Like most people, I wasn’tremotelyprepared to work from home before the pandemic.
I had done it beforebut fixing computers, not living my professional and personal lives through one.
Here are some lessons I learned along the way.
Joe Robinson / How-To Geek
Nothing remains in pristine condition for too long that way.
Have you ever tried staying 5 hours or more sitting at your dinner table, five days a week?
However, agood office chairtakes virtually the same space as a cheap one.
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The same applies to a working desk.
That’s not just to boost productivity, though the difference will be immediately noticeable.
Your health might improve as well, especially if you suffer from posture-related pain.
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That may lead to a more restful sleep, a better mood, and so on.
Butdon’t just get any deskand any chair.
Remember to match desk and chair heights when you go shoppinga measuring tape helps with that.
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Undoing that damage isn’t easy, but it’s important.
Dont Neglect Your Health
Ergonomics is step one, but that’s just it: step one.
Keeping a water bottle nearby can be all it’s crucial that you remember to drink from it.
Joe Robinson / How-To Geek
A walk every couple of hours or so can also do wonders.
Avoiding commute traffic is a blessing, so why fill the saved time with more work?
Most people have 9 to 5 jobs or per-project ones, with flexible hours.
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Having a well-defined routine helps in both cases.
What worked best for me was to define a weekly schedule and follow it to the letter.
There are tricks to ensure you do.
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The one that helped me most during these years is not having my workstation in my bedroom.
Sometimes, this comes from unexpected places.
When I started writing, my job required having dozens of tabs open.
My computer back then wasn’t making the cut.
Upgrading memory and storage helped until I saved enough for agreat laptop.
Further upgradessecondary screensand a mechanical keyboardmean I sometimes get double the work done, compared to early 2020.
But those were the devices that helped in my specific situation.
You’ll need hardware that helps with the tasks your job requires.
Here are a few examples.
Also, some occupations may require hardware not needed by others.
Software Is Important, Too!
Having great equipment won’t be of much help if you don’t use software to support it.
We won’t suggest apps for each and every professional out there.
Instead, we’ll listsolutions more widely aimed at productivity.
I personally favor thetodo.txtsystem, with the text file stored inOneDrive.
There are organization programs as well.
Is it looking for a notepad among your desk clutter?
Lastly, people working with different operating systems (OSes) will need different apps.
Not everything is under your controlyou can’t dial your noisy neighbors' volume down.
In shared offices, compromises have to be made, so everyone enjoys a welcoming workplace.
Working from home robs you of human interaction, but offers near total control over the ambiance.
So don’t waste it!
Do you want natural lighting?
Pull the curtains all the way.
Prefer something more cozy?
Indirect lamps work just fine.
But there are ways to skip some of those, for starters at least.
There are free options, too, like libraries, college study rooms, and coffee shops.
Open spaces may also be a possibility.
So, why not take your job to a park?
Birds singing, cool breeze, you’re free to even go jogging after your lunch break.
And that may help you become your best selfnot just for work.
