Tips for Working From Home During Quarantine From the UI Team

As a team that has mostly worked remotely prior to the current global crisis, we have a pretty good handle on how to stay productive outside of the office.

But being distributed doesn’t necessarily mean all of us work from home. Some of our team prefers to work out of coffee shops or co-working spaces. We’ve all had to adapt in one form or another, so we wanted to share with you our best tips for working while in quarantine, and let you peek into our home offices too!

Doug Crescenzi, Partner + Software Engineer

Doug’s WFH tip: Have a routine, eat healthy, and carve out breaks for exercise. Given the COVID-19 situation, I find that disconnecting for micro-breaks and spending that time with my family is a good way to recharge the batteries and come back to the computer with a clear head.

Lauren Adam, Software Engineer

Lauren’s WFH tip: Working from home is all about reconciling your new routine with your old one. At the office, it’s likely that you’d get some chitchat in with your coworkers at different times. You’d probably take a coffee break or two to stretch your legs throughout the day. It’s important to keep doing these things, even if you wouldn’t normally do them at home.

Take a few minutes to enjoy your coffee or snack before getting back to work. Go for a walk around the block even if you normally don’t.

Most important for me is maintaining a hard stop time in the evening. I start each day at the same time and end at roughly the same time each night. This keeps my internal clock consistent and when my work day is done, I’m able to set work aside and move on to the rest of my day.

James Patrick Gibson, Design Technologist

James’ WFH tips:

• Posture is super important (I use an Upright Go to keep sitting up properly). Outside of a good computer, your chair should be the next biggest home office purchase. You’ll spend ~1,500 hours a year sitting, and a really high-quality chair is cheaper than daily coffee (over a year). This is the one I use.
• It sounds weird, but I wear “house sneakers” when I’m working. Puts me in the mental mode for work.
• Get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to help with focus.
• Take a five-minute walk outside every few hours.
• Keep a Nalgene or Hydroflask full of water to sip throughout the day.
• Get an air purifier (ideally HEPA) to keep your workspace air clean and less dusty.

Kseniya Lifanova, Partner + Software Developer

Kseniya’s WFH tips:

• ROUTINE IS KEY. It’s easy to get in the habit of waking up and walking straight to your “office” with a cup of coffee. I make a point to put on a decent outfit, put on some makeup, and have a proper breakfast.
• Close your laptop and enjoy your lunch.
• Make sure to take breaks.
• Resist the urge to snack every two hours, although that can be hard.
• I also have a post-it on my wall above my monitor with a list of things that make me happy so I can always remind myself of them if I’m having a stressful day.

“I’m using one of my kids' rooms as my office… hence the stickers on the ceiling and walls. 😂”

Ingrid Johanns, Operations Manager

Ingrid’s WFH tips:

• Step 1 — Actually get dressed. :)
• Step 2 — Make a nice cup of coffee/tea, have a healthy and relaxed breakfast since you don’t have to rush right out the door or eat in the car, and if possible, eat/drink it outside.
• Step 3 — Settle in, make your to-do list. Get going. Check things off.
• Step 4 — Make a real lunch, go for a full half-hour walk if possible.
• Step 5 — Decide what you want to get done before calling it a day.
• Step 6 — Get it done. Call it quits. Go for another walk. Find something fun and relaxing to do.

Zoe Koulouris Augustinos, Partner + Software Engineer

Zoe’s WFH tips:

• Be attentive to your body. I invested in a sit/stand desk and an ergonomic chair in order to focus more on my posture. If you don’t have the option to get a standing desk, just try to take breaks throughout the day to walk around and stretch out.
• Along those lines, give your eyes and neck a break from the strain throughout the day as well.
• Improve air quality if possible. I highly recommend getting a good air purifier and an essential oil diffuser.
• High-quality caffeinated beverages. Grinding coffee beans at home and infusing loose-leaf tea seems to go a lot farther than ground/pre-packaged! Luckily many local roasters are still delivering and David’s Tea is still selling online. I have been breaking in my new thermal coffee pot too.

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