5 Ways to Create Boundaries While Working From Home The staff at sexual health startup Dame share their secrets for staying sane and productive.
This story appears in the July 2020 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Emma Rooney, sales coordinator
"Structure has been key to keeping productivity up. Getting dressed in the morning and staying out of my bedroom during the day has been helpful, and creating a schedule for my day and a cutoff time in the evening is a necessary boundary. Plus, I'm constantly motivated by the work my colleagues are doing. I've been practicing mindful gratitude — I'm thankful to have a job to wake up to during these unimaginably tough times."
Jaechelle Johnson, engineering technician
"We've been having more frequent full-company check-ins, to just see each other's faces. I think we're using Slack 10 times more than we ever did when we were physically together. And we've started having video chats outside of work hours — to have virtual drinks together and decompress."
Related: How to Stay Sane While Working From Home
Alexandra Fine, cofounder and CEO
"We've been having daily virtual morning meetings. We make a Google Doc with our agenda, and every staffer adds what they accomplished yesterday, what they're trying to get done today, and if there's anything in their way — like if they're waiting on a document from someone.
It's a great way to create accountability, and a great way to make sure everyone showered and is taking care of themselves. I think we'll keep doing these meetings when we're back in the office."
Josh Nalven, head of voice and experience
"I know too much about computer networking from past jobs — and from being the unofficial IT guy at Dame. I have Ethernet cables in multiple lengths, and my 50-foot cable has been the real MVP of this quarantine. Your internet is faster and more reliable when you're hardwired into your router."
Related: 5 Ways to Be More Efficient While Working From Home
Anthony Francis, senior engineering technician
"I'm keeping productivity up by sticking to a plan but allowing for downtime. I've set aside an hour each day for professional development, like learning a new skill or taking a course. My workstation is packed up at 6 to get ready for family time — and to clean up the dining table before Mom comes home."
