My remote working timeline during Covid-19

18th March 2020 at 5:43 PM.

Personal

As one of those fortunate enough to work for a company that has gone fully remote, I am now working from home for the foreseeable future.

I've decided to use a timeline to record some of the things that I do each working day, how I'm feeling and what key events are taking place around the world.

18/11/20 - Day 173 (week 36)
I'm still here. Working away at my desk every day. The weeks just fly by but at the same time it still feels crazy that I first started working remotely 173 days ago

01/09/20 - Day 118 (week 25)
How is it September already? Despite how crazy this year has been, it shows no signs of slowing down. People are already starting to talk about Christmas!
Have a sore throat today. Ellie came down with a cold over the weekend, so this is just that parent thing where you catch it a few days later

28/08/20 - Day 117
Forgot to post again. Must have been busy! 😬

27/08/20 - Day 116
Forgot to post again. Must have been busy! 😬

26/08/20 - Day 115
Been a pretty average day today. The past few days I have been paying extra attention to my posture whilst I'm sat at my desk. I've been having a lot of headaches which have been caused by sore neck muscles. Gotta keep moving!

25/08/20 - Day 114
In my attempts to reduce my caffeine intake (day 2), I've stopped drinking tea. I now have one coffee in the morning. The idea is that I'll replace the caffeine with water. Yea, we'll see how that goes...
Got to do some work in After Effects today, which is a nice change of scene. I always feel sorry for my MacBook though, as working in AE always makes the fans come on

24/08/20 - Day 113 (week 24)
Slow start to the week today. Trying to drink less caffeine, which in the short term doesn't seem like a good idea, but will be beneficial in the long run

19/07/20-21/07/20 - Day 110-112
Wow, I really dropped the ball filling this in for the rest of the week. Must have been busy 😬

18/08/20 - Day 109
Last night, I ran 5k for the first time in ages. Thighs are tight today 🏃

17/08/20 - Day 108 (week 23)
Ran out of time to post. That's a good thing, right?

14/08/20 - Day 107
Busy day today. Forgot to post 😫

13/08/20 - Day 106
It rained today ⛈️ The smell of rain after hot weather is lovely!

12/08/20 - Day 105
A productive day today but the weather is crazy hot once again.
My new fan turned up as well 🙌
Got the paddling pool setup for Ellie this morning and I'm going to go and lay in it now!

11/08/20 - Day 104
The weather continues to make working conditions difficult. One more day of this heat and then the temperature is going to drop back down to a more comfortable level.

10/08/20 - Day 103 (week 22)
Really difficult to work in the heat today. It was so hot in the study. Looking forward to my new fan arriving tomorrow 🙌
It's just dawned on me that this timeline could go on for a very long time. 100+ days along now and with no end to Covid-19 in sight, I wonder what the day count could go up to until I decide that I've had enough with it 😂

07/08/20 - Day 102
Oh man, today has been tough. A combination of end-of-week fatigue and the hot weather has left me feeling so sleepy this afternoon

06/08/20 - Day 101
Doing some work in After Effects today!
Well, that was a frustrating day. It's been a while since I did any work in After Effects, so a lot of my frustration came from forgetting how to do certain things
Definitely think After Effects is an area that I need to improve on

05/08/20 - Day 100
And there it is! 100 days of remote work. Crazy to think that the last day I worked in an office was 17th March. How many more remote working days until I go back?

04/08/20 - Day 99
Busy day today. Not much else to say! See you tomorrow!

03/08/20 - Day 98 (week 21)
The 21st week begins and in two days time I'll have been remote for 100 days. Insane. 2020 has been the weirdest year of my life (and there's still 5 months left to go)

31/07/20 - Day 97
A sweltering hot, breeze-less day to see out the week and the month. I'm going to go have a BBQ and some cider. Peace!

30/07/20 - Day 96
This morning, I accidentally dropped a fresh teabag in my bowl of porridge (post-milk but pre-microwave). Despite this major setback, the rest of the day turned out pretty good!

29/07/20 - Day 95
Busy day today. Forgot to post.

28/07/20 - Day 94
Busy day today. Forgot to post.

27/07/20 - Day 93 (week 20)
Ellie woke up crying at 4am. After I got her settled it took me ages to get back to sleep 😴
Absolutely lousy day weather-wise. Raining and super windy

24/07/20 - Day 92
Woah, busy day. I forgot to post!

