✨ Missing coworkers?

• It is okay to approach co-workers (also outside of your smaller team) and invite them to have a video call chat. You do not need to talk about work - treat it as an "a short chat at the office kitchen". Why not have a 15-minute video-call with Brad, or Ben, or Kathy, or Josh? Catch up and maybe even share a quick laugh. Just make sure that they are okay with taking 15-minutes of their day to catch up. 

• How about a once a week for a few hours where we all try and mimic office environment by sharing virtual working room in a shared video-call environment? You do not have to talk, just have the video-call open on the background and then do your regular work as you would work side by side at the office? 

• Create Monday check-in's to share what are your goals or main plans for the week? Share on the evenings on Basecamp/Slack check-in's what were you working during the day. Read what others are up to, to keep yourself informed and connected. 

✨ Feeling consumed by work?

• Having a zone of productivity helps (read about it below)! Do keep your personal life away from work, do not enter the productivity zone outside of working time. 

• Set yourself the timeframe when you work- meaning what time do you start and what time do you finish. And if the clock is after the finishing time? Easy - do not perform any work-related things!

• Do not let yourself miss lunch. If needed, book the time in your calendar and keep to it. When the lunch time arrives, mute your Slack, close your inbox and enjoy your time off :)

• Once the personal time starts, set yourself away from Slack/log off. Close your inbox. Turn off the notifications and stick to the idea - if anyone needs you, they will call/WhatsApp (depending on your preference). Unless anyone calls/WhatsApp's you, you do not have to worry. 

  • Please communicate with your team members what is the channel to reach you, when in your time off you would need to be reached due to an emergency.

✨ Not feeling very productive?

• Waking up and stepping right into the work mode can be hard. Our brain can be used to the routine (getting dressed for work, putting on makeup, of commuting to work, etc) - whether we realize it or not, that time is used by our brain to start to activating for work tasks. Try to trick yourself - for example get yourself ready for work by having a 20-minute walk in the morning. After the walk, do not tend to any of the normal home activities as folding laundry etc, but focus yourself on the work. Use that as a trigger to separate your time and work time. 

• For me it is helpful that I have my "home clothes" and my "work clothes" meaning already putting on my "work" sweatpants (I like to be cozy :D ) I feel I am stepping away from my personal time to a business time.

• Have a designated place for working. Working from bed is a no-no. Trust me, it is not good for you in any way. Set up for yourself a "zone" of productivity, that you can use as a place where you concentrate on the work - not on spending time clicking through TV channels like a couch most likely would make us feel and be.

• Try to have a schedule- in the morning set for yourself the key to-dos that you want to (or need to achieve) during the day. Or maybe just map out "time for e-mail"; "time for X case" etc. So having those small to-dos as a reminder of the end goal. Having at least set "focus time" (that you communicate to your team-members via some channel) can be a good time to mute your Slack and other distractions, to tackle the bigger tasks. 

• The magic for me is hidden in focusing less on what is urgent and more on what is important. Otherwise, you will be running from putting down one fire after another. 

What are you hacks or suggestions from your own experience?