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Working from home cheat sheet

Now that we’re a few weeks in to working from home, it can he hard to remember to do all the good things we normally would do at work. We’ve pulled together some tips to keep you on the right track. Feel free to print the checklist below this as a daily or weekly reminder, and let us know if you want any other tips.

Access for you and your team:
Making sure everyone on your team has access to the files and folders they need is paramount, so if you are a Dropbox Business Admin, here is some info on getting started. To make it even easier to stay connected, here is some information on the Dropbox mobile apps and integrations. Making it easy to access your files really saves time, so it’s well worth getting organized early.

Your workspace:
Your home workspace might not be perfect, but it’s important to make sure it works for you. If possible, your work space should be quiet, comfortable and clearly set up for working. Even if it’s your kitchen table, having clear separation of the ‘work’ table and the ‘eating’ table is key, so make sure you clear away the unnecessary things, whether it’s a salt shaker or your keyboard.

I think it’s fair many of us underestimated how much of a difference a good office chair makes, but those cosy kitchen chairs you have at home might feel more comfortable for working if you adjust your posture, simply by raising our screens closer to your eye-line to avoid back strain and hunching over.

Your day:
Our days look a little different and it can seem pointless to do some of the routine things we did back in the office but keeping the routine makes it easier for work time to be work time, and home time to be home time. Getting dressed for work means you still get the satisfaction of changing out of your work clothes at 6 o clock. Going for a walk when you would normally be commuting makes your start time feel more real. Taking those coffee breaks and moments away from your desk are just as important now as when you actually had a meeting room to go to. There will be interruptions and real life things that don’t happen at the office but the more you have an established workspace and routine, the easier it is to slip in and out of work time.

Working From Home checklist:

Get dressed (pyjamas don’t count unless it’s casual Friday)

Set up workspace

Create daily to do list with Dropbox paper - ticking the boxes is super satisfying

Check in with your team and ensure you are all clear on work for the day

Stand up and walk or stretch for 1 minute after each meeting/call

Every time you sit back to your desk, readjust your sitting position to ensure your feet are flat and your shoulders are back, and you’re not hunched up.

Coffee break - give your eyes a screen rest

Lunch break - try to eat your lunch at a different desk than the one you work at

Get outside for 5 minutes if you can

Put away your work when you’re finished

At least once a week clear any debris that has collected on your desk, bits of paper, extra cups, cables etc.

Breathe!

We would love to know if this was useful for you, or if you have any other important working from home tips or requests, so join the conversation

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Comments

Amy

I had worked from home in the past but only ever a few days at a time, and this more long term home offive situation, I lost motivation for a lot of the little things in the first few weeks - definitely didn’t see a pair of jeans for a while. Keeping up habits like these have been helpful to keep a routine, without adding more pressure for me. Has anyone else found other helpful habits to include?

paultowler

No what's going on

Aqsa Rao

Yes... it was quite helpful.

Sheena

This is a super handy checklist! My favourite:

@DBXCommunity wrote:

Lunch break - try to eat your lunch at a different desk than the one you work at

❤️

RhysConnX

The covid drama has certainly emphasised the value of cloud and dropbox. How good is it being able to work at home and access files, regardless of the computer you are using?

spenseur

I like this post. But do I really have to get dressed?

Amy

That's entirely up to you. A video call first thing in the morning might change that though!

Klaus91

i love the checklist

Netboy1990

Something that has made working from home so much easier for me has been investing in a proper coffee machine. I highly recommend investing some research and money into the right one for you, but getting up in the morning, making my coffee and then heading to my desk has done wonders for my productivity. I'm excited to go back to the office though, and then I can use the coffee machine with my colleagues and make it a communal starter to the day.

Amy

100%! I'm a tea person myself but I know I'm useless without a hot cup in the morning. Whether it's the actual tea or the routine that wake me up, I'm not entirely sure.