Working remotely

DAWN

^{London, UK}

Usually:

I usually work from home four days a week in my study. On the fifth day, I head into Central London on the tube for customer meetings, often with one of my other UK-based colleagues, Simon. The day and time always differs — we can be super-flexible for our customers. 

When I work from home, I come online between 8:00am and 9:00am. Most days I try to squeeze in some sort of exercise or class (walking, yoga, swimming, Bounce, gym or football) either before or after work, or during lunchtimes. 

I sign off between 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Although, around two times a week I’m up early or late for a meeting with Shorthand staff members or customers in other timezones, such as the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

Now:

The UK was put into lockdown on March 23. However, my partner and I started self-isolating a couple of weeks before that, as we had recently returned from a then-unaffected area of Italy a day or two before Italy was put into lockdown. 

My partner, Mike, and I live together. We don’t have children, it’s just us. So, the main day-to-day change has been having another person in the house every day. That has both been lovely and a challenge. For example, the internet did fall over at first, and we’re both quite chatty (and he’s loud) on the phone! It’s nice to have the company though — we swap up coffee rounds and blame any mess on an imaginary colleague called Clive.

Have you had to change the way you work?

I feel extremely lucky in this regard. Apart from no customer face-to-face meetings, I haven't really had to change much at all. I do miss seeing my other UK colleagues face-to-face, but we already use Slack to communicate every day. We use Zoom for staff and customer meetings, plus all our demos and training webinars, too. We have seen an increase in the use of the Shorthand editor to create stories, and we've also seen more signups to webinars. Communicating with your audience is more important than ever and Shorthand has been used in some really innovative ways to bring people together. 

It’s interesting to see so many adopt a way of working that we, at Shorthand, have had for years. I had a wonderful chat with a customer last week and gave her some of my top tips. I realise that this way of working is not suitable — or even possible — for every industry, but those I’ve spoken to who have adopted it have done so with grace. I just wish the adoption was not forced and was under better circumstances. 

What challenges do you think someone new to remote work will have at this time?

It's a challenge to find a routine that works for you. Don’t punish yourself if you feel like you get it “wrong.” You need to establish your own routine. I absolutely love my job and the team I work with; I get so much enjoyment from work. But it’s really important to separate your work time from “you time” and “family time.” This is especially important if your living room, kitchen, or even your bedroom, is now your office.

Any cool apps that you use to help you work from home?

• Whatsapp
• Kahoot (quizzes)
• Zoom
• The Mindfulness App
• Down Dog (HIIT, yoga and more)
• Elevate
• Jackbox games
• Words With Friends (game)
• Uno online
• Lucky Voice online karaoke (over Zoom) 

Megan

^{Brisbane, AU}

My usual routine

Usually, my partner and I would be up early with our two young kids. One of us would slowly wander over to daycare with the youngest, while the other would walk up to school with our daughter. My partner would then head off to work in the city, leaving me at home to work quietly all day.

I live right near lots of really nice cafes at a lovely tree-lined shopping precinct, so I’d often do a few hours' work from one of them for a change of scene. 

How has it changed? 

Daycare is still open, so when one of us is ready we head over to drop my son off. There aren’t many kids that go anymore, but thankfully he still has some friends who are attending. The streets are very quiet now too, but a lot of the local cafes are still open for takeaway, so we pick up some coffee each morning to help support our local businesses. 

My work day is far more ‘bitsy’ now. Whereas I used to have the whole day completely to myself, I’ve now got to factor in time to keep my daughter on track with schooling, entertained or fed with many, many, many snacks. We let her watch way more Netflix than can be healthy for a growing brain, but with both of us working full time, that’s sometimes the only option. I've also had to get used to factoring in my partner’s work schedule, knowing when he has meetings so I can be available if my daughter needs me. 

What about your work? 

For the most part, my work is still the same. We’ve developed a few new policies for our team — for example, documenting our business response to COVID-19 and what we’re doing to help our team with their changing home circumstances.

How are you staying mentally healthy?

At the end of each day, we go to pick up my son from daycare and then head out for a giant walk to burn off energy. It’s really lovely and one of the highlights of my day! It means we've been able to discover new parts of our local area that we probably wouldn't have visited otherwise.

What challenges do you think someone new to remote work will have at this time?

