Working From Home Tips From a Team That Does It Every Day

As more and more companies adopt emergency work-from-home or remote work policies amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the US, it means a big change for many Americans used to going into an office. Whether you’re looking forward to a shorter commute or don’t know what to expect, our Right Side Up growth marketing consultants have some working from home tips and tricks to help you adjust to your new work environment.

Dress the part

It’s tempting to stay in your PJs or sweats when you work from home, or if you’re going to video conference with colleagues, to dress business casual on top pajama party on bottom. Keeping your routine of getting dressed for work can help you feel like you’re ready to tackle your to do list when you open your laptop.

“Getting dressed really helps me get up and at ’em in the AM. It also creates a boundary between chillin’ and workin’. Doesn’t have to be biz casual, just shorts and a t-shirt. Just not jammies.”

Grant Durando

Making yourself feel ready for work is important, but it’s also important to feel like you have a place to go once you’re dressed so you can get down to business. That said, Krystina Rubino would like to go on the record and say that wearing sweats if you are feeling crummy is one of the most underrated perks of working from home (WFH).

Carve out your remote workspace

Some of us may have a separate room in your home or apartment that can be made into an office, but if you don’t have a dedicated workspace, you need to carve one out.

“Rather than working throughout your home, designate a workspace, and try to make that the only place you work. It helps to create a stronger boundary between work and life, which can be hard to do when WFH!”

Katie Kearsey

Whether that’s your dining table or a coffee table, make sure you clean it off and keep necessary items within an arm’s reach. This doesn’t include the TV remote! Set up your workspace to make yourself more efficient.

“Test your internet and make sure it’s OK to support video conferencing. If you have friends with Apple devices, you can test this with FaceTime, or create a quick Google Hangout to see how it works out.”

Krystina Rubino

“This might be super simple but I’ve found that having an actual mouse to use and a second screen is totally necessary for my efficiency.”

Lyndsay Rosen

“Get ergonomic wrist/keyboard cushions even if you don’t have carpal tunnel (yet)!”

Krystina Rubino

“Invest in great speakers and headphones for calls. I recommend getting a charging station with multiple USB outlets for your desk/workspace.”

Grant Durando

Making a remote workspace can also mean investing in items and practices that aren’t necessarily related to work, but will help you feel good! If your space feels put together, you’re able to concentrate on the task at hand rather than focus on the pile of dishes in the sink. Do some tidying up and take steps to make your space feel nice.

“I have started treating myself to cheap fresh flowers to put near my computer screen. $7 tulips from the grocery store can do a lot to brighten up a room.”

Krystina Rubino

“Flowers in the workspace. Open your windows when you can. A great pen that you adore and fun color sticky notes.”

Grant Durando

Once you have your space set up, it’s time to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success with a routine.

Set a routine when working from home

If you have a daily routine to get to the office and structure your days, you need to set a new one for working from home. You may be able to start your day a little later than usual, but that doesn’t mean you should let your days go unstructured.

“Designate working hours! When working from home it’s so easy to just work from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep, or at least be “tethered” to your laptop. It’s really important to have some kind of designation of work day vs. non-work day.”

Lindsay King

Once you decide when work begins, be mindful of how you switch into “work-mode,” so you can separate time meant for relaxing from time meant for hustling through your to-do list.

“On the days I’m at the home office I take a 30-minute walk before starting the day. It’s kind of like my ‘commute’ and helps me switch from home to office mode.”

James Booth

Don’t forget to turn off the computer during the day! It may be tough to get going in the morning, and it may be tempting to keep going if you find a good groove. Set times for breaks throughout your day, especially for lunchtime.

“#1 tip — set a timer to remind yourself to log off and eat lunch.”

Leslie Shumate

Create boundaries

Working from home can often make you feel like you have to be more visible to your boss and colleagues to seem like you’re putting in the same effort. Trust yourself that you will get your work done, and set boundaries for yourself to respect your time.

“Turning off push notifications to your phone can help with the setting time boundaries.”

Lindsay King

“I have Slack installed on my mobile but have turned off all email and Slack notifications.”

Krystina Rubino

“I started turning Slack off on Friday afternoon and don’t turn it on until Monday. It’s helped especially with clients that have ‘general’ and 'water cooler’ channels.”

Amy Scanlon

Turning off push notifications will help you preserve your “off” time, since it’s already difficult to turn off when you’ve been home all day. If you’ve set your schedule and your boundaries, honor them and truly turn off at the end of the day.

“If you’re going to work late because you have to, set a time where you’re FOR REAL done—no exceptions.”

Grant Durando

When it’s the weekend, make sure you truly turn off your workbrain so you can enjoy your time with others. Work will still be there on Monday and you don’t want to burn out working from home by being “on” too often.

Connect with others

Creating boundaries doesn’t mean you have to shut everyone out. Interact with your coworkers on Slack and with video calls. It can be encouraging to spend five minutes catching up at the beginning of a video meeting if you’re used to water-cooler chatter.

“Do video calls for meetings so you get some face-to-face-ish interaction. We’re social creatures after all.”

Kate Lin

Encourage others to check in with each other for some human interaction. For some, working from home can get a little lonely, and it’s nice to know that your co-workers are there, even if you can’t see them.

“When logging on in the AM, say hello. Simply to just say hello.”

Leslie Shumate

Don’t forget to connect with your family and friends. If you are a WFH-er that misses the in-office social interaction, take time to purposefully connect with others. It makes a big difference to talk on the phone with someone you love, even if it’s just a brief conversation.

“I take time every day whether at home or at the co-working space to call/message friends and family, so I don’t talk to myself all day.”

James Booth

Log off—go be a person

During the day, embrace the work from home flexibility and set time aside to log off and go for a walk. Even a short break can help you feel motivated for the next set of tasks. Whether that’s eating your lunch outside, catching some rays on a walk, or running your errands outside of rush hour, getting off your computer can help you feel more motivated when you return.

“When it is sunny outside, go for a walk! Also, don’t eat lunch at your desk otherwise it starts to feel like you’re living at work.”

Trevor Gilbert

“Go for a 10-minute walk before jumping into the next big ‘push’.”

Leslie Shumate

“Take a walk or watch funny videos for a break, and leave your phone in a separate room when possible.”

Nathan Swokowski

Make sure you’re taking time for yourself. This includes taking care of your body. If you’re a person that tends to work through your illness, think twice before bringing your laptop to bed.

Feeling sick? Actually rest!

If you’re sick or not feeling well, your boss would hopefully tell you to go home and rest. Tell yourself the same thing if you’re not feeling well while at home. Communicate with your team members if you’re sick and log off. If you don’t rest, you won’t heal. It can feel like you can work through it, since your laptop is so accessible, but don’t risk your illness getting worse because you didn’t properly care for yourself.

“Don’t prolong your illness—take an actual sick day to rest up if you’re sick!”

Katie Kearsey

If we take steps to prioritize our own health, we help protect others in our community. So while you’re working from home, make sure you set yourself up to feel productive, while ensuring you’re prioritizing your health and wellness!

PS—Even though you’re working from home, remember to be vigilant about washing your hands!

If you’d like to join our team of A+ freelance growth marketing experts, send your LinkedIn profile to hello@rightsideup.co. We’d love to chat with you and we'd be happy to share more tips for working from home!