Working From Home? 12 Guides To Help Navigate The Remote Life

With options to work from home on the rise globally, companies have been forced to reckon with the fact that remote work, works.

According to Owl Labs 2019 State of Remote Work report, remote workers are not only happier at work, but they’re 13% more likely to stay at their current job for the next 5 years than their onsite counterparts.

With 44% of global companies still not allowing their employees to work from home, it means there’s still some convincing to do and some remote work wisdom to be shared.

There is a global shift happening, and Trello is here to guide, advise, and show you through it all. (We're an #embraceremote company ourselves!)

In a roundup of 12 of our best remote work articles, we cover all kinds of topics that you might be wondering about. From setting up a work-from-home policy, to managing your team remotely and battling with Impostor Syndrome, there's something here to help anyone working remotely to have a great week and get in the groove. 

Grab a snack and let’s dive in! 

Being Your Best Remote Self

Our top articles on how to perform at your best while you’re working from home 🏡

1. Working From Home Is Not Remote Work

"Here’s a familiar scenario: A company decides to allow its employees to work from home one day a week. They then find that their employees are least productive on those days, or that employees are difficult to reach, or perhaps they’re constantly cutting in and out on conference calls, so they scrap the program entirely. Not only that, when the topic of remote work comes up in conversation, they repeatedly assert something along the lines of, “Yeah, we tried that. But it just didn’t work.”

But did they really “try” remote work in earnest?"

2. How To Be A Happy And Productive Remote Worker

“In a recent survey, 77% of respondents reported greater productivity when working remotely compared to working in an office setting. In a different survey, 82% of respondents reported feeling happier when working remotely. 

However, remote work is not all sunshine and yoga pants. 

Some challenges of remote work include feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection. In my Atlassian Summit talk, I shared over a decade of learnings from being a happy and productive remote worker. I truly believe that putting these learnings into place will help those working remotely for the first time—or for the fortieth time—be their best remote working selves."

3. How To Be The Remote Employee That Proves The Stereotypes Aren’t True

 “Because whether I like it or not, many people are skeptical about other people working remotely. Some even think it directly correlates with decreased productivity.

 But that’s not the case. Remote work is so much more than the stereotype of Netflix binging and spending the whole day in pajamas. It can be hard to go about your daily work routine knowing that these opinions exist. And if your company isn’t 100% remote, you’ll probably even have some of these remote work stereotypes left to fight within your own teams.”

(Remote) Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

Teams of different shapes, sizes, and occupations all behave differently—but the one thing they have in common is a need for clear and empathetic communication. 🙌🏽

4. Four Reasons Your Remote Team Needs Extra Empathy At Work

“Remember that empathy is a cornerstone of a positive workplace culture, and demonstrating an understanding of the experiences of your colleagues is a great way to foster community, even on a remote team.

Ask yourself how you are currently demonstrating empathy in your workplace, and come up with ways to amplify your contributions. A mile in someone else’s shoes can feel like a quick trip when you plan, pack your bag with some empathetic tools, and of course, wear comfy shoes.”

5. The Remote Communication Cheat Sheet For Respecting @All Team Members

“Text as a communication mechanism is hard. You can’t see body language, you don’t know what’s going on in someone’s life on the other side of the chat window. You have much less insight into someone than when you’re around them in an office all day, plus you don’t even know if they are even physically there. Intentional empathy should always be present.

Here are some actionable tips to put in place in order to be a good chat citizen.”

6. Four Ways To Make Strong Connections As A Remote Worker

“This may come as a complete shock, but when you work remotely you miss out on all of these natural, in-person interactions.

Ok, it’s not actually that shocking. But what may be is the fact that you don’t actually have to miss out on casual, relationship-building conversations. Instead of relying on these moments to just happen, you now have to make them happen.

I make it a point to reach out to someone every day.

The next part is important: I don’t talk about work. The key is to just be thoughtful and deliberate here.

Here are a few examples of random conversations I’ve had with different coworkers.”

Work-From-Home Struggles

It’s convenient, it’s comfortable, however, remote work doesn’t come without its common pitfalls 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

7. Seven Weird Ways To Help Combat 'Hermit' Habits As A Remote Worker

“I’ve been working remotely now for nearly five years. For me, part of adapting to this incredibly rewarding lifestyle was about learning to take more accountability for major life habits, like keeping active, having a balanced diet, and nurturing rewarding relationships with a distributed team. These are the pillars of a long and rewarding remote work career.

Beyond the fundamentals, however, a truly great day at the home office is about the little things.”

8. Does Remote Work Increase Our Risk Of Impostor Syndrome?

“The impostor phenomenon, also known as impostor syndrome, has been generating buzz in psychology and business circles since the 1970s. Common symptoms of impostor syndrome include feeling under-qualified for (or unworthy of) your job, even though success after success proves your abilities. Although you and everyone in your network considers you high-performing, you live with a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.

And when you’re working remotely—usually alone in your home office or at a cafe with headphones in—it’s easy to fall into a downward spiral of self-doubt.”

In-Depth Remote Resources

You’re feeling pretty good about remote work, now what? Here are some guides and reusable resources to share and use with your team 📋

9. Five Essential Trello Boards Every Remote Team Needs

“Sure, there will always be challenges when you’re coordinating projects across time and space, but successful teams explore and adapt their processes to keep everyone on the same page. These Trello boards for remote teams are a great starting point.”

10. A Remote Work Guide, For Parents

“Many parents have jumped on the work-from-home bandwagon because of the flexibility and the chance to spend more time with their kids. Being able to wake up and spend time eating breakfast (and maybe even lunch and dinner) with family is a rare perk for parents seeking the elusive work-life balance.

As great as it is to cut out the commute and be with the kids more than you ever were during your average 9-5, remote work has its own set of challenges that you’ll want to prepare for to help keep your sanity.”

11. The Ultimate Remote Work Guide

“There are many great theories as to why remote work gives companies an edge, but what does it look like in practice? After years of growing and evolving remote work culture at Trello, we're ready to tell you how and why we've made it a successful part of our team culture.”

Bonus: To Remote Infinity, And Beyond!

What’s next for the realm of remote work? It’s more than just a fad, it’s here to stay. 

12. Asking For A Remote Work Policy? Pro Tips And Trends Of The Year To Reference

“Remote work not only benefits the employee, but also the organization. Surprisingly, we found that small companies (like Dunder Mifflin) are twice as likely to hire remote employees than larger companies.

While it may appear that larger companies have more resources to support remote employees, remote workers actually save companies money. With less turnover, a shorter hiring time, and lower company costs for office space and equipment, it’s a no-brainer to expand the hiring pool to virtual workers.”

Sending A Virtual Hug

Remote work, distributed teams, virtual meetings—the world’s workplace is changing dramatically. While it can seem daunting, it’s nothing that teams around the globe aren’t already equipped to tackle. 

So whether you’re working from home once a month or 3 days a week, check back on blog.trello.com for every resource you and your team may need. 

Happy (remote)working!

Good or bad, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Find us on Twitter (@trello)!

Next:The Best Advice For Remote Work Success From 10 Global Teams [Free Guide]