
Ways to make working remote work for you - coyoteville
http://engineering.datadoghq.com/9-ways-to-make-working-remote-work-for-you/
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jotato
I worked on a remote team for 18 months, and I think there is one more point
the article could make.

10\. Set an alarm for whatever time your workday ends and _stick to it_

Our team was made up of 8 people and we all worked remote. We all had the
problem of starting work between 8-9 and finding that we were still working
come 9PM.

For me, it was easy to loose track of time and not even realize how late it
was. Setting an alarm for 5pm and leaving my office when it went off was key
to a healthy work/life balance.

This doesn't mean you never work late. It just means you are purposeful about
it. Sometimes I would "snooze" my alarm for a few extra minutes, or set a new
one for an hour later if we really needed to meet a deadline.

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fbonetti
I don't mean this as a criticism towards you personally, but I've heard this
same sentiment about remote working and I just don't get it.

I could never see myself accidentally working until 9pm. I understand having a
passion for programming/work, but aren't there other things in your life you
would rather be doing, like seeing friends, going out for a bike ride, trying
a new restaurant, having sex with your GF or wife, or cooking a nice meal? I
really don't understand the obsession with work (especially if you're on a
salary and don't get paid for the additional hours).

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jotato
It is because you loose the "trigger" that it is time to leave. There are
definitely things I would rather be doing, and I wouldn't say working late has
to do with passion. My wife calls it "being in my own little world". I am
focused on a task and forget what is around me.

It might have to do with our process. We would keep an open Skype call with
everyone on it. Our microphones were on mute, but if you needed someone it was
easy as pressing "unmute" and talking. So come 6pm if you still hear people
talking and working, then the trigger of "people are leaving. it must be
nearing 5" isn't there.

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colmvp
I'll second the pomodoro technique, which is also talked about in Coursera's
Learning How to Learn course as a means of battling procrastination and tough
tasks. It's great for building momentum. I've been using it throughout 2016
and have found it SUPER effective at breaking out of funks.

I don't 'dress for work' but I do have rituals, specifically always having a
healthy breakfast, meditating with music/lit candle for 20 mins before
starting the day, and heading to the gym for a refresher in the middle of the
day. The benefit of working from home is that you can create your own
workspace so I'd say cherish that privilege and make it a space and routine
that you want. Customize it to what feels comfortable and desirable.

Also I really can't emphasize getting outside and socializing. One of the
negatives about working on your own is being inside your head too much whereby
you unknowingly create blindspots and a distorted view. Try to find a meetup
that meets regularly (once a week) because it'll help keep you social and may
also instill a sense of urgency (i.e. "I have to finish this work now in order
to make sure I can leave in the evening for that meetup."). My quality of life
skyrocketed once I found two meetups that coalesced amazing individuals.

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trapperkeeper79
I enjoyed this. I especially like #5 ... weekly videochat sync ups are a nice
idea.

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happytrails
I've been working remote for over 6 years :(

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lwhalen
Three years and counting here, it's amazing and life-changing!

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tpowell
This is fantastic.

