Working Remotely : Touching on the Basics

               When it comes to working remotely things can seem exciting because of all the freedom you now possess and yet it can also seem daunting due to maybe not knowing where to start.  So, let’s start with the basics.  When you are working from home, you have much more control over your working environment.  In order to get the best results, it stands to reason that a little experimentation may be in order.  Find the location in your house that works for you.  Personally, I prefer to be in my office, where I have a door that can block off the distractions that may come with the noises from the rest of the household.

                Depending on your situation, your hours may even be more flexible.  If this is the case, experimentation should also involve this aspect.  For example, if you are an early riser, perhaps you should do more of your work in the morning and into the afternoon.  However, for someone who is more of a night owl, it could make since to do more of your work into the evenings, so long as your employer is okay with it, the most important thing is that all objectives are met.  Personally, I prefer to do any work that requires creativity in the late morning hours when I find myself most alert and my objectives that are more administrative for other times in the day. 

                In my experience, I have found that your choice of attire can completely change your mindset.  Many are tempted to wear sweatpants all day or other comfortable attire, but if you wear somewhat more professional attire you may find that you are in a much more productive headspace to get work done efficiently.  I like to stick to my normal tech-business casual with more comfortable footwear.  The most important thing is that you find what works for you, but for the love of all things good, at least wear pants!  (You never know when you may have to step out in a video conference)

                It can be really easy, when working in a non-traditional setting to lose track of your work life balance.  Establish set office hours where you turn social media off and are able to work like you would at the office.  It would also be a good idea to share these hours with your household, so that they know that you are not available at those times. 

                The most important take away from all of this is that you find the situation that works best for you.  Set yourself up for success by choosing the options that help you contribute the best work that you can and let this remote working opportunity build up your quality of work instead of detracting from it.