Remote work
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Put on professional attire and footwear to help your brain switch into a working state.
It helps you leave 'home mode' behind and recognize that it is time for work.
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- Wear work-appropriate clothes instead of pajamas to set a professional mindset.3
Check the news only once every two to three days.
Checking more often does more harm than good.
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Cover your webcam with tape when not in use to prevent visibility if hacked.
It prevents hackers from seeing you if they gain access.
- The chance of hacking is slim.
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Try meditating for at least 5 minutes.
It helped me a lot.
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If you lack time, start by reading a book for only 15 minutes a day.
It will help.
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Pick one specific area in your house to serve as your workspace, and only use it when you are working.
Set specific tasks with hard deadlines, such as finishing item X by 10am and item Y by 12pm, to ensure completion.
It helps ensure you actually do the work.
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Work in three-hour chunks followed by breaks for reading, walking, or playing games to refresh your eyes and mind.
This leaves you with new eyes and feeling refreshed.
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Carve out a short period of time, such as 15 minutes in the morning, for yourself.
It makes other tasks easier.
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Pick one specific area in your house to serve as your workspace, and only use it when you are working.
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- Strictly prohibit non-work activities like social browsing or videos in your dedicated workspace.3
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Write a physical checklist for your tasks and check off items as you complete them.
It helps you see how close you are to finishing and gives the feeling of being productive.
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Request partial remote work arrangements, such as specific afternoons, when personal circumstances change.
One person argued they could make a good case for this because their performance numbers had never been better.
- This approach was suggested for when schools reopen.
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Expect higher bills for lights and water because you are home more often than when working in an office.
You will use lights that would otherwise be off and use more water for flushing and washing hands at home instead of at work.
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Create a physical commute ritual, such as walking around the block, to signal the start and end of the workday.
Leaving the house/arriving back is a good signal to start/stop the day; it helps for psychology's sake.
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Do schoolwork in a separate location like a library or cafe to keep work out of your home and use context to signal focus to your brain.
Your brain learns from context; using a specific place for work separates you from distractions associated with relaxing spaces.
- One person noted they cannot get anything done at the library but works well at Starbucks.
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Teach children and pets clear boundaries regarding work time, such as not entering when the door is closed.
It prevents intrusion during work hours.
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Use a standing desk but wear good shoes.
Standing desks are good for you, but your feet will suffer without proper footwear.
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Reorganize, check, and set up your daily to-do list as part of your morning routine.
It helps start the day in the right mindset.
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Take your project to a distraction-free location for a few days to work on it like a personal workshop.
This method, called deep work, uses the lack of distractions to your advantage.
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Use good headphones with music that aids focus, such as binaural beats, rock, heavy metal, or liquid drum and bass.
It helps with focus and motivation, makes tasks feel cool, and prevents distraction from social media.
- Music used to hinder one person; results may vary.
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Break down tasks into smaller pieces and use the Pomodoro technique to keep your mind from overclocking.
Small breaks keep the mind from overclocking.
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Wear your work clothes, including a tie if applicable, to signal the start of the workday.
It works as a signal for starting the day and dressing for success.
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Say out loud that your distraction is a valid priority because your work is not; use the resulting cognitive dissonance to push yourself back to work.
The discomfort of the contradiction often pushes you back to work.
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Commit to completing eight Pomodoro sessions per day before stopping work.
This ensures a minimum number of work hours are achieved daily.
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Listen to low-attention audio like music, audiobooks, or familiar TV shows, or use fidget toys to maintain constant stimulation while working from home.
Constant stimulation helps stay on track; fidget aids concentration if sound is distracting or during calls.
- Sound may be more distracting for some or interfere with meetings.
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Play background music, such as lo-fi or study music, to maintain focus.
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- Listen to mellow, non-distracting background music like lofi or piano jazz to soothe and maintain focus.1
Motivate yourself by promising a long break, such as an hour of leisure activities, after completing a small task estimated to take only ten minutes.
Small rewards can increase productivity.
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Enforce personal time and keep a daily schedule to create space for productivity.
A daily schedule is easier to change than deeply ingrained habits.
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Check your posture regularly while working from home or gaming.
People tend to slouch over without realizing it.
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Set a consistent daily routine by waking up and starting work at the same time every day.
It is necessary for productivity.
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Use a standing desk to avoid the lethargy associated with sitting all day.
Sitting all day can cause lethargy.
