Home Office - Making it work
Jul 30th 2019, 6:18 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 18
Home Office - Making it work
Hi all
I'll be relocating to Vancouver in September and I'll be home worker for my employer. They do not have any office in Vancouver, but they kindly have accepted the fact I'll be on the west coast. So it's down to me to make it work.
For those of you who are home based workers, (who like me, can do your job with a laptop, wifi and a phone) what are your routines or things that you do in order to prevent you falling off the cliff? Gym/cycling will be my goto, but what else is there?
I'm very keen to hear from those who moved to Canada and how you engaged to meet people, especially as you lacked the office interaction with the locals / people in general etc.
I'll be relocating to Vancouver in September and I'll be home worker for my employer. They do not have any office in Vancouver, but they kindly have accepted the fact I'll be on the west coast. So it's down to me to make it work.
For those of you who are home based workers, (who like me, can do your job with a laptop, wifi and a phone) what are your routines or things that you do in order to prevent you falling off the cliff? Gym/cycling will be my goto, but what else is there?
I'm very keen to hear from those who moved to Canada and how you engaged to meet people, especially as you lacked the office interaction with the locals / people in general etc.
Jul 30th 2019, 6:53 am
#2
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Home Office - Making it work
Hi all
I'll be relocating to Vancouver in September and I'll be home worker for my employer. They do not have any office in Vancouver, but they kindly have accepted the fact I'll be on the west coast. So it's down to me to make it work.
For those of you who are home based workers, (who like me, can do your job with a laptop, wifi and a phone) what are your routines or things that you do in order to prevent you falling off the cliff? Gym/cycling will be my goto, but what else is there?
I'm very keen to hear from those who moved to Canada and how you engaged to meet people, especially as you lacked the office interaction with the locals / people in general etc.
I'll be relocating to Vancouver in September and I'll be home worker for my employer. They do not have any office in Vancouver, but they kindly have accepted the fact I'll be on the west coast. So it's down to me to make it work.
For those of you who are home based workers, (who like me, can do your job with a laptop, wifi and a phone) what are your routines or things that you do in order to prevent you falling off the cliff? Gym/cycling will be my goto, but what else is there?
I'm very keen to hear from those who moved to Canada and how you engaged to meet people, especially as you lacked the office interaction with the locals / people in general etc.
I have found the most difficult thing is switching off and getting away from work - it's not like going to the office where you can leave at 5pm and forget it.. it's right next to you all the time. I set myself working hours and try to stick to them and not obsessively check my email a dozen times a day, 7 days a week. I have a break time where I don't look at my laptop or my phone every day, a 2 hour time slot that is 'me time' - whether to prepare and eat dinner or just sit outside with a coffee. I also book myself off a couple of days a week - where yes, I check emails in case anything urgent has arisen but other than that, it's MY time - to go out, meet up with friends.. or just mooch around the local shops or listen to some music with a glass of vino.
You may find intiially that you can feel somewhat isolated and there may be days where you can't be bothered to even get dressed...
try and get yourself into a routine and remember that they might spring a video call on you" so you might want to put something other than pj's on Make sure you move around, don't sit for hours and hours at your laptop.. take 4-5 minutes every hour just to stand up / stretch / move around a bit .. keep the blood flowing... try and get out for a walk every day.. make sure also to eat properly, not hurried sarnies sitting at the laptop
Join a few 'meet up' groups for things that you find interesting (not just the expat ones) - people that like things you like are a good way to start building friendships.. even if initially you don't meet people you think are your sort - they may have friends that you get along just great with!. Most important? Be open to change, don't expect Canada to be like Europe - don't have too many expectations - embrace the new country and all it's foibles.
https://www.meetup.com/cities/ca/bc/vancouver/
https://www.meetup.com/find/?allMeet...A&sort=default
Jul 30th 2019, 7:10 am
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 18
Re: Home Office - Making it work
Do you intend to set yourself up as self employed if you are undertaking work for an overseas employer - or are they based in Canada and you will be on salary? There are advantages to both.
I have found the most difficult thing is switching off and getting away from work - it's not like going to the office where you can leave at 5pm and forget it.. it's right next to you all the time. I set myself working hours and try to stick to them and not obsessively check my email a dozen times a day, 7 days a week. I have a break time where I don't look at my laptop or my phone every day, a 2 hour time slot that is 'me time' - whether to prepare and eat dinner or just sit outside with a coffee. I also book myself off a couple of days a week - where yes, I check emails in case anything urgent has arisen but other than that, it's MY time - to go out, meet up with friends.. or just mooch around the local shops or listen to some music with a glass of vino.
You may find intiially that you can feel somewhat isolated and there may be days where you can't be bothered to even get dressed... try and get yourself into a routine and remember that they might spring a video call on you" so you might want to put something other than pj's on
Make sure you move around, don't sit for hours and hours at your laptop.. take 4-5 minutes every hour just to stand up / stretch / move around a bit .. keep the blood flowing... try and get out for a walk every day.. make sure also to eat properly, not hurried sarnies sitting at the laptop
Join a few 'meet up' groups for things that you find interesting (not just the expat ones) - people that like things you like are a good way to start building friendships.. even if initially you don't meet people you think are your sort - they may have friends that you get along just great with!. Most important? Be open to change, don't expect Canada to be like Europe - don't have too many expectations - embrace the new country and all it's foibles.
https://www.meetup.com/cities/ca/bc/vancouver/
https://www.meetup.com/find/?allMeetups=false&keywords=British+Expats&radius=2 5&userFreeform=Vancouver%2C+BC&mcId=c857064&mcName =Vancouver%2C+British+Columbia%2C+CA&sort=default
I have found the most difficult thing is switching off and getting away from work - it's not like going to the office where you can leave at 5pm and forget it.. it's right next to you all the time. I set myself working hours and try to stick to them and not obsessively check my email a dozen times a day, 7 days a week. I have a break time where I don't look at my laptop or my phone every day, a 2 hour time slot that is 'me time' - whether to prepare and eat dinner or just sit outside with a coffee. I also book myself off a couple of days a week - where yes, I check emails in case anything urgent has arisen but other than that, it's MY time - to go out, meet up with friends.. or just mooch around the local shops or listen to some music with a glass of vino.
You may find intiially that you can feel somewhat isolated and there may be days where you can't be bothered to even get dressed...
try and get yourself into a routine and remember that they might spring a video call on you" so you might want to put something other than pj's on Make sure you move around, don't sit for hours and hours at your laptop.. take 4-5 minutes every hour just to stand up / stretch / move around a bit .. keep the blood flowing... try and get out for a walk every day.. make sure also to eat properly, not hurried sarnies sitting at the laptop
Join a few 'meet up' groups for things that you find interesting (not just the expat ones) - people that like things you like are a good way to start building friendships.. even if initially you don't meet people you think are your sort - they may have friends that you get along just great with!. Most important? Be open to change, don't expect Canada to be like Europe - don't have too many expectations - embrace the new country and all it's foibles.
https://www.meetup.com/cities/ca/bc/vancouver/
https://www.meetup.com/find/?allMeetups=false&keywords=British+Expats&radius=2 5&userFreeform=Vancouver%2C+BC&mcId=c857064&mcName =Vancouver%2C+British+Columbia%2C+CA&sort=default
I'll be employed and my employer is based out of Toronto, and thus I'll be salaried.
Last edited by Rich_BC; Jul 30th 2019 at 7:13 am.