Well, I think it’s a very different mindset for people who have always worked from home versus those that are suddenly thrown into it. At Shorthand, we have all our systems in place (e.g., Zoom and Slack), comfortable home offices, and experience managing our own time.  But other folks may find themselves working from the couch with organisations that have never done video calls before.

I think there’s generally an expectation that those new to working from home will have a lower level of efficiency or output at this time. I used to find the opposite was true— I am used to getting so much done on a quiet day at home. I’m definitely not as efficient as I would be in normal circumstances, but I know these are unusual times. Schools are due to open again in a few weeks, so things will feel much more normal then.  

Jamie

^{Sydney, AU}

What is your usual routine? 

I’m the kind of person who loves a routine, so most days are pretty similar. After breakfast, I normally walk my youngest daughter to school. It’s nice to start with something that gets me out of the house and moving. When I return, I start work. I have a standup desk (thanks IKEA), which I find helps to keep me alert for longer periods, and also means I don’t get a sore back. 

I try to have an early-ish lunch break (around midday) and go for a 30 minute run. This is the most important part of the day for me as I find it helps reduce my stress levels and gives me a reason to get away from the screen. I make sure to leave my phone at home as well.

In the afternoon, I'll often wind the desk down to a seated position as I can be pretty tired from the run. Any task that requires more time and mental effort is best done around this time for me as my concentration levels are at their highest. I aim to finish work around the same time each evening, and I'm pretty strict about not ‘checking in’ after hours unless absolutely necessary. 

How has it changed?

I no longer walk my youngest daughter to school, because she’s doing her school work from home. Even though she's stubbornly independent, I check in on her a few times during the day to review her work and make sure she’s not just racing through it so she can jump on the PlayStation.

What about your actual work? Have you had to change what you do? 

I’m very fortunate. Not a whole lot has changed — other than a few more interruptions from the kids.

How are you staying mentally healthy?

The most important thing I find for my mental health is to get some exercise every day. For me, that is a 30 minute run at lunchtime — but for others, it could be a walk, yoga, some HIIT, whatever you prefer. My advice is to just try to do it at the same time every day — no exceptions.

I also find mindfulness activities to be helpful if I'm particularly stressed. I recommend checking out Dan Harris and his ‘10% Happier’ style of mindfulness.

What further changes do you think you’ll have to make in the coming months / year?  

Who knows! Things are changing so dramatically that it’s impossible to predict anything at the moment. For me, the best way to cope is to focus on the things I can influence day-to-day.

What challenges do you think someone new to remote work will have at this time?

I think it depends on what kind of person they are. I’m naturally fairly solitary, so remote work suits me quite well. The biggest challenge or downside to remote work for me is the lack of ‘spur of the moment’ and serendipitous conversations that can occur when you share an office. I’m yet to discover a good replacement for that, but I do recommend trying to have at least one daily group video call (like a remote version of a ‘standup’).

Another tip I have is, try to be aware of any personal tendencies that can be counter-productive. Personally, I find that if I spend too much time working on concepts in isolation, I can get too wedded to a single idea. I try to force myself to loop others in early on to either discuss concepts or challenge my thinking. These can be either other designers, developers or really anyone who is willing to contribute constructively to the process.

What are your new routines and habits?

Checking the news more regularly is a new, unhealthy habit. But, otherwise, I’m just trying to stick to my usual routine as much as I can to keep some sense of normality. 

Guy

^{Tauranga, NZ}

What is your usual routine? 

I start by checking new messages, figuring out my tasks for the day, then getting on with it. My day will usually be punctuated by a few Zoom meetings, such as daily stand-ups. 

How has it changed?

In terms of work, nothing has really changed for me. I was already working remotely full-time, so that meant I was already set up for working from home.

How are you staying mentally healthy?

Walking daily is important. I find that getting fresh air and reminding myself that there’s a world outside is good for me, both physically and mentally.

What challenges do you think someone new to remote work will have at this time?

Just the usual challenges that come with remote working. My main tips for anyone working from home for the first time are:

• Make sure that you have all the equipment you need.
• Lay down rules with those you live with that work time is work time. Just because you’re physically there doesn’t mean that you’re available!
• Make sure that you have an area that is a dedicated workspace — separate from your personal space.
• Make sure that your Internet connection is reliable.
• Finally, build a daily routine that would mirror something similar to what your workday would look like if you were working from an office.