I feel like so many people have nonsense/froufrou WFH tips to convey a certain (fake) image and really, do they actually get ish done? Hmmm…I’m skeptic (;

These are my TRUE WFH/remote tips – I’ll call them commandments. I have been doing these for YEARS and they’re not just for work / your job – this is also how I got through my bachelor’s and my master’s (studying & assignments)!

Actually my current job is largely a remote job!! If you did not know, I almost always work remote on Fridays and often I get to do i.e. one entire week (sometimes more!) per month remotely. And because we are so comfortable with remote work, there’s also the other edge of the sword…where we work remotely on the weekends…on-call notice…after hours…while on vacation…yaaaaa.a.a.a.ayyyy…haha. But all-in-all I 1000% recommend searching for job opportunities that allow you to work from home!!

OK – here are MY personal WFH/remote tips that I do every day!

#1 Rule – Do NOT Work In Your Bed

If you don’t listen to ANY of my rules but one, let it be this!!!! Seriously, if you still work in bed, you’ve got a long way to go my friend…Trust me, I KNOWWWW the bed is so comfy, but you’ve got to get out of it! I’m not even asking you to make it (I don’t make my bed TEEHEE), just get up and go to a desk of some sort at the very least!

This leads to a sub-commandment: Use A Mouse!! You can’t use a mouse from bed~

I get so sad when I go to work and forget my mouse lol – I feel handicapped. I am SO much faster with a mouse. My boss likes to say that he’s exceptionally efficient with the trackpad and stickpoint and that he saves time because he doesn’t have to float his hand back and forth between the mouse and keyboard…Uh NO bro. However fast you are with the trackpad, you can go at least 1.5x faster with a physical mouse!! They’re like $10 bucks, order one NOW if you don’t already have one!

Work At A Cafe

This is a close runner up and is KEY. [Before current COVID19 situation] I always leave my house to study/work elsewhere. It helps that the space is clean/clutter free, it gets you out of the house and its distractions, and their Wifi is A1.

My favorite work spaces:

• Starbucks – Of course, starbies. Good ol’ faithful, usually tons of outlets and desks
• Whole Foods – Oh you didn’t know?? I mean, it has everything you need. From desks/outlets/wifi to organic smoothies to fresh salad bars!
• BOBA Shops / Asian Cafe’s !! – Similar to a starbucks but with the gift of asian sweets~ Boba, crepes, cakes….drools
• Smoothie Shops – People don’t normally study in these places so they’re very empty!
• Homey Cafes – Think Panera, Boudin, The Corner Bakery, Souplantation. A good alternative to switch it up when you’re tired of Starbucks
• School Library – I did this all the time in college, I especially love that they have full computer stations (>laptop). When I got my own office in the accounting building, I started using that instead!
• Hotel Lobby – When I travel for work and leave the office but still have to work, the hotel lobby is the best!! They usually have snacks/drinks and once I’m done, I just have to walk to the elevator to get in bed lol

Really I go all over San Diego! Any place is good for me if it has a desk and an outlet. If there’s no wifi, I just use my hotspot!

#TREATYO’SELF

While it’s hard to swallow that I spend $5-$20 every day that I go out to study, to me it is so worth it.

If you’re working hard, then go ahead and buy that fancy matcha latte, girl! I know I’ll get more work done faster if I go some place, so it’s justified for me. It’s fuel – you need the sugar, caffeine, and energy to get through it.

My favorite treats:

• STARBUCKS MATCHA LATTE! Starbucks is my favorite, they’ve sweetened it in such a delicious way. I get it with soy milk~
• Starbucks Egg Bites – Sooooo yummy and #protein
• Acai Smoothie – Good for ya and tasty!!
• Milk Tea Boba – I don’t drink coffee so matcha or milk tea are my main source of caffeine!
• Smoothie Boba – Boba is great because the chewing movement makes you more focused (like gum)
• Asian Bread – i.e. 85 Degrees. Love to work while munching on my pork sung bao~~
• Mendocino Farms Superfood Ensalada – The above is not the healthiest lol, so when I want to watch my figure I go for a salad. Mendocino Farms makes a super yummy one!! Please try it.

Plug Your Ears

Plug your ears, EVEN if you aren’t listening to music. Actually I am pretty good at ignoring noise, it doesn’t bother me much! But it is good to plug your ears to make extra sure you are not distracted. Also, people are less likely to talk to you if you have them in 🙂

I usually don’t listen to music, but if I do I’ll listen to Korean/Japanese music so that it doesn’t confuse me. It’s kind of like listening to an instrumental because you don’t understand what they’re saying anyway lol. If I listen to American music, I might find myself accidentally typing the words into an email as I sing along lol.

Also, did you know that your ear is a pressure point? I once did acupuncture and they gave me ear magnets to relieve stress. I think putting in earbuds is a similar sensation.

I have the BOSE SoundSport In-Ear Headphones. I was gifted these by a partner but they are amazing – Totally recommend. They are super comfortable and won’t fall out because they have the special in-ear design.

And that’s all! I think the rest of the ways to improve your working are not specifically WFH-related, but just your general work habits and discipline! Have a great Memorial Weekend everybody and get #ISH done!!

Photo Credit: stilclassics