It looks as if we’ll be working remotely for the foreseeable future. It may seem like a blessing in disguise, and then 3 days in you’re wanting human interactions and schedule consistency again. It’s wonderful to have the ability to work from home, in addition to work flexibility. That also brings a world of unknowns for some people in the corporate world.

I’ve been lucky to have the flexibility to work remotely with my current job and roles in the past. This has taught me a lot about the “do’s” and “don’ts” of working from home. Sharing some of what I’ve learned here:

DO

• Have a morning routine – workout, make coffee, make breakfast, etc.
• Clean your room and make your bed.
• Schedule out your day to a T and stick to it – having structure is key during this time and that means marking your calendar with all of your “to-do’s” for the day. I like to do this while I’m enjoying my coffee or breakfast.
• Start your work at the same time you would usually get to the office.
• Schedule a lunch break – I usually eat lunch at my desk in the office but it’s more important than ever to make sure you turn off and step away from work during this time.
• Turn on your camera during meetings, it helps tremendously to see your employees instead of feeling like it’s “just another call”.
• Get some fresh air – recently we’ve been practicing social distancing, but you’re still able to get outside for runs and walks in non-crowded areas. It helps to clear your head or get a breathe of fresh air so you’re ready to get back to work.

Don’t

• If it’s possible, don’t work from your bed. Distance yourself from dozing off or just turning on Netflix.
• Don’t multi-task – you may be able to do it at the office but when it’s at home, it turns into combining too many different tasks at once.
• Don’t forget to turn off at the end of the day – it’s easy to just keep coming back to your computer after 7pm to continue to check emails or messages. Remember to clearly go offline each night so your work and home routines aren’t merged into one.
• Don’t let social media distract you – in times like these, all we want to do is have eyes on social media. Turning on “Do Not Disturb” on your apps will allow you to focus on your work during the day and social media in the evening.

Shot on film by Olivia Steuer