23/07/20 - Day 91
Tired today. Feel a bit 'meh' 😑

22/07/20 - Day 90
A quiet morning turned into a busy afternoon
Recorded a video for a client - clients love videos

21/07/20 - Day 89
Listening to that Clubbers Guide album yesterday was such a nostalgia trip, which means that this morning I'll be listening to...
🎵 Judge Jules - Clubbers Guide to... Ibiza (1999) CD2 - link

20/07/20 - Day 88 (week 19)
It was Monday again before I knew it 😩 (ref: see final comment from last week)
New week. Let's go! 💪
🎵 Judge Jules - Clubbers Guide to... Ibiza (1999) CD1 - link
Had an absolute mare with Microsoft Teams this afternoon. Turned out to be a permissions issue. Managed to get it sorted, but not after dipping in and out of a client call for the best part of an hour 🤦‍♂️
What's this?! A potential Coronavirus vaccine? Oxford vaccine triggers immune response. Promising stuff!

17/07/20 - Day 87
It's hard to describe how the weeks are passing by at the moment. Monday and Tuesday feel quite normal and then all of sudden it's Friday. And knowing what weekends are like it'll be Monday again before I know it...

16/07/20 - Day 86
Melting... ☀️

15/07/20 - Day 85
Insane to think that we're just a couple weeks away from 100 days of remote working. What's crazy is just how fast it's gone by...

14/07/20 - Day 84
Face masks are finally going to be compulsory in shops and other enclosed public spaces. This should have happened months ago - I don't know why it's taken this long?

13/07/20 - Day 83 (week 18)
Back and ready to go for another week! 💪
Been focusing on improving my posture these past few days. Using a laptop stand to raise my screen higher, ensuring I have the correct seating position and getting up from my desk at regular intervals to move and stretch

08/07/20-10/07/20 - Day 80-82
Woah, was so busy I forgot to post!

07/07/20 - Day 79
Busy day today. Lots done and Harvest is full of loads of tasks
Still didn't get all of my tasks for the day done

06/07/20 - Day 78 (week 17)
First day back at it after a week off
A busy day of catch up and trying to get back up to speed with projects. Lots going on this week so back in at the deep end 🏊‍♂️

29/06/20-03/07/20 - Day 73-77 (week 16)
Booked a week off for a lockdown staycation 🏖️

26/06/20 - Day 72
I really don't sleep well when the nights are so hot. I've been really tired the last two days
Got a week off now and ready to recharge the batteries!

25/06/20 - Day 71
Another hot day. Started melting at 9:30am! 😅
This week is flying by. The days are really blurring into one
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council declare 'Major incident' after thousands head to the beach. During a lockdown.
This comes on the same day the WHO announce Europe sees its first increase in weekly coronavirus cases in months. Here comes the second wave...

24/06/20 - Day 70
Nice and productive today
It's also been the hottest day of the year. I am sweating just from typing 💦

23/06/20 - Day 69
Day 69! Nice 😏
Busy day - forgot to post

22/06/20 - Day 68 (week 15)
Busy day - forgot to post

19/06/20 - Day 67
End of the week and I feel pretty tired. Looking forward to a lazy weekend
It's 3pm and I really don't know where the day has gone

18/06/20 - Day 66
Need to get in the habit of writing quicker, shorter posts
A wet day today 🌧️

17/06/20 - Day 65
Got to watch the first two Premier League games since lockdown. Good to be watching football again but seeing games without the fans is weird
Busy day yesterday. Nice and productive. Not much else to say

16/06/20 - Day 64
Really warm in the office again this afternoon
The Premier League starts up again tomorrow and I've got some thinking to do about my Fantasy Football team ⚽

15/06/20 - Day 63 (week 14)
Over the weekend, I finished playing Path of Sin: Greed
New week! New me! Let's gooo!

12/06/20 - Day 62
Busy day. Not time for timeline updates.

11/06/20 - Day 61
Client liked something I'd been working on without any changes or feedback #winning (these things are always good for a little morale boost)
Nice and productive day today

10/06/20 - Day 60
I don't seem to be sleeping very well at the moment. Haven't felt well rested for a while now
All that hot weather we had a week or so ago seems like a distant memory now 🌧️

09/06/20 - Day 59
Despite my fatigue it was still a productive day
Tired today. Wasn't a late night but I obviously didn't sleep well

08/06/20 - Day 58 (week 13)
No idea where that weekend went 🤔

05/06/20 - Day 57
I actually had to put a jumper on this morning!

04/06/20 - Day 56
Scored a great Rocket League goal at lunch:
Frustrating morning followed by a productive afternoon
More rain! This is more like the UK we know (and love?)

03/06/20 - Day 55
It rained 🌧️
Wow... I totally forgot to post anything yesterday. Must have been a busy one

02/06/20 - Day 54
The heat is making me feel so sleepy this afternoon
Productive day today! 💪

01/06/20 - Day 53 (week 12)
Good first day back after a week off. Bring on tomorrow...
Going to have to look at investing in a fan because it is HOT 😅
New week. New month. Let's get back to it!

