Developer in a Strange Land. Part 2

Find your routine

In a typical office, you are naturally forced into a routine. I need to wake up early, shower, and drive to the office in order to ensure that I am at my desk from "9-5".

Without a forced schedule a typical day can become much less regimented, and you can find yourself working odd–longer hours to overcompensate. That little voice in your head starts whispering, "Since you're saving commute time, shouldn't you be working more hours?" Ignore that voice. It's lying to you.

Routine is your anchor in the remote work storm

Getting yourself back into a strict routine is important, not only for your own health and sanity, but also for your teammates. When you work remotely, your routine becomes the framework that replaces the physical structure of an office. It's your defense against the endless distractions of home and the tendency to let work bleed into every hour of your day.

I tend to work better in the early morning, so my daily routine typically involves:

• 5:00am - 8:30 - Plan your day. I use this quiet time before the rest of the world wakes up to tackle deep work that requires uninterrupted focus. This is when my brain is freshest and when I solve the thorniest problems.
• 8:30 - Hygiene break! Eat, Shower, Meditate (your choice). This transition period signals to my brain that the "commute" to work is happening. Just because you work from home doesn't mean you should skip basic self-care.
• 9:30 - 11:00 - Focus on work, Ideally most daily meetings will happen here. This is when most of my team is online, so it's the optimal time for collaboration.
• 11:00 - Noon - Lunch Break. And I mean a real break. Step away from the computer, eat something nourishing, and give your brain a chance to rest.
• Noon - 2:00pm - Focus on work. I reserve this time for tasks that require collaboration or communication with colleagues.
• 2:00pm - 4:00pm - Deep work or administrative tasks. As team energy typically wanes in the afternoon, I'll either dive into another session of focused work or handle the necessary but less brain-intensive tasks.
• 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Wrap up, document, and plan for tomorrow. I never skip this step—it's what allows me to truly disconnect at the end of the day.

Note that this is what works for me. You will need to find what works for you. Not listed here will you find the emergency things (late night panic e-mails, client phone calls, natural disasters, etc.). You can't schedule what you can't control! Give each situation the attention it requires, but don't make yourself crazy.

The power of transitions

One of the most underrated aspects of a physical workplace is the natural transitions it creates. When you walk into an office, your brain gets a clear signal: "It's work time now." When you leave, your brain understands: "Work is done."

Without these physical transitions, remote work can feel like an endless state of semi-working. You're never fully "at work," but also never fully "at home." Creating artificial transitions can help immensely:

1. Start your day with a "commute ritual." Even if it's just walking around the block or making a special cup of coffee that you only drink during work hours.

2. Use different spaces for different activities. If possible, don't work in the same place where you relax or sleep.

3. Change your clothes. It sounds trivial, but having "work clothes" (even if they're comfortable ones) and "home clothes" provides a psychological boundary.

4. End your day with intention. Have a shutdown ritual—close your laptop, tidy your workspace, write your to-do list for tomorrow, and say out loud, "Work is done for today."

"The difference between successful remote workers and struggling ones often comes down to their ability to create and maintain boundaries—both for themselves and others."

What about e-mail?

Typically, when people tell you about remote work, they usually include a blurb about scheduling e-mail breaks in order to avoid interruption. I find that this isn't really needed. If I get an e-mail, phone call, text message, slack DM, etc. I take a break–triage the message–and then decide when/how to respond.

This approach works better for me than rigid communication windows because it acknowledges the reality of modern work—priorities shift rapidly, and sometimes immediate responses are necessary. The key is being intentional about how you handle these interruptions:

1. Take a quick look to assess urgency. Does this need immediate attention, or can it wait?
2. If it's urgent, handle it. Then deliberately return to what you were doing before.
3. If it's not urgent, schedule a time to address it later. This could be as simple as saying, "I'll check this after I finish my current task."

The goal isn't to be unavailable; it's to remain in control of your attention and time.

Be Agile

Being agile means responding appropriately to change.

I do this because it is important not just to remain busy, but to ensure that you are working on the correct tasks. I will also respond to clients 24 hours a day (as long as I am available). This doesn't mean that I need to drop everything to respond to their request, but I will re-adjust my schedule to work with their needs when I can.

Agility in remote work isn't just about being flexible—it's about being intentionally flexible. Here's what I mean:

• Prioritize ruthlessly. When you don't have a manager physically present, you need to become your own project manager. Regularly ask yourself, "Is this the most important thing I could be working on right now?"

• Communicate changes proactively. If you need to shift your schedule or reprioritize tasks, let affected team members know as soon as possible.

• Build buffer time into your schedule. I always block 15-30 minutes between meetings and leave some unscheduled time each day for the inevitable unexpected tasks.

Remote work myths I've busted

After months of full-time remote work, I've discovered several common myths that didn't hold true for my experience:

1. Myth: You'll feel isolated and lonely. Reality: With intentional virtual socializing and local community engagement, I actually feel more connected than I did in an open-office where I wore headphones all day.

2. Myth: You need constant supervision to stay productive. Reality: Clear goals and accountability systems are far more effective than someone watching over your shoulder.

3. Myth: Remote work means working in your pajamas. Reality: While you technically can, I've found that getting properly dressed improves my mindset and productivity significantly.

4. Myth: Your home life and work life will naturally separate themselves. Reality: Without deliberate boundaries, work tends to expand to fill all available time. You have to actively create and enforce these boundaries.

Looking ahead

In the next article, I'll share how I've maintained team connections and collaboration while working remotely. We'll explore the tools and techniques that help bridge the distance gap and how to ensure you remain visible and valued even when you're not physically present.

Remote work isn't just a different location—it's a different mindset. Master your routine first, and the rest will follow.