Five Tips for Working Remotely
The thought of working alone, especially in a new city, can be terrifying. Three years ago I moved from San Francisco to New York for a “remote” role (same company, new location). Except it wasn’t really a remote role. I was able to work out of the office of our parent company but I was the only member of my team based in NYC, so I guess it just felt remote. Now in my new role as Communications Manager at TourRadar, I truly am a remote employee. It’s just me. Two hundred employees, one in New York.
The world is my workplace!
This didn’t seem appealing to me at first. Working remotely always reminded me of those horrible web ads I would come across when I was younger, scouring websites that I probably shouldn’t have been on, that screamed “be your own boss!” or “work where you live!” Why is that cool? I thought. Is this what the Internet has done to us? Is it now more comfortable and hip to stay on the couch and never have to physically see or talk to anyone?
Of course, working remotely does have its perks. Janice from accounting doesn’t hover over your shoulder all day. Bill Lumbergh doesn’t come by your desk and ask you about the cover letters on your TPS reports.
But working in isolation can also make you disorganized, anti-social and a little crazy. So with almost three whole years of experience working at a location where the rest my team is not located, here are a few tips for my fellow remote workers to help you stay sane:
Buy a Daily Planner
It sounds nerdy, maybe even juvenile, but daily planners work. I came across a New York Times article preaching the value of a daily paper planner and thought to myself “psh, silly failing New York Times. Still stuck in 1989!”
I was wrong, guys. Dead wrong.
This SELF journal changed my life. I am the most spaced out, disorganized human being alive and this gift from tree-killing gods has righted my ship. I feel more organized than I ever have at any point in my career and it’s all because of this silly, old-school paper planner.
When you work remotely, it’s hard to stay on task. Hell, it’s always hard. Planners like the SELF journal give you easy steps to keep yourself organized, focused and accountable towards your goals. And you don’t have to buy that particular journal (I don’t get any money if you do, otherwise you should).
I just highly recommend keeping some form of a daily plan with tasks you’re looking to accomplish that day. And write them down. It’s just not the same as putting it into a computer. I know, you probably don’t remember how to hand-write anything other than your name on a rent check, but trust me. Give it a try.
Work out of a Shared Workspace
Ok, I live in an apartment the size of a cubicle in New York with a crazy cat hellbent on doing everything in his power to distract the crap out of me during any work-from-home day, so this one is a must for me. If you have a 5k square foot house with a luxury office in the basement, then more power to you. But if you’re like me and live in an apartment for ants, take a look at shared workspaces in your area. WeWork is the new Starbucks — there are three on every corner.
Working from home is fine, but I find it hard to turn myself off when my work day is over. I still feel stressed because I’m working in the same environment that I’m supposed to be relaxing, dining and watching the 110th season of Survivor in.
If you work for a super duper kickass company like TourRadar (promote me!), they might even take care of your shared workspace cost. You could also check out the Croissant app. It lets you choose between thousands of different hot desk locations at shared workspaces near you for a relatively cheap monthly fee. You can literally roll out of bed, book a desk and head to a nearby workspace in an hour.
(Still) Dress to Impress
Like a real journalist, I reached out to several expert sources (i.e. my best friends) for this piece. My buddy Zack Coomer just started his #remotelife for a new job at an insurance company last year. One of his recommendations is to dress as if you are actually working out of an office, even if you aren’t.
“For me, maintaining, or even improving my morning routine has been critical,” he said. “Shower, dress and maintain that professionalism, even if you’re just wearing business casual attire. You never know when you might have to hop on a video call with the CEO or a leadership member of your company.”
Indeed, that Hello Kitty t-shirt might not be the presentation you were hoping for in front of the higher-ups during business crisis call.
Go Outside
Please do not stay in your home or workspace all day. You’re not a cave creature. Leave your workspace for 30-minutes to an hour each day. Even if you like to eat your lunch in front of your computer — which you shouldn’t — at least get out and go walk around for a bit afterwards. Run some errands, join a kickboxing class or walk a stranger’s dog. Anything to make sure you’re getting some fresh air and vitamin D.
This will help you avoid the burnout of sitting in the same environment, doing the same work all day. Even a 15-minute break outside will help you come back to your work much more refreshed, focused and productive.
Interact with Real Life Humans
Working remotely means A LOT of video conferencing and though the technology has gotten better, nothing beats a face-to-face conversation. Make sure you’re getting out of your “office” and meeting other people. They don’t even have to be in the same line of work but they do need to be real-life human beings. I try to grab lunch or coffee with a homo sapien at least once a week.
If you don’t have anyone in mind, join a meetup or look people up on LinkedIn who are in a similar line of work as you. Seriously, you would be surprised how many people are open to grabbing a coffee, lunch or drink who didn’t even know you prior to you reaching out. Not only will this help you stay sane, but it can also help you expand your network by making new contacts or friends.
Have any tips for me? Hit me up, I’m all ears.
