t work in your pajamas all day. Getting dressed helps keep you feel more productive. It’s okay to start the day in your pajamas sometimes…it feels kind of rebellious…but I don’t recommend doing it too much, because eventually you’ll start to feel like one of those people who wears their pajamas to Walmart.
Get comfortable
Spend some time making your home office space as comfortable as possible. You’re going to spend a lot of time there; it’s important to make sure you don’t go crazy. Adjust your desk space so it’s as close as possible to what you had at work—you’ve spent months/years getting that just right, so you might as well copy it.