Workstation
Problem: You're working from home but feel very unproductive. You're unable to figure out your tasks or do it efficiently. Also, you feel sleepy every few hours. You're suffering from Officeophobia.
When you go remote for the first time, you think that you'll get so much time because you're not spending any time in travel. Now you can read books and give time to your family as well. Awesome! This'll be great. (You assume)
When reality sets in, you feel low on morale and feel sleepy every few hours after working from home for a few days. This is happening because your mind is unable to differentiate between your home time and office time. Here's how to solve it.
Working Remote ≠ Work from Bed.
Also, just because bed-table has a bed and table words in it, doesn't mean it works. Don't even try! Here's a screenshot of how it looks like for me. I've been working remote from my house. Here are equipments followed by the necessary habits you might need to be productive.
Our Favorite Equipments base
Items | Comments | Links |
Kickass Chair | There are other models but this dual back support tech is patented by a German company. That's why expensive and hard to find but totally worth every penny. We've a vendor and can get you discounts. | |
Eye Mask | Silk cloth, thin stripes doesn't trouble ears and adjustable size. Gets me 5-6 hours of fulfilling sleep. | |
Earmuffs | Work from cafe or home. No noise. Gamechanger. | |
Sipper | It has suction at bottom, won't topple over your laptop. Helps you protect your company's property. | |
Monitor | Good to code. Good luck with finding stand. Good for side table. Always get a matt finish screen. | |
Monitor lift | Please check compatibility. Find cheaper version. | |
Mouse | No reason. Flipkart 🇮🇳 | |
Laptop Stand | Very productive. Definitely buy a keyboard if you get this. | |
Keyboard 1 | Level: Monster Better ROI than bitcoin. | |
Keyboard 2 | Put nail polish on keys to make letters invisible & play with muscle memory here: http://play.typeracer.com/ Min: 60WPM for coders. | |
HDMI for Air | Don't look around, this is the cheapest you'll get | |
HDMI for Pro(new) | Dont go for cheap ones, they won't last. It's Amazon basics. | |
Earphones | I love this one. | |
Headphones | We've good taste in Music. In US it's for $250. Time to call relatives. | |
Laptop | Mac Pro. Just a preference. | |
Mouse | Logitech G102, Value for money, 5 keys, adjustable dpi, comfortable grip and size for long usage. | |
Duck | If you've no one to talk about your problem, talk to this duck. While explaining, you might discover the solution. When the duck starts talking, something is terribly terribly wrong. ;) |
Dedicated Workspace
If you've a space room in your house or any corner where you can avoid noise coming in, create your workspace at that place.
It's extremely important to have your setup away from your bed to avoid the tendency to crash all the time. Remember that you not only work from a desk in office but you also walk a lot. Walking increases oxygen supply to your brain and makes you a bit more active than before. Do that consciously when working from home.
Keep it Clean
Workplace needs to be extremely clean. If you're one of those people whose desktop is all messy, chances are that your workstation is messy too. I was similar in that nature.
I've started keeping my desktop clean and workstation organized since last year and that has reflected on my work. I felt that my workspace (and desktop) was a reflection of my headspace. Keeping my workspace clean also reflected on my documentation and organized behavior overall.
Keep family at bay
When you're working from home, it's not just about you anymore. Most of us live with our families and if you've your family with you, remember- They're not entering your space, you're entering their's.
Having this mentality goes a long way. Now, you need to bring them onboard with the idea of WORKING from home and they're a big part of your work now.
It'll take some time for them to adjust but you should get them onboard and request them not to break into your space because you'll be in the zone while working.
Plants and fragrance
I was talking to one of my friend who runs a remote company and he came up with a recommendation that worked. You can keep a plant at your workstation and use an oil burner for your entire team.
When everyone on the team has these common things, it gives a sense of belongingness to everyone. It may or may not work our for you but something to consider for all your employees if you're an employer.
Having something in common with everyone in general helps.
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