Three out of five of my internships have been remote. Remote work is harder on an intern because we tend to rely on support and asking questions. I had to explore different methods to interact with my peers and make remote work enjoyable. After 1 year of working from home, I’ve nailed down how to make the best out of it. This can apply to anyone working remotely. Here are 5 tips that have helped me during my time working from home.
Make your bed.
Yes, you read that right. It sounds so simple but to start your work day off right, you need to make your bed. This will set the tone for the rest of the day. Now that you’re working from home, having a neat surrounding is crucial to your productivity. Making your bed every morning has also been proven to keep you out of bed for the rest of the day. In a 2014 commencement speech at the University of Texas at Austin, Admiral McRaven shared his thoughts on this. “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another,” he said. “By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.”
You might be asking yourself, “Okay but what does this have to do with remote work?” Well, working remotely is a challenge to our productivity and feeling of accomplishment. There is no better way to begin working than with your first task of the day already done.
Book recommendation on the topic:
This book comes with very simple but life changing advice. It gives purpose and direction which is extremely helpful for someone who is at home most of the day.
With that being said, make your bed and have a great work day!
Set Up Your Work Space.
A work space is important to help keep you in the right headspace to work. When creating your workspace, consider what type of environment you work best in. Do you need total privacy? Do you like some background noise or easy access to coffee refills? Your workspace is where you will spend most of your time, make sure it’s somewhere you like to be.
Ideally, your work space should be in a room where you place your desk and equipment and where there is a door that can be shut when needed to separate work from your personal life. But also, if not possible, that’s totally fine. I have a desk in my living room and in my room for privacy when needed.
Remember to care of your body. Working from home will result in sitting down most of the day, which is why I also recommend a standing desk. Other than a standing desk, it is extremely recommended that you have an ergonomic chair to work from. An ergonomic chair is full of comfort and adjustable features that allow you to maintain the right posture while being productive on the job. They give you posture support, enhance productivity, increase blood circulation and are excellent for long-term use. They are worth the investment.
This is the standing desk I have which is nicely priced compared to other standing desks and it works great:
It is one of the best standing desks if you’re on a budget. You can adjust the height of the desk from standing to sitting at the push of a button. It took me a an entire year of working from home to realize how important a standing desk is. It has allowed me to move throughout the day and feel more energized rather than sitting throughout my work day.
Here are some standing desks I recommended if you’re on a tighter budget:
These are Amazon’s Choice and have excellent reviews. They are also sold by FLEXISPOT which is the only standing desk brand I’ve tried but am extremely satisfied with.
This is the ergonomic chair I have which I bought after doing research on a budget. I’m very comfortable in it which is why I haven’t made a bigger investment in another one.
Other ergonomic chairs I’m eyeing with amazing reviews (best-sellers):
Other than equipment and surroundings. Make your work space yours. Decorate it and make sure to include things that bring you joy!
Prioritize Work-Life Balance.
I’m sure you’ve heard the term Work-Life Balance. If you haven’t, I’m honored to be the one to introduce you to it because it’s important! Work-Life balance is simply the balance between your work life and personal life. It’s easy to maintain a good work-life balance when you go into the office and return back home. But, how do you do that when your work life and personal life are both at home? Good question.
Allow me to share with you some tips that I’ve found useful throughout my time working from home and tips that I’ve been given throughout my 3 remote jobs.
Begin by scheduling your days. As I’ve mentioned in my other blog posts, I’m a huge planner.
Click here to see my Finding Motivation blog post.
Every night, before I go to bed, I take the time to time-block my next day. Time blocking is the best way to manage your day. Time blocking is a productivity technique for personal time management where your day is divided into smaller blocks for specific tasks or to-dos. It integrates the function of a calendar with that of a to-do list. It is a kind of scheduling.
I have a planner that I found at target which I’ve been obsessed with because it is perfect for time blocking. It is currently unavailable but I found it on amazon! It comes in multiple colors:
Being a huge planner myself, I’ve gone through many planners but this one is definitely my favorite of all. Not only does it include time blocking by the hour, but it has quarterly goal reviews which has helped me hold myself accountable in working towards my biggest goals all while being a good employee.
If you’re not a paper planner and prefer a digital planner, you’re in luck! I recently created a digital planner that includes weekdays, goals, notes, 12 month calendar, goal review (favorite part!), weekly plan and of course time blocking. View it here.
This will help you schedule time for your work day, personal time and personal goals. I make sure to add in when I will close my computer and forget about work. It’s a schedule I follow that has been extremely helpful to not feel time passing by and wondering if I’ve done enough work. I know I have, I scheduled it!
With that being said, make sure to plot personal time and work hours that you stick to. Take time to make time and do what you love. But most importantly, be realistic with your time. Managing your time is the best way to manage your mind. Here is an example of what my days look like in my russell+hazel planner (not adverstised, I really do love it!):
Make sure that there is a good balance between your work and personal life. When at home, close your computer and forget about work. Do things you enjoy after work to switch your mind from work to life. This is also why it is recommended that your work space is in an area that you can walk away from.
But other than that, it’s your life. Only you know what works best for you but always remember to prioritize work-life balance. Don’t spend more time on work than you do on your personal life.
Get a white board.
When in office, there’s a white board somewhere… right? White boards are essential to writing down to-dos, having a clear vision of monthly goals, your work day and brainstorming. Invest in one. It’s important.
I personally got a white board calendar because I’m more of a daily and monthly planner. It also comes with a notes section which I use for brainstorming ideas and to-dos.
Well, let me tell you, this whiteboard has been a game-changer! Rather than jotting down my ideas on a million sticky notes and a notebook I only open when needed, a whiteboard gives me a clear vision of everything.
Here is the whiteboard calendar I have, it’s linked with markers:
A highly rated, recommended and affordable whiteboard:
If you’re feeling fancy, also highly rated:
Here is a list from a blog post by International by Grace which is one of the reasons I decided to invest in a at home whiteboard.
Set Up 1:1s
Okay now let’s talk about the biggest bummer about working from home – you’re not surrounded by your coworkers. At first, being a new intern, this was difficult. I couldn’t walk over to my manager to ask a question or tap on a my neighbors shoulder for guidance. All I had was a slack channel and a google calendar. Well, that’s all I needed!
My biggest recommendation when starting a new remote job is to set up 1:1s with the entire team. Yes, everyone! I recently started my fifth internship at Etsy, this is my second week and I’ve set up meetings with everyone already. It’s the time to get to know everyone, get any questions answered and really know the people on your team. They’re not in an office with you so you need to break out of your bubble and schedule the time to meet with them. It doesn’t have to be formal at all. Just a coffee chat! ☕️
Then, make it a recurring thing. Whatever works for you, maybe once a week or biweekly, depending on how often you work with that person. This is recommended for anyone working a remote job, not just new employees. 1:1s with managers are expected, but why not with everyone else on the team? I think this is important when being in a remote role – scheduling of time with the people you work with. It’s the time to get questions answered, clear doubts, make progress but most importantly, build your network.
No Time To Be Shy.
During a remote role, there is no time to be shy. Do you have a question? Ask. Are you worried that you might be “bothering” someone? The word bother doesn’t exist in the workplace, especially for an intern. Send that message. The last thing you want is to miss out on learning about something or making progress because you were to shy to ask about it. In a remote role, there’s no waiting around for the answers to fall on your lap or until you run into someone who you can ask.
Your only connection to your team is a slack message or video call away. Send that message. Ask that question. Schedule that meeting. Request that 1:1.
There is no time to be shy.
XOXO,
Pao
