Do you have a dedicated space to work?

Interview with Michael about being an entrepreneur and freelancer

For physical space I primarily work in my office as it's easier with both monitors and my desk.

When I'm writing I play specific music that helps me concentrate, have my phone silenced, and try to not get up until the work is complete. I'll drink plenty of water and 2 cups of coffee each morning. The music tends to be super loud and enjoy getting in my own space with no interruptions.

I try to break at the top of each hour, stand up, take some deep breaths, and do a few stretches.

Once my work is complete I leave the office and don't work in the living room anymore. I like to have separate spaces in my house associated with separate tasks. Otherwise I had no clear break of work and life.

Michael is an online entrepreneur, author, and freelance writer who specializes in self-improvement and personal finance.

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Interview with Steven Wade, a software engineer working on a remote team

I have a home office that has a door. Originally it was just a loft at the top of the stairs, but when we had a kid I built a wall to give both sides of us some peace and quiet from each other.

My office is my office. My family is welcome to come hang out in there and say hi from time to time, but I'm the only one who does work in there on a regular basis. With that in mind, I have a "home office budget" where I can buy supplies that I need and decorate it how I want.

It's important to have a comfortable environment that you can be productive in.

If you're going to spend 8ish hours a day in it, you want it to be a place that you like the feel, the flow, and the aesthetics of it.

Learn more about how Steven works remotely, including his work routine, habits and how he found his remote job

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Interview with Patric, a UX designer and usability engineer that works from home

I have a dedicated room for the home office where I can close the door, have calls or listen to music during productive time blocks.

I try to keep my desk as clean as possible, but still haven't found a decent way to separate our side projects and in the end I have a lot of notes and papers on different topics. Every 2-3 weeks I take an hour or so to clean up and get all of the stuff sorted again.

For my freelancing gigs I work at the clients offices from time to time but only to have important meetings or discussions. I avoid coffeshops or similar because I tend to drift off due to the busy environment.

Patric works on his own projects while also consulting for medium sized software companies, learn how he works remotely.

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Interview with Taylor, a marketing director and intentional digital nomad

I do. I have a hot desk at the WeWork in downtown Durham. I also have a desk at home, but I don't typically work from home unless I'm sick or it's pouring rain, and I don't feel like biking.

I find it isolating and more difficult to turn my brain off at the end of the day if I work from home too often.

I like coming home to a place of leisure. It's harder to do that when your primary workspace is visible from your couch.

Taylor shares how co-working spaces, digital nomadism, and work flexibility gave her the work environment she always wanted.

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Interview with Leon, a journalist teaching the world to play chess

Of course, with a toddler running around when he's not in the nursery, I need it. I have a home office set up which is also my chess room. It has all my chess books and magazines which I use for reference, a second screen so I can watch videos we produce while doing other stuff, and most importantly, a door to keep out the "little chaos-causer."

However, when I am out and about, I have used cafes, pubs, my local library, and trains when I'm going on a long journey. I had a little reminder of what it's like to commute into central London recently when the World Chess Championship was held here.

I got a train and a tube to Holborn every day for a month to work in the press room the organisers set up there. It was great working with a group of journalists again as well as having people to chat with, but getting the journey was a nightmare! So much of my day was wasted standing on station platforms.

I consider myself very lucky working from home.

Leon James Watson is a former journalist who has found the intrinsic value of remote work while teaching the masses to play chess.

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Interview with Pamela, a travel writer adjusting to freelancing

Yes, I have a very colorful, inspirational space, complete with a computer, printer, and vision boards.

More often than not, I work on my sofa upstairs and listen to music. I think this is a direct act of rebellion in reaction to sitting in a cube for so long, so I’m giving myself the freedom to enjoy it.

Pamela is new to the world of freelancing. In this interview, she shares the ups and downs of adjusting to the gig economy.

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Interview with Michelle, an organizer of digital nomad experiences

It depends on if we are traveling or not. During our trips, we mostly work in the mornings with the group in one of the villas where we stay or in our minibus. When I am not traveling, I am mostly in Lisbon and work in a coffee shop, at home, or a coworking space.

A solo backpacking trip led to Michelle organizing co-travel experiences for digital nomads—hear how she manages working while traveling.

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Interview with Celine, a VP of People Ops and remote team member

Yes, I believe it is important to have a :

1. Routine
2. Dedicated space to work

Having these items gives boundaries to you and your family when you work from home and enhances the work/life balance.

Celine has experienced the highs and lows of working with remote and hybrid teams—see her tips for thriving as a member of a remote team.

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Interview with Andrew, a freelance writer who works remotely

I would say the only dedicated work space I need is a laptop to get the words written out.

But joking aside, I tend to stay at home when I write, usually sitting at my desk in the living room.

In previous times I had my own office, but that expense seemed to be a little unnecessary for the benefit that it was providing. I avoid busy places, although in my town there is this beautiful little tea house that has the perfect rustic charm and a great staff that I enjoy visiting to write.

Otherwise, I just stick at home. It’s comfortable and I can control the AC which is another important factor for me.

Andrew became a full-time freelance writer after experimenting with freelance marketplaces. After the first month, he was already earning more than his full-time job.

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Interview with Sarah Archer, a content marketing manager & remote work techie

I travel while working remotely, so my workspace changes frequently, but you can usually find me at a coffee shop, coworking space, or my accommodation.

Although my workspace changes, my physical setup remains the same. I find that keeping a consistent setup puts me in a productive mindset, even if I’m in an unfamiliar place. These are my must-haves:

• MacBook Pro: Once I started using Apple computers, there was no turning back. I find that they’re the most reliable option out there.

• Logitech Keys-to-Go Ultra-Portable Keyboard: I tried a few portable keyboards before finding this one, and now it’s a staple in my set up. It’s extremely lightweight and turns on with a switch (I found that buttons allowed for the keyboards to accidentally turn on in my bag).

• Magic Mouse My favorite part of this mouse is that it’s rechargeable with the same charger as my iPhone, so I don’t need to worry about carrying around extra batteries.

• Roost laptop stand: This laptop stand is extremely portable, which is so important for me. I use it on a daily basis to avoid neck pain.

• Sony noise-canceling headphones: These are essential to drowning out the noise in a loud coffee shop or coworking space.

From noise-canceling headphones to Basecamp—content marketer Sarah shares her must-have remote work tools & essential productivity tips.

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