We’re a team spread out across the globe, and with the ongoing weeks of working from home, we’ve all been adjusting a bit differently. In a time when it’s more important than ever to stay connected, we wanted to share how we’re staying sane and productive in our home offices around the world.
Igor, CEO & Co-founder, Hong Kong
“Even before we started working from home again here in Hong Kong, I was already observing self-quarantine as my family returned from France. Working at home does mean more possible distractions, so I’ve created for myself an ON / OFF work virtual-mode.
That basically means I always put my phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode and keep my noise-reducing headphones on through the entire work portion of my day. I’ve found it’s a simple but effective productivity booster.”
Arthur, Head of E-Commerce, Los Angeles
“I’m no stranger to remote working, but the current situation is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. A change of scenery helps a lot for a change of mentality, so usually, when I need to shift from an analytical task to a creative one, I’ll move from home to a coffee shop or co-working space.
Though that’s clearly not an option these days, I’m still trying to keep up the habit to maintain a sense of normalcy. Sometimes, it can even just be moving my computer from one side of my desk to the other – it sounds silly, but it really helps.”
Fabien, Creative Director, France
“My family and I were fortunate in the sense that we learned of the severity of the situation early from the team in Hong Kong. That gave us time to temporarily relocate to a small village near Saint Malo to be away from the crowds in Paris.
Even if I’ve improvised a small desk in the guest room, I’ve made a habit of keeping all my work essentials in an organizer. Having everything in one place means I have the freedom of working from anywhere in the house, but I’ve found it also helps with work / life balance when it’s not really possible to keep them physically separate.”
Josh, Sales Manager, New York
“There’s no doubt that it’s been harder to get out of bed knowing that we’re going to have to stay inside the whole day.
I’ve tried a few different things, but the way I’ve been able to get past that is to make sure I fit in a workout first thing in the morning. Even if it’s not for as long as it’d normally be in the gym, it’s still been a really great way to jumpstart my day so I’m productive.”
Noora, Marketing & Press Manager, Singapore
“My boyfriend and I moved to Singapore a few weeks ago, so we’re still settling down into our new apartment in the midst of all the madness. Since I’m working remotely at the same time, what’s been helpful is changing up my work station.
It really depends on my mood for the day, sometimes it’s at my desk, but other days…it might as well be working from bed. I think it’s important to be mindful of how you’re feeling and what’s going to work best for you day by day, when so many things are uncertain.”
