Ask HN: What are some best practices when you're working from home? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What are some best practices when you're working from home?

I'm working from home for the rest of March because of COVID-19, what are some best practices, tips, and behaviors I should put into effect to maintain quality of work?

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I've done WFH well, and I previously had stretches of time when I did it poorly.

My WFH improved when I realized its on me to develop a "theory of mind" for what my co-workers and boss (and others) know about my work. That means asking myself daily if the team knows what I'm working on, what my challenges are, what I did yesterday, what are the risks, etc.

I try to provide the same attention back to my peers--paying attention to what they're doing each day, even if it's not directly relevant to me.

Also offering my time to get colleagues unstuck or accelerated, and asking for their help when I know they can return the favor.

In mostly remote teams, we favor video chat over voice.

Also I like to say on team chat whenever I'm stepping away from the keyboard for appreciable time, and say when I'm back.

I favor deliverable forms of work like git commits. But sometimes half of my day has been spent on a really delicate, diplomatic email, and I say that at standup the next day.

Lastly all my friends know I don't do extra things during the week. I have a job and I like to stay focused.

For background, I'm a senior data scientist and have previously been a software engineer. For example, my home office is in L.A. One boss was in Boulder, CO and a later one in Camarillo, CA. One teammate lived in Venice near the beach, another in Irvine.

The two big hazards are you either get distracted or you overwork.

Have a nice spot just to work - don't do it on the dinner table or the sofa. Ideally a chair and table. Don't get too comfortable.

Take lunch breaks. Snack breaks. Bathroom breaks. Make sure to walk around at least once an hour.

Make sure your family members understand you're at work now. Not everyone does.

Sitting too long in a cramped room builds up carbon dioxide, making it harder to focus. Leave a door or window wide open. Don't work in a closet (this seems ridiculous but I've done this thrice because I like tight spaces).

If you've gone to college, whatever environment you used for study is probably ideal for work too.

Getting distracted has been a big problem for me thus far. I feel like the lack of social pressure from co-workers has been scrolling on my phone more often.

Having your phone in the same room as you is known to be distracting. Try tucking it in a drawer in the kitchen or somewhere else that you won’t be tempted to look at it until it’s time for an official break.

I'd recommend the book Maximum Willpower, by Dr Kelly McGonigal.

It busts a few myths that are also prevalent from many other motivational books by non-psychologists. WFH is really where many of those start to fall apart.

Like stress is actually destructive to willpower, one triggers your physiology to fight, the other gets it to be calm and in control. Simple techniques to train willpower. How to manipulate your fight-or-flight response into self-control (similar to how we balk at prices but shopaholics don't). How pressuring, rewarding, and guilting yourself makes things worse. It's easy to fall into these traps from home, and then go down a spiral of bad advice which makes things worse.

For me, it’s important to wake up, get fully dressed, and put on shoes. Something about putting on shoes signals that I’m not in “home” mode anymore.

I like the shoe idea. Excellent tip. No putting your feet up after you have your shoes on.

I find working in different places for different tasks. So i code best in my dining room, but might move to the kitchen if reading some documentation. Then i might take a calls in my lounge.

Also if i get stuck for a bit I try to get out at lunch to get some perspective, even if its an early lunch

Seems to give me good momentum

Go outside, grab a coffee before beginning work, it sets the mood

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