I’ve been working from home and remotely for the last five months, and it’s been a great learning experience. On the plus side, you get a lot of freedom with how you setup your workspace, lunch schedule and time management. The flip side of that is you are often isolated from your colleagues, so you have to stay motivated. Remember: working from home does not mean hanging out at home…you’re getting paid to do it! Here are some tips and ideas from my experience.
Your workspace is your sacred space
Want to guess why it’s called “working from home?” Because you have to work! Separate your work space from your personal space. Converging the two in an unorganized manner can result in chaos. If you have kids (or a cat in my case), close your door and let them know when you’re available to avoid distractions.
- Set designated work hours.
- Carve out some space where you can shut it down once work is over. You want to work smarter, not longer/harder.
Breaks and lunch
There is a reason that most employers require mandatory 15-minute breaks; so you can refocus. Do the same if you’re working from home, even if it’s just going outside to get some fresh air, or another cup of coffee. It’s not good to be staring at the same project for hours without refocusing your eyes.
Take lunch breaks as well. Some people like to eat while working, but I don’t think it’s a great idea for everyone. There’s a chance you’re half-assing both things and not enjoying your food while working and greasing up your keyboard. If you want to be efficient and cut your lunch time, take a quick 20-minute break to eat your food and get back to work.
On the go
Unless your clients are comfortable with meeting in your office/bedroom while you’re in your pajamas, you’re going to have to get out of the house and work. You might go crazy working at home and just need to go to a coffee shop to get your work done.
- Get the best laptop out there. I think the Apple MacBook Pro is the best out there, but it really depends on what your needs are. You want the best equipment so you can comfortably work anywhere.
- When going to coffee shops, find one with an “escape route.” Clients may call you while you’re there and you don’t want them distracted with slam poetry, live music and a barrage of conversations. Find a shop that has a place you can walk to and have a quiet conversation.
- Be sure the wi-fi is reliable. If their server goes down, are you going to desperately run to the next coffee shop to reconnect? if you have a wireless card, then ignore this suggestion!
Staying in touch with your colleagues
If you’re not working independent and for a company, you need to stay in touch with your colleagues to be in sync with them. If you’re working in a virtual office, keep the lines of communication open as if you were actually there.
- Consider using an IM service to quickly communicate, such as Yahoo! Messenger.
- Use iChat or Skype to video chat with clients or colleagues.
- Get a Google Voice account and sign up for a cell phone plan that has unlimited calling to designated numbers. Add your Google Voice number to that.
- Share documents with your colleagues to collaborate on projects. I suggest using Drop Box or Google Docs to do so.
Remember that you are paid to work, so it’s important to stay focus. Do not let household chores distract you from what you are doing. I suggest setting specific hours to focus on your projects. Of course, you can be flexible with it, but make a habit out of it.
I’m pretty new to working remotely, so I’d love to hear your experiences. Leave a comment.
