BEST PRACTICES FOR WORKING REMOTELY: Welcome!

Sometimes the transition to working remotely may not be as smooth as we would like it to be.  This guide presents some of the best practices for working from home, for managing your team remotely, finding balance between work and family, and staying fir both mentally and physically.

As you go along, you will find that working from home is not that different from working on-site.  The good habits we have developed carry over into this new situation, and the new practices we develop now will continue to help when we return to the workplace.

7 Work-at-Home Ground Rules to Boost Your Productivity

Setting work-at-home ground rules for your family, yourself and even your coworkers.  From The Balance Careers. 

Flexjobs.com also gives insight on setting up a home office.

Home Office Ideas to Make Your Space Ideal for Work

Learn some tips and tricks to make your home office meet your needs from Hometalk.

Working From Home: 5 Environmental Factors Affecting Your Well-Being

8 Tips to Make Working from Home Work for You

Pro-tips for working remotely from NPR

10 Top Work from Home Productivity Tips (and How to Not Go Crazy!) (Video)

Tips from Pat Flynn, an architect, who has been working from home for 12 years.

Managing through Crisis: How to Work Remotely (video)

Video discusses everything from creating a routine and connecting with colleagues to using virtual presentations and flex work time to make the most out of working from home.

Here are some tips and best practices for working remotely. 

• Create a routine for your days. Choose a start and end time. You can be flexible with your time when working from home, but it is important to not fall into the trap of working 24/7.
• Take breaks.  Make sure you’re scheduling time to recover during the day, including lunch breaks and time to get up from your work area to stretch and get water!
• Dress for success!  If you want to keep your daily routine intact, the way you dress will also contribute to getting things done.  A sudden jump from a nice button-down shirt to pajamas might decrease your motivation.
• Make sure that you are comfortable with the technology you need to work from home. Do you have the appropriate computing and internet setup to work from home? Make sure you are comfortable with the collaboration and communication tools that your team is using for communication and project or file management.
• Be “specific" when you communicate with your colleagues or with your manager over email or chat programs like Slack or Google Hangouts. It can sometimes be more challenging to ask questions over email rather than talking things through in person.
• Use organizational and productivity tools effectively. You may have more flexibility in your schedule than you had in-office. Use your calendar to create both blocks of time in which to get work done and also to schedule short breaks.
• Make sure that you establish a clear communication plan with your team and manager.  Make sure you understand how to use the videoconferencing and file sharing or collaboration programs that your team will be using, if any.
• Keep your work status updated. It is helpful for others on your team to know when you are available or might be unreachable for a little while. Make a habit of updating your team with a message on Slack or your team's communication platform of choice.
• Carve out a designated space to work from home, if possible. This may be especially helpful if you are new to working remotely. Even if it is not in a separate room, this will give both you and whoever else may be at home a cue that you are working.  Ergonomics are very important.  Watch the video below about 9 Tips for a Healthy Ergonomic Workstation - Mayo Clinic.

Apps

Headspace

Calm

365 Gratitude

Houseparty:

This video-sharing app is a really fun way to video chat on your phone with multiple people. Complete with games like Pictionary and Heads Up, this app is especially fun to use with family!

Netflix Party:

This plugin allows you and multiple friends to simultaneously watch Netflix together without that difficult "3...2...1...GO!" that at least one person always goofs up. It also has a chat feature to keep you from having to bounce from tab to tab to share your thoughts on what you're watching!

Discord:

Started as way for gamers to stay connected, this social app allows you to create your own chat channels with a virutally unlimited number of members. This app allows for text and audio-based chat, and the streaming of games and media. All you need to sign up is an email!

Krita

This open-source software is free to download and packed with resources and tutorials on how to get started with art.

Pixilart

This free, online art program allows you to make fun pixel art creations.