Going Remote Survival Guide: a Love & Hate relationship

[#1]

Going remote for me is close to going for a walk in the 9th circle of Hell. Keeping the distance between my home and the office is essential and unbreakable. Until now.

At a time of a crisis, I consider myself lucky to have a job that allows me to work in the safety of my home, like it or not. 

The home-office is a love and hate relationship - you either like it or not; it makes you more productive or throws you in a pit of desperation and endless binging on food.

But we have to adapt, right?

Planning is the key to successful adaptation, as well as changing your perspective towards your goal. Appreciate the fact that you are working in the software industry and the most "hard" action for you will be staying home for some time. Then jump into planning! 

Sharing my critical points for how to stay sane in your remote work:

• Keep your work-life away from your home-life. I truly support Jimmy in his way of dealing with work-home balance (be sure not to miss his article!), and I think this is the first essential move for productive work at home. Set up a work station and use it only for your company initiatives. If you decide to work on something separate or watch a quick YouTube video - grab your laptop and change the position, go to the couch or balcony or yard (if you have one).

My new work-station (it was the home-station a few days ago)

The new home-station (it feels more like home, and I am using my personal laptop while I'm in "home" mode)

• Try not to think about what's in the fridge.  Pack a lunch box! You can make a few more steps and eat it in a separate room or while reading a book. Allow your brain to rest, and don't let him stuck in the Zone.
• Sleep well. This is your time to get this one hour of sleep that you are continually losing. Healthy sleep is beneficial for your body and mind.
• Exercise! Create a home workout routine - there are plenty of bodyweight movements and ideas which you can quickly adapt to your space. 30 minutes a day and you'll feel more energized and refreshed.
• Include your Team in your Remote Routine. Make a company challenges like who will track more indoor steps, or exchange workout or lunch ideas. 
• Gamify! One of our teams named Commando (yes, the 1985 Commando movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger) took Home Office to another level. They are super-productive in their daily work, and after finishing the tasks for the day, they gather for a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam. It's super-fun both for the players and for the audience (like me).

Commando Team making a Game-Night Afternoon

• In many cases, you will be working side by side with your significant other. Try to keep your distance and don't overwhelm each other during the day. Save the preciousness of the home-time, as you are doing it in the "ordinary" days.
• Don't try to overachieve. Nobody will expect you to be online 24/7, only because you can. Set your work hours and then do something for yourself or your family: cook a fine meal, watch a movie, read a book, or join an online course or class. Start your long-dreamed side project, write a blog, change a light-bulb 

Staying home turns to be suitable for my YouTube skills - the lightning in the middle of the day is perfect for shooting cooking videos.

Stay sane, stay safe, be healthy and try to get the maximum from this situation! 🌿

PS: I asked my teammates to share with me their epic solutions for remote work environments, so this post may evolve. 

[Jimmy Seddon]

Amazing @Teodora V _Fun Inc_ !

You have some great tips here I hadn't even thought about, including playing games with your team-mates!

If you end up shooting some cooking videos please share I'd love to see what you are creating!

[Teodora V _Fun Inc_]

Thanks @Jimmy Seddon  🤗

I'm not a huge gamer myself, but the team is having a lot of fun. The Team is happy = Grumpy is happy.

I got 4 videos so far, I use my weekends to make the video editing part :) I feel I'm getting better, hope it's not just my imagination talking.

[Jimmy Seddon]

@Teodora V _Fun Inc_ you have a new subscriber :D

[Emilee]

Thanks for the tips @Teodora V _Fun Inc_ !

You inspired me with an idea to create a remote lunch with my teammates. We usually eat lunch together most days but now don't get that daily interaction anymore. Hopefully the "zoom chew" won't be so off-putting that this isn't worth repeating but I'm optimistic we can find a way to maintain some of our daily interactions while being 100% remote.