Dan Moore, our Senior Technician and resident “Working from Home” Guru, has offered us some advice that we felt was relevant to share. Dan has been working remotely and manning our Columbus “remote office” for several years, so he was able to give some insight to some of us WFH amateurs.

I wanted to give you all 10 tips, but I said to myself: “Self, they don’t need 10”. And I was Ok with that. So, here you go:

Keep a Routine

• Even though it’s tempting, try not to change your sleeping schedule.
• Try to leave the house each morning before you start working. Go for a walk or make a gas station trip.

Control Your Environment

Attempt to schedule phone calls so you can make sure you are in a quiet place prior to talking to a client or co-worker. Email can also be a useful tool to consider using more often while many others are also working remotely.

Carefully Consider Your Workspace

Keep in mind that wherever you set-up your computer may become a source of stress for you at some point. Consider not working where you typically relax/unwind.

Over-Communicate

One of the most important tips…. Stay in touch with your co-workers! You are much better off over communicating than under. For this, Teams will be your best friend. You are now responsible for your own tasks and time management, so clear expectations are key.

Family First

One of the biggest distractions about working from home is being around your family during your work day. They may not understand exactly what you do and may forget that you have other things going on. Try to be considerate of the fact that this is a change for them as well, especially if you have kids. Children can’t understand why these changes are taking place and why it suddenly feels like they have more time to spend with you. Try your best to prioritize and balance whenever possible.

Know When to Walk Away

I promise you that you will end up working more when you work from home, so set boundaries of when it’s time to unplug. You need to get up and walk around throughout your day and log off when appropriate. Your work and personal life blending together can be a problem if not managed. Don’t fall into the trap of working because you’re bored or working on something that can wait until tomorrow when you’ve already put in 10 hours.

Note: Sometimes I don’t follow my own advice (As you can tell… I am writing this at 05:52 am and have been working since 3am). My Wife is very understanding, but it shows you how easy it is to break my own rules.

Bonus Tips:

• Don’t eat all of your quarantine snacks in one day…
• Rock a man bun