1. RITUALS. you can easily forget time passing when WFHing and need a schedule. try to leave the house in the morning and come back just before the first meeting. I usually take a walk, watch some skater bros in the park, and call my parents.

2. BOUNDARIES. Work “ends” at a certain time. if it didn’t, you need to end it. I’d normally go to the gym, but these are extraordinary times, so my advice is: walk outside and listen to a new album every day after work, at a set time. come home later. it’s not weird.

3. MORALE: SURROUNDINGS Make sure your house is always comfortable. excite your senses! get an aroma diffuser. neons. buy some fucking art. you’re worth it! if you’re a dude and this isn’t obvious: buy a plant. (bae requested that I add: a 7.1 soundsystem changed her life)

4. MORALE: SELF shower before work. wear makeup and a scent (seriously, I can smell from over here). don’t start a meeting with your peeling mask on (use one, you’re worth it). ffs, don’t *ever* take a meeting without pants on (you know who you are, I know you’re not sorry).

5. GEAR. I got a good HD wide-angle webcam and comically large radio microphone just for talking to people for hours. best $250 I spent. Honestly & vulnerability depend on your ability to clearly communicate your slightest body language without shouting.

6. NUTRITION. srsly, this changed my life. I cook everything with an instant pot. very little work, hard to get wrong. my usuals: steamed fish (super easy & delicious), rice and dal for lunch, poached eggs & steamed veg for breakfast. u do u - I’m saying it’s easy, is all.

7. COMMUNICATION: AVAILABILITY the most valuable skill of WFH: learn “how to be available” in messaging apps. train people to ask the question and give you the relevant information in one go. respond with the same level of respect and dedication.

8. COMMUNICATION: OVERSHARING it’s hard being human over text and over camera. dedicate time for social norms. have small talk. show people you care. communicate your state. be kind. resolve tensions by speaking about them. don’t let misunderstandings settle.

9. COMMUNICATION: PRESENCE schedule facetime. even 15 minute standups should set you right. you learn a lot about people, and maintain their mood as well as your own. go out of your way to do it.

10. COMMUNICATION: VISUAL Ideas drift. it’s your responsibility to ground them. Overuse the shit out of sketches. I live-edit balsamiq during conversations. we all need varied stimuli for ideas to gel. make sketches after meetings, share them. encourage others to do the same.

11. COMMUNICATION: INFLUENCE need to work with anyone who doesn’t share your knowledge? be ambiently present: prefer interactive docs over a wiki. “person is watching” is really helpful. *record videos* of critical points. narrate them. make it a habit. people watch that shit

(11.5 - one of the best training materials I ever got in my company is a video by a very busy engineer about a certain architecture. he spent hours animating it and making it funny. worth every second)

12. COHABITATING someone has decided to put up with your bullshit. congratulations! define boundaries. voluntarily give more space than you take. acknowledge that you’re actually insufferable and make sure it’s ok for them to ask for something you normally wouldn’t do.

[wrote most of these while on the phone, didn’t proofread once. if you made it this far: thank you. I’m sorry]

@omershapira Great post, can’t agree enough about spending some money on a good microphone

@AlexJonesax if you’re not giving them ASMR, are they really listening

@omershapira @threadreaderapp unroll

@omershapira been working from home for almost 9 years. My favorite trick is to do all my phone calls walking outside. Sometimes spend 2 hours a day walking on the phone.

@omershapira Thanks for sharing this.