Tips and Tricks for Staying Effective During a Pandemic

At Rocket Farm Studios, we’re all accustomed to working remotely, but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy to make the shift to today’s state of business. Kids and partners are at home, coffee shops and remote working offices are closed, and our team has also had to make changes to effectively deliver for our clients. While this has all been challenging, our team is finding ways to push forward, and we wanted to share them with you today.

We asked our freelancers how they are managing, and the responses were amazing. Check them out:

Dan Katcher, CEO, Rocket Farm Studios

• It’s all about focus. Pick a task and work on it until it’s done. Then allow yourself to be distracted after that.
• In a family of 5, we’ve worked hard at setting up different places where people can get work done in the house that are somewhat isolated and comfortable, no matter if you’re working on school or working on a job.

Chris Costa, CEO, Chris Costa Media

• Start small and don’t scale too fast. Being a solo operation and keeping my expenses low helped me get through the first few years where work wasn’t steady enough to support other people. If you can get your business started by yourself, do it. You can always bring in freelance help when you need it.
• Stay flexible and always be open to change. One of the biggest advantages of being a freelancer is the ability to pivot and move quickly. A smaller sized company means less red tape, and a straighter line of communication when making decisions. Use this to your advantage and move faster than the big companies could.
• Stay organized and communicate. When dealing with multiple clients at once it’s easy for things to get mixed up. Take some time to develop a process that you can use for every project. Make sure all of your documents and folders are structured properly. Stay available and openly communicate with your clients to keep everyone updated along the way.

Brian Sachetta, iOS Developer, Author

• Don’t work from the couch or bed (at least not for long).
• Get up and move around a bit every hour.
• Make sure to get a good workout in (yoga, running, bodyweight stuff).
• Listen to music.
• Stay off the news.
• Stay out of your head.

Bradley Wentz, Growth Analyst

• The overarching most important thing is to embrace it. If that is hard to do then focus on how amazing a world we live in that you can sit in your home and earn money. This is the first global pandemic in human history where that has been possible and it’s still only possible for a very small portion of the world population. Once you’re in the state of mind of embracing it, then everything else will fall into place. Once you have that attitude, you’ll naturally, want to get up early and shower and get dressed and treat it like a workday. You’ll make sure your workspace is clean and you’ll hold yourself accountable to time management. You will even have a surplus to help colleagues who are struggling with the change.

Lynnelle Amirault, Content/Ad Specialist

• Find the silver lining – it’s really easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole of talking doom and gloom with everyone you have a meeting with these days. Try to find a way to talk about something positive instead! Otherwise, your day could end up filled with short, depressing commentary.

Luke Wyatt, Android Developer

• Keep in contact with friends and family.
• Get as much fresh air as possible.
• Try to stick to a productive schedule.

Ryan Kenney, Designer

• No news and no cleaning during work hours.

Lieli McKinley, CEO, Identitype Group

• I meditate for 10 minutes in which I focus on the present moment where I am safe, healthy and in that moment everything is well.

Scott Carter, iOS Developer

• Turn off the news and watch a training video.
• Spend time with your family.
• Spend time away from your family.
• Get some fresh air with social distancing.
• Watch a Ted talk and learn something new.

Laurie Adelson, Project Manager

• I have learned over the years while working for multiple clients, that it is difficult to be effective for anyone client if I bounce between projects for different clients throughout the day. So, I try to stay focused on projects for one client for at least a half-day at a time.
• I also find that it is important to take breaks, even if that simply means playing on the floor with the dog for five minutes between tasks. If I don’t take a break for several hours, my Golden Retriever will nudge me as a friendly reminder.

Amanda Johnson, Content and Social Media Marketing

• Set a schedule. It hasn’t been 100% successful, but I’ve been trying to do this for myself and for my family (my husband and I have two boys who are 5 and 2). Having a little bit of a pattern and routine for the day has been helpful for finding a balance and getting work done while we’re stuck at home.
• Exercise! This has seriously been a sanity saver. Making time to get outside and go for a run has allowed me to get some fresh air and then get back to work with a much clearer head.
• Look for the positives. I’ve seen so many people stepping up to help one another. Whether it be reaching out to a co-worker who is having a hard time or taking on some extra tasks to help the wider team, the level of business and community support out there is amazing, and something I hope we can continue once this is all in the past.

Terumi Okano, Brand Marketing

• Everyone is extra stressed… be kind to yourself and others. Make yoga/meditation/exercise a top priority.
• Use Zoom not only for meetings but to connect with loved ones – even schedule virtual play dates for your kids!
• Use the Pomodoro method (25 minutes of work, 5-minute break x3 followed by a longer break) to make sure you’re giving your brain a break – not just sitting all day – and stay productive.

Hope you find these helpful – feel free to add more in the comments.

And, remember, we’re all in this together!