25/05/20-29/05/20 - Day 48-52 (week 11)
Booked a week off for a lockdown staycation 🏖️

22/05/20 - Day 47
Last day at work before a week off. Looking forward to my staycation!
Had a catch up call with Pete to see how his week's going - Hi Pete! 👋

21/05/20 - Day 46
Zoom calls all morning 😬
In other news... emoji usage is up 345% on this time last year
Today's gonna be another scorcher. I shall surely melt again this afternoon 🔥

20/05/20 - Day 45
Melting in the study this afternoon. Fan is just blasting warm air at me!
Broke the bathroom door handle 😑

19/05/20 - Day 44
I was thirsty so I made myself a cup of tea...
Does @bengammon have a twin? 🤔 The team are getting creative with @zoom_us during meetings now! pic.twitter.com/lQtABXJbPT
— Etch Play (@etchplay) May 19, 2020
One of my jobs today was to convert an 8 page privacy policy into a web page 😴

18/05/20 - Day 43 (week 10)
I'm doing actual sketching today. Pencil and paper, remember them?
Yikes! That weekend went quickly... 😞

15/05/20 - Day 42
How is it Friday again already? Wasn't it Friday, like, 2 days ago?

14/05/20 - Day 41
Also booked a week off at the end of May 🙌
Had a kick off meeting for a new project that I'm very excited about. Looking forward to getting stuck into it next week

13/05/20 - Day 40
Earlier today an ambulance stopped outside a house down the street. Ominous at the best of times but even more so during lockdown
Pretty standard working day today. Not much to report
40 days of lockdown. Wowzers!

12/05/20 - Day 39
Gaming night tonight. Looking forward to some Rocket League. I'll be streaming it on Twitch, so I can clip all of my terrible moments!
Not sure how much of the productivity dips are down to lockdown or not? 🤷‍♂️
Mixed day again today. Struggled to get into things this morning but had a strong afternoon

11/05/20 - Day 38 (week 9)
Check me out, sounding like a weather reporter 👇
The 80's tunes are out as we see in a colder, windier start to the week

07/05/20 - Day 37
Another week has flown by. I genuinely thought remote working days would feel long
Bank holiday weekend starts tomorrow. Very much looking forward to that
This morning has flown by. An hour long Zoom call followed by prep for a site launch this afternoon

06/05/20 - Day 36
I feel good. I'm currently very comfortable working remotely but I do miss the office and seeing the team face-to-face
What a difference a day makes! Woke up, worked out and smashed my tasks for the morning

05/05/20 - Day 35
Early to bed tonight for me 😴
Hasn't been a very productive day. I just haven't been able to get my mind into it. Really frustrating
Had a cloudy head all day
Didn't sleep very well last night

04/05/20 - Day 34 (week 8)
Bang average day today to start the week with. Not as productive as I would have liked, but I've had a good run of productivity recently so I have been overdue a blip. Back to it tomorrow 💪
<Insert Star Wars reference here>

01/05/20 - Day 33
Looking forward to chilling out this weekend
Have felt fine all week but am feeling pretty tired today

30/04/20 - Day 32
I kind of want to leave the toast update as my only update for the day. Despite it implying things weren't going well, today was actually pretty productive
Burnt the toast this morning

29/04/20 - Day 31
It's raining again. The sound is quite relaxing, though. Like a white noise track
My mind seems to want to daydream a lot today...

28/04/20 - Day 30
Interesting discussion about using a GUI instead of command line
Struggled with some merge conflict stuff today. Needed a refresher on rebasing
For the first time in a while it's raining. Don't mind being indoors when it's like this. Part of me wants to go running in the rain, though

27/04/20 - Day 29 (week 7)
Very productive day today. Achieved what I set out to do
Government taking credit for car crime, burglary and shoplifting figures all having fallen compared to this time last year - you couldn't make it up
A new week. Let's smash it

24/04/20 - Day 28
Sun has been out all week and now that I'm about to finish for the weekend, it disappears behind a wall of clouds
Outcry after Donald Trump suggests ingesting disinfectant as a treatment - you couldn't make this shit up

23/04/20 - Day 27
Study has got really warm this afternoon as there's hardly any breeze. This might be a problem as the weather gets even warmer
Productive afternoon working on a new design
Couple of Zoom calls to start the day
Up early with Ellie this morning. She doesn't seem to be sleeping in as late any more. Wonder if the sun is waking her up earlier now

22/04/20 - Day 26
Not much else to say
Quiet day today. Productive, but just plodding along

21/04/20 - Day 25
Productive day today
The weather continues to taunt me with more clear blue skies...

