Tips for working remotely

This page is a collection of best practices to support all Camundi to stay healthy whilst working remotely.

Take Breaks

Build in extra breaks to your day – times when you normally would have grabbed coffee or a snack at the office, or played a game of ping pong. When you log out of a meeting, take the time to walk around your house, swinging your arms and taking some deep breaths. If you don't have many meetings, set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to stand and stretch at regular intervals.

Helpful links:
- Apps that will remind me to take a break: https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/wellness/activity_and_break_apps
- Need to disconnect from work for a few minutes? There are places offering free content while everything is shut down: Entertainment. Add the links you've found here as well!

Set a Routine

As much as possible, stick to your normal routine. If you usually make coffee, eat breakfast, and work out before heading into the office, try to maintain that routine while working from home. Establishing this new routine will help you feel like you're going to work even though you're not leaving your house. Along those same lines, keep your habit of showering and getting dressed for your day as if you were going into the office. This small queues will help your brain understand that it's time to work.

Establish a "Start" and "End" marker to your day

For me, my workday starts by my making a cup of coffee and looking over my emails on my phone to make sure I have a general awareness of what I'm walking into when I sit down at my desk. This tells my brain that it's time to start my day. I end my workday with a walk around the block with my dog (yes, even now!) which helps me disconnect from work and start my evening. Setting alarms on your phone to indicate that you should start winding down your day might be helpful if you live alone and there isn't anything to indicate that it should be the end of the workday (e.g. people leaving the office or someone starting to make dinner).

Stop and Stretch

Along with the breaks you're building into your day, remember to get up and stretch. Sitting on your couch, at your dining room table, or in your bed to work isn't great for your posture and can lead to some aches and pains. Stopping to stretch, stand up, and breathe regularly is key to making sure you're able to keep being productive.