Set up Your Workstation

List the Equipment You Need

Imagine it’s your first day of remote working, but you’ve only just realized that your chair is uncomfortable and your internet connection is too slow!

You could have avoided this unfortunate situation by setting up your remote workstation ahead of time.

Start by asking yourself the following two questions:

• What do I need to work remotely?

• Do I have a good enough setup to work from home? 

Let’s go through your remote working kit!

A High-Speed Internet Connection

A good internet connection is vital for stress-free remote working. From downloading files to video calls, many aspects of your working day are going to place serious demands on your bandwidth. Check your broadband speed by running a speed test.

Seeing speeds under 5 MB/s? It’s time to think about upgrading to a fiber optic connection or using your smartphone’s personal hotspot.

A High-Performing and Comprehensive IT Setup

Make sure you have the basics: a computer and phone, flash drive, and maybe even a printer (don’t forget paper!). Think about the little extras that will make your remote working setup much easier: a stand to raise your computer to eye level, a wireless keyboard and mouse, a webcam and headset for video calls. Depending on the kind of work you do, two monitors may be essential for you to work on different documents at once.

Prepare Your Working Environment

For healthy and sustainable remote working, you’re also going to need a functional, ergonomic office space.

Take a look through the checklist below and prepare your home office accordingly. You might not be able to tick off every item on the list, but the idea is to get as close as possible!

The Room and Lighting

• You can move around easily without bumping into a wall or piece of furniture.

• You have a quiet environment to work in.

• You have natural lighting and a comfortable temperature.

• Light from the window doesn’t reflect off your screen and/or get in your eyes.

• Test your camera to check for backlighting—if you see that you’re backlit, position a light in front of you.

Your Desk

• You have all of your equipment within arm’s reach.

• Your desk and chair are the right height. The space between your knees and the desk should be about 4 in. (10 cm).

• Your eyes are at least 1.3 ft (40 cm) away from your screen.

• Consider how you lean on your desk and whether you need a wrist rest. 

Your Chair

• Your seat is positioned at a height where you can rest your feet flat on the floor.

• You’re able to lean back in your chair.

• Your back is supported by the back of the chair.

• You can alter the height of the seat back, and you can rest your forearms on your desk at a minimum of 90°.

Don’t worry—home offices can be adapted to the space you have!

Set up a Pop-up Office

Turn your living room into a “pop-up office,” which will only exist for as long as you’re working remotely. As soon as you switch off your computer, your office magically turns back into your living room.

Vary Your Workplaces

Work From a Coworking Space

These are workspaces that host freelancers and employees working for different companies. They’re all about ergonomics and functionality, and are also a great way to avoid feeling isolated and to expand your professional network. You may be able to find independent coworking spaces locally to you by Googling “coworking spaces [city name].” Check with your company to see if they partner with any coworking spaces, so your costs will be covered.

Work From a Different Company Office

Depending on its size and setup, your company may have satellite offices close to where you live that you can work out of.

Use it as an Opportunity to Travel

Why not make the most of the opportunity to work remotely by traveling and shaking up your routine? You could move somewhere totally different for a little while—maybe a house in the mountains or by the sea, in your home country or abroad, and work remotely from there for a week or even more. Or you could even move permanently and live several hundred miles away from where your company is based. With remote working, you can become a digital nomad, as long as you have the right tools to do your job and your employer allows it.

Secure Your Data

When working from an office, you’re using your company’s equipment in a secure environment. When working remotely, this is no longer the case. Without even realizing, you might be developing habits that threaten the security of your company’s data or IT tools, leaving the door wide open for cyberattacks like phishing, ransomware, or even data theft.

Always be vigilant, but no need to panic—there are ways to avoid these risks. If there weren’t, there wouldn’t be much of a future for remote working, would there? ;)

Examples of good habits:

• Use encrypted channels of communication like VPNs.

• Only use secure computers or tablets belonging to your company.

• Create stronger passwords by using at least 12 characters of different types: upper case, lower case, numbers and special characters.

E.g., Gr8Pa5sw0rd;?

• Avoid using Wi-Fi networks in certain public places like hotels.

• Don’t send sensitive files on unsecured devices.

• Avoid working on public transport.

Want to find out more?

I encourage you to take the OpenClassrooms course Discover the Universe of Cybersecurity and watch the interview below. I also suggest you get in touch with your company’s IT helpdesk to find out about internal procedures.

Set up Your Workspace

What else do you need to do to set up your workspace?

To get organized, you’ll need a to-do list, won’t you? Good news: I’ve created one for you! You can download the to-do list here.

Let’s Recap!

• Remote working isn’t something you can make up as you go along. Check first of all that you have all the IT equipment you need, as well as a high-speed internet connection.

• If you’re going to be working remotely for a long time, make sure you have a comfortable and functional work environment. There are various things to consider, such as your workspace, your office furniture and the lighting.

• Remote working can threaten the security of your data and IT tools. Be vigilant and apply your company’s internal procedures.

Now that you’ve set up your workspace, it’s time to find your personal work/life balance!