Remote working tips

With Moove HQ experimenting with working from home today, in preparation for the need to work from home with the growing spread of the coronavirus. 

The coronavirus is and will inevitably see increasing numbers of people working remotely, either as a result of just being proactive and cautious, new company practices (like at Moove), geographical lock-down, self-isolation or quarantine.

Even though I work remotely this has been a relatively new transition for me that started in August 2019. I am aware that on the surface it may seem a great alternative (and it is), but it can take some time to get used to it as for many this will be a tremendous change for many of you.

However, with a little preparation and a little time to set yourself up the experience can be healthy, effective and fun!

Here are my top 3 tips for success based on my experience over the last 8 months or so. If you are starting the remote journey or feel that it is only a matter of time then hopefully these tips will set yourself up to be successful at remote working:

1. Design your daily schedule
2. Create healthy habits
3. Build time to be social

Design your daily schedule

Moving from your daily commute and usual routine in the office to a less structured daily routine will be a challenge for most people. It was for me which was a shock as I had always been perceived as hyper ogranized and focused back in the office!

Time to create how your day will look, make a new routine and take control — these are some of the questions I wish I had asked from the start and used it as an opportunity to set up a great schedule:

• When will you get up?  
• How are you going to use that extra time from not needing to commute?
• When will I take my breaks?
• What time will I close the laptop?

As you do not need to go into the office you have a little more flexibility here perhaps! Maybe you can get the extra sleep you need, get some exercise, get a healthy breakfast for once, spend time with kids and so on.  

However, make sure that you do have a routine! For the first few months, because I had flexibility, everyday looked a little different.  

For example one day I would sleep in, another day I would do the school run, another day I would go to the gym or go for a walk, start work earlier, do some odd jobs around the house…..All sounds great, yeaaah? But it just did not work for me! I thought I was in control but I was not my routine started to be designed for me and suddenly I was fighting fires all over the place and I did not feel in control at all!

The next mistake was that I realised I needed routine but that meant I tried to fill every waking hour with work, partly to ensure that I did not feel guilt for not being productive but also the fact that I had extra time to fill, for example 2 hours less commute a day suddenly meant that I was not working 9-5, I found myself working 8-6 everyday and lunch was always a working one! 

Suddenly I had changed from an unstructured to unhealthy structured routine!

So please take some time and think how you will structure your day. Have a conversation to your colleagues as this is something you may need to agree with them or at least communicate with them.  

Having an online calendar that had certain times blocked out to take calls and so on that reflected my new routine was vital as this ensured that my routine did not become designed for me. I made my commute time blocked out for the gym and break time scheduled as well. I even scheduled some time to connect with colleagues, family and friends (more on this below).

Create healthy habits

Building on the above it’s vital that as you move from the previous daily routine that you specifically design in healthy habits for your new workday.

I found from easily working over 10,000 steps a day to sometimes less than 3,000. I no longer needed to walk to the other side of the office to speak to people, get water, go to the toilet, go for a meeting a few blocks away and so on. Easy access to snacks was also a problem! 

Even though I had a great opportunity to build exercise into my new routine, I found I was doing less than ever and quickly put on 20lbs. Horror!

However, now I have control of this and build in some habits. As well as having gym into my routine (which may need to be reviewed developing how the coronavirus pandemic develops!), I also got up and walked round the neighborhood every hour, or after each call or conference.  

As well as getting exercise it helped to have some thinking space or some time for a little mindfulness.

Also eating was something I had to plan for and having proper breaks and not just grabbing unhealthy snacks constantly throughout the day instead of a healthy breakfast and lunch. 

Even hydration seemed to reduce as in the office, filling up my water bottle was an excuse to go and speak to others and stretch the legs but I did not need to do that anymore.

Finally, distraction at home is a big problem. Whether this is listening to the radio, doing those odd jobs or for some of us perhaps our partners and the kids will provide distraction! So having a routine can be healthy because it keeps our attention and keeps us focused. I found when I loss my focus the wheels started to fall off the cart and suddenly I was sending emails when everyone was in bed!   

This will be particularly important if you are unfortunate enough to be in self-isolation, quarantine or any form of lockdown. But ensure you plan on being as healthy as possible!

Build time to be social

This was the biggest challenge for me. Suddenly I went from interacting and seeing a few hundred people a day to perhaps seeing no one (apart from my wife and son) for days. Initially, it was quite nice to have space and time but soon it impacted my mood and outlook!

I was never the most extroverted person in the office but I realised how many social interactions I took for granted, making polite conversation with fellow commuters, the coffee guy, water-cooler chats, passing conversations in corridors, preambles before meetings and conferences.

It is VITAL that social connection is designed into your new remote working day. If you don’t design this in you will just work, work, work and soon you will not be in a healthy place to be if this becomes your routine.  

Make sure you have regular check-ins with colleagues that are designed as a virtual coffee break where talk about work is banned. Set up a chat group so you can share those news stories with each other and contribute between calls - I have a whats app group where everything is discussed from the news, bad jokes to sports and politics or more recently the coronavirus. Arrange to chat with friends who are in the same position and have a good catch up.

As I found out, humans are programmed for social connections and being part of a ‘tribe’.

As with exercise, build habits into your routine. For example, finish a call or a task and then text or call someone to check in. I have found that I am connecting with friends and family, especially those in different time zones around the world where I can now call during my working day as the end of theirs.

Technology opens up lots of opportunities

The times ahead are uncertain and there will be a significant change to the way we work in the short term at least.

It is important that you spend some time designing a new routine and hopefully some of my insights above resonate with you.  

As well as coming to terms with remote working there are also things that we will need to manage. I know some of my friends are juggling kids being at home too and the extra pressure that will bring.

The sentiment of my main points, planning a routine that builds in health and social habits will be crucial for you all.

I work remotely for Mooveteam, we provide our partners with innovative high-tech tools to create exciting smartphone & tablet games in the events and entertainment industry. As such we understand the pressure that our partners are going through with events being cancelled on a daily basis. We wish everyone, particularly those in the hospitality and events industry over the next weeks and months.

Best of luck 

Mark Monaghan

Lead Partner Success - USA Mooveteam