Working Remote: Lessons from the Batcave
“Remote Adjective & Co. Team Member at office”
One Guy’s approach to tackling the work (from home) week.
As a full-time partaker in the home office lifestyle, I’ve fielded many a question regarding how exactly I go about my daily routine. And while I’m certain everyone has their own thoughts and schemes as to how a day of work from your own humble abode should be structured, I thought I’d take the time to jot down a few key points that factor into how I get down in sweatpants town.
NO. 1: MUSIC CHOICE
Let’s start by diving into the deep end. A definitive make-or-break aspect of any remote employee’s workday, few things carry as much weight as the playlist you choose to go to war with. It’s the first post-coffee action that takes place, and it’s one that should not be taken lightly. No matter the album, podcast, or genre selection, the key is finding something that can help get your toes tappin’ and your mind in the right place to conquer the day.
NO. 2: THE LUNCH HOUR
You’ve been working from your home office all morning, and the coffee-for-breakfast routine can only get you so far. Now it’s time to choose a path to take on your journey to end self hunger. The responsible move? Meander on over to the kitchen and prepare yourself a well-balanced meal that will help jump-start a productive second half of your day. The equally noble move? Order pad thai for the third time this week and stress-eat until you hate yourself. Either way, bone apple tea.
NO. 3: GETTING YOUR BLOOD FLOWING
Working from home tends to remove the need to get up and move around for all those, quick meetings and exploratory moments, so you’ll need to find a new reason to break away from the desk chair. I’m a big fan of working some sort of top-of-the-hour activity into the day to help stretch out the walking bones and get the creative juices flowing. Science has shown us roughly a billion reasons why sitting in a chair and staring at a screen all day is generally not that great on your body, so it’s important to level out working in a robe like a basement-dwelling degenerate with some sort of refreshing activity.
NO. 4: TEAM INTERACTION
Outside of in-person trips, brainstorm sessions, and the brief window you have before everyone else dials into the call, the majority of conversations with your team will likely take place via keyboard. That means your words need to be carefully selected, your sarcasm needs to be foolproof, and any jokes you’re thinking of tossing out will need to be coming straight from your starting rotation. The weekly kickoff call is no place for trying out second-string quips. Trust me.
NO. 5: AVOIDING DISTRACTION
If you’ve put any effort into the items above, this should be the easiest step of all. As long as you’re implementing a morning routine, maintaining a solid level of communication, and remembering to unplug yourself from the Matrix every now and then, you should be good to go. Just do your best to steer clear of internet rabbit holes like trying to figure out if the butler from Wedding Crashers is also the cop who gives Kevin’s mom a ride to Rockefeller Center in the Home Alone sequel.
So the next time you stumble across an opportunity to ditch the commute and turn your house into a command center, I strongly recommend giving it a go. Oh, and if you ever find yourself in need of a little creative help while you’re wheeling and dealing from your home base, feel free to give us a shout.