Working remotely

I thought of a few ideas for optimizing working from home that I’ve encountered:

Working remotely can provide a great boost in productivity. Fewer interruptions, less time commuting. Eighth hours straight of work can be tough and some breaks can be quite beneficial. Feel free to more freely post an article or joke in a shared chat room.

Overcommunicate in the daily status update, Jira tickets and Git pull requests. Let everyone know what you’ve done, how it works, and what they should be looking for when they’re reviewing the pull request or testing the changes you’ve made.

Use Slack statuses. If no status is set, respond to people in a timely manner and don't drop off especially if you're having an active discussion. Set a status when you’re making a sandwich, running to get a coffee, etc…

One of the great benefits of remote work is not having interruptions. Like mentioned above, use Slack statuses to indicate your availability but also to indicate times when you are focusing and want uninterrupted time.

Use video conferencing and screen sharing. Sharing your screen makes it feel like you’re in the same place, looking at the same thing.

Pitfalls: Cabin Fever: Break out the alone time by getting on a video call to discuss something you are stuck on, go out to grab lunch, or step out of the house.

Checking out: Establish a designated work area and only do work stuff there Set an end to the work day.
Separating home and work: “Invest in the ergonomics of your work area. A proper desk (height adjustable?), a proper chair (Humanscale Liberty?), and a proper screen (27 inches in high resolution!). All that stuff can seem expensive, but it’s a great bargain if it means not ruining your back, your eyesight, or any other part of your anatomy.“ Remote, Office not required by 37 signals

Coronavirus Reminders: Don’t touch your face Wash your hands often and for at least 20 seconds Cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze Disinfect your phone (not that Apple recommends it)