How to Work Remotely

Back to work tomorrow for many of us and that means for most, back to having dual working spaces, partners and online meetings. At the moment, many are working between two different rooms as online calls take place at the same time as those of other family or flatmates. It isn’t easy especially when volume is required, confidentiality and space. Here’s hoping that by February, crossing fingers, we will have the apartment below which will merge two small places together. A staircase is the next venture, something that hasn’t been on our list before. However, a key joy will be an alternative office space where the door can be shut at the end of the working day. Being fortunate to have jobs in this crazy last year, we set boundaries for calls and honour the French lunch time – although we take one hour only!

A Temporary Office

This is where many people are working, in their dining room or lounge and it is easy to just add the laptop to a space. Fengshui practice and good old common sense would say to create a set area with pens, notebook and chargers to delineate a space. Use the Bagua map in the same way you would a home, communication in the middle right, notebook before you in the Career section and so forth. If you are in the dining room or even just on the table, it is recommended to have a good chair with a strong back and place it in a position where you can see the room entrance. Have a solid wall behind you as it is said to give you support. Then put it away at the end of the day, even if this is on a chair or set to aside on the table.

Setting Up an Office Space

Having worked remotely for six years, I am looking forward to finally having a proper office in a couple of months. In the new adjoined apartment, we will have a small narrow bedroom which we will make in to an office. It is in the Travel and Helpful People sector which is ideal. Greys and white will be the colour scheme partnering with the Metal element and the current second hand round dining table will be re-purposed by chalk painting it ivory for a large desk space along with two grey chairs. Art Deco prints in grey and white with travel symbols will be on the walls and the wardrobe will be ideal for the printer, paper and other office equipment. A coffee machine space will be set up and it feels like a new beginning for a new working year.

It takes some getting used to and it took me about 18 months. It requires structure and discipline and the ability to stop working, something I still find difficult to manage. Here are some tips and tricks:

Create a working space, the laptop in front of the TV or on a sofa isn’t ideal;
Get up, showered and dressed as if going to a more casual office but this means grooming and proper shoes and clothes;
Get the nicest notebooks you can and each week plan out your meetings, projects and tasks;
Get used to a different way of working. Structure the day, take a lunch break without feeling guilty or do some morning exercise or meditation. This takes the place of your normal commute, coffee breaks and chats with colleagues;
Set up some casual coffee colleague calls where you just talk, even if it is just to get informal feedback;
If it is new for your boss as well, ask if they would like a weekly/monthly update report on tasks;
Stay focused, eat properly and pull back on the coffee!

All the best for the new working year!