The dos and don’ts of working from home (from a professional remote worker)
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Not a whole lot of good came from Covid, but if I had to look at a silver lining, the remote work option that many companies offer their employees has been a huge help. According to Jonathan Siddharth with Forbes, the transformation from in-person work to remote work for companies has been wildly successful. “I'm hearing from clients, investors and peers that the challenges most people expected to see with remote work didn't materialize,” Siddharth wrote. “That's not to say there weren't challenges, but the loss of productivity wasn't one of them.”
I worked remotely before the pandemic hit and even obtained my bachelor’s and master’s degrees online. Call me a professional remote worker, if you will. Over the last several years, I have collected many DOs and DEFINITELY DON’TS that I would love to share with you. Whether you are an employee working remotely, one who wants to be, or reading this just because (aww), here is my advice:
✍️ DO set up a space for yourself to work.
Whether it’s a home office, a dining room table, or a desk in the living room, you need a space designated for your work. Having a clean, designated space can improve your productivity and give you a clear mind to focus.
✍️ DEFINITELY DON’T work on your bed.
As tempting as it is, it’s important that your home office not be your bed. According to the Cleveland Clinic, medical providers agree that working from your bed can be unhealthy — disrupting your sleep schedule, making you less productive, and messing with your posture.
✍️ DO take breaks and leave your house if needed.
You get breaks while working in an office, so why wouldn’t you be at home? Set a few 15-minute intervals aside to go for a walk, run to a coffee shop, or sit on your couch and veg out. According to a study shared by Nivati, an employee mental health and wellbeing app, "breaks lead to higher productivity, greater job satisfaction, a more balanced emotional health, and a stronger desire to go above and beyond.” Most experts recommend taking breaks between every 25 and 90 minutes, per Nivati. And please, take that lunch break!
✍️ DEFINITELY DON’T be dishonest with your breaks
There is a huge difference between leaving your house to walk your dog and leaving your house for a mani-pedi. A phrase known as “time theft” is huge in the remote-working world. This occurs, according to Howard Levitt with Financial Post when an employee is not working despite being paid for their time. “Sometimes they are doing nothing at all,” writes Levitt. “In other cases, the employee engages in personal activities but does not inform their employer or, worse, intentionally misleads their employer about their activities and whereabouts.” Please don’t be this person.
✍️ DO communicate, communicate, communicate!
A huge downfall of working remotely is that you aren’t in the near vicinity of your boss or colleagues to ask questions, offer support, or obtain the physical help you may need when dealing with day-to-day tasks. But it is so important that you utilize those avenues for communication that are provided to you by your job — e-mail, phone, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, etc.
✍️ DEFINITELY DON’T ignore mentorship and relationships
Even though it feels like you are working alone — you aren’t. Being cooped up in your home can make it easy for you to tune your colleagues and mentors out, but don’t! Use those methods of communication to engage with those you work with. According to Storm Board, a platform that helps remote workers communicate, it’s important to show genuine interest in your colleagues and remain engaged and supportive through all interactions. “Take the time to go the extra mile,” Storm Board explains. “Showing empathy is the best way to build a team, and makes sure that you and your colleagues are more than just ‘people that work together.’”
There are so many benefits to working remotely; I genuinely feel like I do my best work at my home office. Technology is crazy. Who would have thought 20, 10, or even five years ago that remote work would be as successful as it is?
Do you have tips to share with fellow remote workers? Sound off below ❤️
