How to succeed as a full-time remote worker?

I never worked from 9 to 5. I began my journey in the family business and that was fun from the beginning, but after I realised that I can’t work 24/7 as that’s how long you need to work to get it all started and after maintaining the quality and standards. I know not all family businesses had to work 24/7 but when you create service for people if you want to be successful you have to do it.

After I felt burned out I started looking for a new job and that how I become a Product designer, I share a story about it a few weeks ago.
I knew that I want to have the same freedom as a family business will give you but have a bit more structure and time boundaries, so remote work became an ideal combination for me.

I think that this style of work will become the new norm, at least I hope so. I know there are a lot of challenges, but also there is a freedom in flexible hours and different locations.
I’m working remotely for nearly two years and can’t find a lot of negative about it. Ok, but first things first let’s start with the basics.

How your workspace should look like if you working from home or any other location.

At home
- define your working area and do just work there, not eating, no Netflix — just work.
- don’t forget about cleanliness and organisation, it will help you to focus on a task and have a positive vibe to actually do your work.
- be mindful of your eyes, wrists and posture.

We are all tempted to work from the sofa or bed but in a long term, your body wouldn’t be thankful for that. Find a place for your table so the window will give you a lot of natural light, place your screen at eye level and don’t hesitate if you need to use additional stands for your screen or laptop. I did that and my neck wasn’t happy and don’t forget about the chair!

On the location (if you travelling or visiting family)
- first and foremost, buy yourself a travelling stand for your laptop. It was a game-changer for me. I have a great set-up at home with a 27' screen. So to work from my 14' was challenging and not just because of the screen size but also because my laptop screen is not at eye level. I went on Amazon and found the most suitable variant and it wasn’t that expensive.
- as you can’t really influence a chair and desk situation when you travelling, I would say have the same rule — dedicate a specific area for work and don’t do anything there expect of work.

The other question is how to stay focused and overcome distractions.

I have lots of friends who are asking me this question for me it was so easy and clear if you work you need to work and don’t find any sours or home tasks to get in the way. I think the common challenge for people who are starting to work from home is a lack of discipline and all those tasks that you need to do at home.

So my tipis on this matter will be:
- start a routine to kick-start your working day. It could be whatever you want it to be like drinking tea and working out. The important thing is that once you have finished, you sit down and work. Your mind will recognize the signal and it’ll be easier to get started. It’s not easy and you will need time for that, but it will become better with every day.
- track your productive time, so you can better organise your working hours. I know it’s not always possible but at least you will know that in the morning you are slow in the creative field but fine with calls or you like to get out of the way of your design tasks in the morning before your colleagues and then join all zoom calls.
- don’t check your emails every five minutes and have dedicated time for it. It will recuse the destruction and help you focus on the tasks.
- use the Focus time in the calendar so your team will know when they can set up the meeting.
- take active breaks. It’ll boost your dopamine levels, improve your mood and leave you feeling energized. I usually like to take a bit longer at lunch time and cook myself a healthy meal.

How to stop working after hours?

Personally, this is my biggest challenge and I know it’s not just for me but to try to find a balance between my work and personal life. The separation will help to stay productive at work and don’t burn out.
Work only at your workplace. Once you’re done for the day, don’t sit there again. Your office is closed until tomorrow.
I use all king of statuses in Slack to notify my teammates that I finished for the day or have a PTO, sometimes I even make my lunchtime.
In the summer, after I finish work I used to walk in the park near my house but in the winter it’s a bit difficult, but I found a solution. I get a gym membership and plan my yoga lessons just after work so I have to finish on time and don’t late for the class. So far, it was a success.

What to do with loneliness?

After I moved to Winnipeg without any friends or acuteness in the city I started to ask this question and it’s still a task in progress but there are a few things that we do in the company to feel like if you are working in an office.
1. We use the Around app for not only project meetings or our 1:1s but also as a co-working club on various projects. We can talk through problems or just quietly set headphones on. It’s a great way to feel involved in each other’s projects and ask for help if you need it.
2. Have a non-communication channel where you can chat about design in general or maybe the problems you facing with your dog. We have so much fun there sometime.
3. Find groups or communities outside of work, and get an offline hobby. I like photography, so my natural search ends up on meetups for photographers and creative people in the city. It’s a great way to meet new people but also to get to know the city from their perspective.

Remote work is the future

I believe that remote work is the future. After the pandemic will be over and everyone will get bet to the new normal a lot of companies will choose the remote style of work not only because it’s more financially attractive but also because people can be happier and do their job faster and in more creative ways.
Find out if your company have the remote option or many a hybrid way, try it and let me know what you think of it. Who knows, maybe you’ll be working fewer hours and have more time for your hobbies. So, try to overcome the challenges that come with remote working and embrace it for the time being.

Thank you for the clap 👏🏻 if you enjoyed this article. Stay safe and stay productive.

If you have any feedback, I’d like to hear from you. Say hello at hi@juliagale.com or connect on LinkedIn, Instagram and Dribbble.