How I Work Remotely During The Coronavirus Quarantine

I can see the pandemic of coronavirus running wild across the world and most people are being forced to work remotely. I’ve been working remotely for several years now so this is nothing new for me. I’ve been able to fine-tune and create the perfect remote working home office and routine. Follow me as I provide you with the tools and routines to help you work remotely and maintain your sanity.

Equipment

I can personally recommend a few items that I’ve purchased that’s made my remote life a bit easier. The first thing I highly recommend is getting a blue light blocking glasses to wear while working in front of the computer. I personally use Gunnar Optics to take care of this. If you don’t already have a webcam, look into picking up a 1080p ultra-wide camera. I typically have a backpack that I can pick up and go to work somewhere else to get a change of environment but due to the quarantine, I wouldn’t recommend it. I would recommend moving around your house a bit and I use my iPad and my favorite wireless keyboard.

Apps

Remote work can be a breeze with the right apps. I’ve worked with several collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack and Google Suite Apps. Now each of these has iPad and web apps so it makes everything really smooth. I also use Evernote and Asana fairly often. Asana for tasks management so I don’t lose track of tasks while sitting in front of the computer. Evernote I use for notes and journaling. I love to keep track of what I’ve done on a day to day basis not just to hold myself accountable but to also keep a record. When working in an office setting, someone would check up on your work on a regular basis but when working remotely, it might not happen as often as before. When that happens, it might be hard to remember what you did 3 days ago. It’s one of the best tips I’ve learned a few years back and continue to this day.

Routine

My remote routine starts with a morning workout and a lot of lower back stretching. You’re going to be sitting down for hours on end and depending on if you invested in a good chair, it can really hurt your back.

After a shower, I make sure to put on some casual but potentially presentable clothes. I might rock some shorts but also wear a dry fit breathable polo just in case I need to do a quick video call.

A few minutes before works starts I make breakfast and I bring my coffee to my desk. I always start the workday with coffee and emails. Throughout the day I make sure to take plenty of breaks from the computer. I’ll get up and walk around the house. Start a load of laundry or maybe even read a book for 15 mins but you need to take breaks away from the computer. My favorite break consists of grabbing a handful of almonds and my iPad and sitting outside and playing Civilization VI. A great game that you can drop and pick up at any time.

Also, find time to be social in some capacity. Hopefully, your Slack or Microsoft Team has a social channel where you can share gifs and funny videos and keep morale high during these troubling times.

I hope these tips can help you survive these tough times going on. Working remotely isn’t a punishment and I hope companies will lean more towards remote work after this.