8 Tips for Developers to Stay Sane During Quarantine

The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented time, forcing the majority of people to stay home in order to help maintain public health and safety. Many developers are fortunate to already work remotely or easily switch to a remote lifestyle. However, changing from working side by side coworkers in an office to working from home can be a challenging transition. After some time, working from home can be an equally effective way to be productive and potentially excel in ways you weren’t able to before.

1. Maintain a Regular Schedule 
When working from home, it is easy to ignore the clock and live moment to moment. However, this often leads to bad habits, poor time management, and disconnection from the rhythm of the outside world. Maintaining a regular schedule helps create structure and the most efficient and effective use of time. Set a specific time to wake up and go to bed and keep regular office hours to focus on work. Make sure to set aside time for self-care and exploring hobbies to create a sense of balance and relaxation in your life.  

2. Get Dressed
Why get dressed if you don’t have to be with your coworkers in an office? Getting dresses allows for separation between time spent sleeping, working, and free time. Changing into work clothes from your pajamas helps get you into a professional mindset that will flow into everything that you do.

3. Stay Connected

Even though you are in isolation for the protection and safety of yourself and others, you are not alone. Living in an unprecedented age of digital communication options and tools allows for instant connection all over the world. Take advantage of video calling, chatting, or connecting on social networks with friends and family to avoid feeling isolated. Although connecting digitally doesn’t replace #IRL connections, it will help you feel sane during this difficult time. 

4. Create a Good Work/Life Balance
When working from home, the line between work and personal life gets blurry. It is easy to get into the habit of constantly checking your email and slack notifications or working past normal hours without realizing it. To avoid overworking or eventually burning out, take steps to separate your work from your personal life. 

If space allows, set up a spare room as your office so your work area is physically separate from the rest of your home. Another option is to hold yourself accountable to specific work hours and allot time for personal relaxation and enrichment.

5. Career Development 
Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean that your career is stuck too. There are a wide variety of remote tools you can use to improve your skills, find a new position, or work towards a promotion.

Women Who Code is a great resource for this. In order to accommodate the needs of our members during the COVID-19 crisis, we pivoted our focus from in-person events to digital tech training and career workshops. We also have online learning communities that weekly meet virtually to deep dive into one of several highly technical topics. If you’re looking for a job the WWCode Job Board has numerous remote opportunities or  you can upload your resume to our online resume database to get your credentials in front of top tech companies.  

6. Limit Your News Intake 
If you find yourself with extra free time, it is tempting to binge-watch the news. It’s natural to want to stay informed during these troubling times. However, overdoing news intake leads to anxiety due to the flood of over-sensationalized content. Staying informed is important but take a break and read or watch content that brings you joy. 

7. Go Outside (If Possible)

Depending on your local guidelines, sheltering in place doesn’t mean that you’re stuck in your house. Maintain social distancing guidelines and go outside for a walk or exercise. Fresh air and sunlight are healthy for your body and this can break the stagnation from being stuck at home.

8. Just Breathe
There is a lot of uncertainty in the world, but remember this is temporary. Make sure to take the proper precautions to keep you and your loved ones safe. You will survive the pandemic and continue to be successful in your tech career. In trying times like this, if you stay calm, be smart, and take time for self-care, you will stay sane no matter what happens.