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Negotiate for interesting tasks to boost motivation and productivity on routine work.
Spending time on tasks you enjoy helps you be more productive on other tasks.
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Invest in quality ergonomic tools like desks and chairs if your lifestyle has shifted toward remote work.
To get maximum use out of the equipment while spending significant time at the computer.
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Commit to a written schedule and stick to it, as habits last longer than motivation or willpower.
Habits last longer than motivation or willpower.
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Dress casually and wear clothes longer to reduce clothing purchases and laundry frequency.
Working from home allows for more casual dress and less need for nice clothes.
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Complete necessary tasks first thing in the day to avoid being sidetracked by leisure activities like TV or lounging.
This is particularly applicable when working from home.
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- Complete household chores like laundry and making the bed before starting work.1
Complete your regular tasks without overextending yourself to impress management.
Overextending may lead managers to expect that level of performance permanently, which is unsustainable.
- Be especially careful if your employer uses tools to track whether you are idle.
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Develop a skill that can be performed entirely on a computer to gain mobility and freedom over where you work.
Remote workers enjoy huge mobility advantages, such as moving between cities or countries without affecting employment.
- Jobs done entirely remotely may be outsourced to lower-income countries.
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Clean your living space before starting remote work to reduce distractions.
It prevents being distracted by mess tomorrow.
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Tell family or roommates your specific work hours so they do not interrupt you with errands.
Constant interruptions for errands are the biggest killer of productivity.
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Incorporate a morning hike or exercise before starting work.
One person reported becoming way more productive after doing this.
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Watch the video 'Spaceship You' by CGP Grey.
It provides insights on productivity and motivation.
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Establish consistent morning and evening routines to replace the structure previously provided by commuting and office hours.
Losing the schedule and reason for a change of scenery can be jarring.
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Define one specific goal for the morning and one for the afternoon, then complete them.
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Stay visible and productive to demonstrate effective telecommuting capabilities to management.
Layoffs may be a concern, and visibility helps ensure management recognizes your effectiveness.
- Some view warnings about layoffs as fearmongering or nonsense propaganda.
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Check in on workers only occasionally rather than standing behind them watching constantly.
Standing behind workers watching slows them down and puts pressure on them, worsening performance.
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Use a second computer disconnected from the internet for focused work to eliminate digital distractions.
It eliminates distractions completely.
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Allow some issues to go unresolved occasionally rather than covering for everyone seamlessly.
If work appears effortless, employers may remove the coworker and assign that workload to you permanently.
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Wear headphones or earbuds to filter out distracting household noises.
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Place distracting items, especially your phone, far away or out of sight.
Do not say anything you would not say in person, assuming the mute button might be off.
The mute button might not be on.
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Do not store personal photos or data on school-issued hardware to prevent school staff from viewing private content.
School staff can access the hardware, and kids may inadvertently expose themselves with cameras.
- Schools generally do not actively spy, but the risk exists.
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Clean the parts of your room visible to the camera and use a neutral background for video interviews.
This keeps the interviewer's attention on you.
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Keep your camera on during meetings to help you stay focused.
It helps ensure focus.
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Place distracting items, especially your phone, far away or out of sight.
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Leave the room when a partner is having a personal video call with family to respect their privacy.
It shows consideration for the person and their family.
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Verify that your camera and microphone are functioning before joining a call.
Technical failures can lead to negative outcomes, such as being rejected for a position.
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Keep your camera off if the call is purely functional, as video is often unnecessary.
Video is almost never necessary unless it is a social call.
- Some companies require video to ensure participation.
- Others may feel participants are gone if they cannot see them.
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Keep self-view on during video calls to remind yourself that others can see you.
It prevents embarrassing behaviors like picking your nose or other inappropriate actions while unaware.
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Put away toys or inappropriate items from your background to avoid viral embarrassment.
To avoid becoming infamous due to visible background items.
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Check all open browser tabs before sharing your screen to avoid exposing personal or inappropriate content.
One person accidentally exposed explicit images sent via email when they shared their screen on a projector.
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Change passwords for distracting sites like Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit to difficult ones, and log out of apps and mobile browsers.
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Consider interning at a local trade company instead of paying for expensive technical school programs.
You get hands-on training and compensation after a few months.
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Consider it a bad deal if a job requires you to pay to work there.
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Leave immediately if training is unpaid or if you are asked to perform work tasks without pay.
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