I suggest becoming ‘fluent’ in how to effectively manage remote teams as well as how to manage your own work when working remotely.
1. Ensure that you are keeping some type of structure to your days, especially when working remotely.
4 ways to help you break up the monotony of the week (in fact, there is an Ivy League Step Challenge going on right now)
2. Managing asynchronously is a skill that will serve you well in any tech company!
There are studies that show that remote workers are happier and stay at jobs longer.
And 47% of US workers work remotely for at least some part of their job, while 3% of US workers are completely remote (up from 1% in 2000).
3. Create new daily rituals
For those of you who normally work outside of the home, you have morning & evening rituals (whether you recognize them as such, or not). Those routines are what signal your mind & body that it's time to go to work, take a break, head home, etc. You *need* to replicate & modify those rituals when working at home.
This article does a great job explaining this (look at Item #3). I also love their idea of 'workstation popcorn'!
4. Find an accountability buddy
I made this suggestion to a student last week, and she told me today that it worked really well for her & a friend!
The idea is simple: find a friend you trust. Book an hour on each other's calendars. Join the virtual platform of your choice at the start of the hour. Share with each other what you both want to accomplish in the hour. Leave the virtual session open to mimic sitting next to them in 'real-life' which will help you stay focused (as long as you don't chit-chat). At the end, review what you got done & celebrate your progress.
Don't have a friend you trust? I suggest checking out FocusMate.com to sign-up for a time slot with a stranger (and maybe it'll help you find new friends too??).
