I’ve been working from home full-time for most of the past 4.5 years. I haven’t reached any special milestone, but nevertheless I’m going to compile a list of some of the things I’ve learned, some bits of advice, and general observations. In no particular order, numbered for reference:
- Not commuting is awesome
- Sometimes your car battery will die if you don’t drive for a while
- I’m possibly too comfortable not leaving my house for days on end
- Getting a dog is probably healthy
- Playing fetch is a good way to get out of the house when you don’t really want to do anything
- I don’t worry about someone stealing my packages
- I’m pretty sure the UPS man thinks I’m unemployed, and possibly a recluse
- It’s easy to forget you’re still wearing pajamas at 2pm
- Comfy slippers are worth it
- Roosters are loud
- If you leave a window open, people on your video call are likely to hear some crowing, or even mooing
- Pets have no concept of work hours
- Pets have no concept of personal space
- A cat is likely to send at least one Slack message
- Check for nearby cats before entering any commands in a production terminal
- If you can’t be work productive, be personally productive
- A decluttered desk can mend a cluttered mind
- If you’re in the zone, don’t worry about the 4 coffee cups you’ve acquired next to your keyboard
- Someone in your life will believe you’re unemployed no matter how many times you tell them you work, just at home
- It’s easy to use “sorry I’m working” as an excuse to avoid social events, even on evenings and weekends
- Don’t do that. At least not too often
- It’s hard to take a sick day unless you’re at a high risk of literally vomiting on your keyboard
- Hardly anyone steals my lunch
- Sometimes I don’t eat lunch as much as snack between breakfast and dinner
- Taking an actual lunch break is hard
- Don’t forget to wash that hoodie
- Regular video meetings, even if sometimes unproductive work-wise, are good for recalibrating your teammates’ sarcasm levels
- Sarcasm is likely to backfire once in a while in text based communication
- Emoticons and emoji can actually be helpful in setting tone
- Imposter syndrome is very real
- People you look up to are also asking so-called stupid questions, they’re just in one of the other 2839416 Slack channels you haven’t stumbled into
- Don’t forget to stretch
- Sometimes the scenery gets boring
- Working from a coffee shop is tricky
- Working from the couch is cozy
- Mind your posture
- A second laptop charger is worth it
- No rules against sitting outside
- Working from a hammock is logistically challenging
- It’s hard to ignore work stuff during off-hours
- I’ve saved so much money by not commuting past fast food and coffee stands everyday. Oh, and the gas…
- Drink more water
- It’s hard to take “unnecessary” days off, but they are necessary
- I bet real office chairs are nicer than hard plastic, I should consider this
- The less you drive, the more handy a key hook is
- You’ll forget how tall/short your coworkers are
- Document everything
- I will never be able to convert UTC to PST in my head
- Yes, I know it’s just add 8 hours
- Video chat will never remember the proper audio/video settings
I think we just hit 2839417 this morning.
All sarcasm aside, this post is awesome and a really good reminder!
Totally relatable. And hilarious. 😉
Will follow.
Everything about this is good and true.
How can I join the work
Love this! Thanks for sharing… and being hilarious.
“It’s hard to ignore work stuff during off-hours”… Yes… Thankful for a gracious spouse. GREAT list. I replace all things “cat” with “one-year-old” most of the time:
-A one-year-old is likely to send at least one Slack message
-Check for nearby one-year-olds before entering any commands in a production terminal
So fun! Thanks for writing and love the style.
Been there: Check for nearby cats before entering any commands in a production terminal or the cat screaming for food while Im in a call. LOL
Why does this relate to me so perfectly
That’s a good thing to fallow with love and care
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Home work
Lol how do I join!