The Cat’s Cove Very Unofficial Guide to Working Remotely

Let’s cut straight to the chase: The COVID-19 pandemic is really starting to wreak havoc on day to day life.

Following the lead of our Ontario school system, Cat’s Cove has decided to practice social distancing by having all staff work remotely for the next three weeks (in other words: “Hello living room couch, where have you been my entire working life?”).

In truth, I’m thrilled that my preferred mode of interaction, ‘social distancing’, has become socially acceptable. But working from home does present some challenges.

For example:

• The box of cookies you “hid” in the cupboard

• The giant pile of laundry calling your name

• The relaxation button on your 1997 velveteen La-Z-Boy chair

We at Cat’s Cove know we aren’t the only ones working remotely these days, so we’ve compiled a list of tips to help keep the productivity going, even when you’re not at the office.

Dress like you mean it

Get dressed every day like you would if you were going to work. Those pajamas and sweatsuits? They’ll just make you feel tired.

When our Boutique Marketing Firm went remote, our team came up with tips to help us stay focused.

Ensure your environment mirrors your good intentions

Get it? Mirror?

Is your office in your bedroom? Even a simple thing like making your bed can go a long way to elevate your space from bedroom to boardroom.

Consider Ergonomics

Rachel is a big fan of her office chair, so she took it home with her! Resist the urge to sit on the couch all day; your back will thank you.

Schedule, Schedule, Schedule

Most people think their biggest problem when working from home will be staying focused on their work, but from our experience, the opposite is true.

Without the commute to cut off your workday, ‘working’ can blend into the rest of your life. Take breaks and don’t forget to eat lunch. It’s easy to lose track of time and work later into the evening. Commit to shutting everything down when your workday is done and enjoying your evening without work distractions.

On the flip side, take advantage of the flexible work schedule. If you’re a morning person, get up and start the day earlier. If you work better at night, shift your hours later or put in a few hours after dinner. Just commit to the plan and be sure to set your boundaries.

Connect with your coworkers

Just because you aren’t in the same building as your coworkers doesn’t mean you have to work in isolation.

We’re not called Cat’s Cove Communications for nothin’. We love Slack and use it to discuss, share and collaborate as a team. In fact, this whole article was born in a Slack thread:

The Cat's Cove team took to Slack to share some tips on working remotely

This week, we’ve added live video conference calls though Slack to our conversations. It’s keeping us sane and is much quicker for bouncing ideas off each other.

If Slack isn’t your bag, we recommend trying Google Hangouts or Zoom to communicate with your coworkers.

Bonus tip for all the coffee drinkers in the crowd

Resist the urge to drink an entire pot of coffee! Grab water instead to stay hydrated and healthy. Bonnie swears by this one, but based on her typing speed this week, we’re all a little suspicious.

So there you have it: The Cat’s Cove very unofficial Guide to Working Remotely.

Are you working remotely these days? What would you add to the list?