20/04/20 - Day 24 (Week 6)
Clear blue skies today - what a tease!
Raring to go today after working out first thing - this volume of workouts will be a test to maintain once lockdown is over

17/04/20 - Day 23
Pretty crappy weather today. First time it's rained in a while
Groggy start to the day with a headache. Probably dehydrated

16/04/20 - Day 22
UK lockdown extended for at least another 3 weeks
Took some more length off my beard. It's getting shorter
Another workout this morning - I am definitely getting the bug for it

15/04/20 - Day 21
Might shave my beard off
Not sure when it happened but working remote just feels like the norm now. Office working seems like such a distant memory
Spent a large chunk of my day sorting IE issues - whoop!
Why is the Easter chocolate always gone?

14/04/20 - Day 20
One in nine homeowners takes mortgage holiday
Want more chocolate
Back to work after the long Easter Weekend
Another workout to start the day - the frequency of my workouts since being on lockdown is probably the highest it's ever been

13/04/20 - Day 19 (week 5)
Busy day, obviously

10/04/20 - Day 18
Busy day, obviously

09/04/20 - Day 17
Busy day, obviously

08/04/20 - Day 16
US records highest death toll in a single day
Started the day with a workout

07/04/20 - Day 15
I've been social distancing and staying safe but the situation with the Prime Minister is unsettling
BoJo spent night in intensive care after symptoms worsen - hang in there Boris!

06/04/20 - Day 14 (Week 4)
Late last night, BoJo went to hospital and spent the night there as a "precaution" - I hope he recovers and that anyone who isn't taking this seriously yet might do so now
Yesterday, the Queen made a rare speech to rally the nation
How is it week 4 of remote work already?

03/04/20 - Day 13
Nightingale Hospital opens in London - I hope those 4,000 beds aren't needed
Need to make sure I fully recharge my batteries ahead of next week as it's going to be another busy one
Still was a productive day
Jumped on the caffeine train earlier than normal as I needed a mental kick
Very mentally tired today

02/04/20 - Day 12
Saved Susan from a big spider that climbed onto the sofa to sit next to her
Worked late again tonight on another client project with a deadline looming close
Another productive day. Nothing like a deadline to focus the mind
Apart from being in the garden, I realised that I haven't been outside since Sunday
Allowed myself extra time in bed because of last nights late one working. I needed it and need more

01/04/20 - Day 11
Worked late tonight finalising some bits for a client site that is going live tomorrow. Quite a few projects launching in the next few weeks
Made up for a bad morning with a productive afternoon
Extremely frustrating morning trying to get a project running locally on my PC. First SSH played up and then my node version was wrong!
Countries around the world announce COVID-19 was an April Fools joke. If only

31/03/20 - Day 10
Might need to start going to bed earlier as I am getting super tired from about 3-4pm onwards (refuse to just drink more caffeine)
Weather is nice still, so I'm doing a lap of the garden whilst the kettle boils in order to get some fresh air
Woke up early this morning to workout. Started the day full of energy and really enjoy the routine

30/03/20 - Day 9 (Week 3)
Weather is nice still, so I'm doing a lap of the garden whilst the kettle boils in order to get some fresh air
Have decided to take more regular breaks (hourly, if poss) and get away from the desk to make a cuppa

27/03/20 - Day 8
More people out and about now that we're on lockdown. Ironic
Finished at 3pm and went out for a walk. My first during the lockdown with Ellie in the pushchair. Everyone very friendly, crossing to the other side of the road before we reached them

26/03/20 - Day 7
Concentration is proving an issue. I'm not struggling, but at times it feels like I'm getting nowhere fast. Will continue to monitor
Got woken up at 5am by a bee that had come in through the bedroom window. So random

25/03/20 - Day 6
Everything I'm reading about the US makes me feel like they're going to be the worst hit during this whole pandemic
FaceTimed the parents
Had my first "What day is it?" moment

24/03/20 - Day 5
Two hours spent on Zoom this morning
Blue skies outside again today
Set my alarm a little later this morning in order to get a bit more sleep

23/03/20 - Day 4 (week 2)
Knew this moment was coming but can't help feeling anxious/nervous as we enter unknown territory
BoJo puts the country on lockdown in order to protect lives and slow the spread of the virus
Study is now cold in the morning and toasty in the afternoon when the sun shines through the window
It's a glorious day outside
Another workout before starting work this morning - am actually enjoying the self-care routine

20/03/20 - Day 3
Went to the beach after work to get out of the house for the first time in two days
Feeling quite mentally tired this afternoon/evening
Had my first remote 1-2-1
Quick workout on the dip bars before starting work

19/03/20 - Day 2
Bank of England cuts interest rates down to 0.1% from 0.25% - the lowest ever in the Bank's 325-year history.
Spotify is throwing it back to the 90s
A white van stops at a house down the street. Window cleaners gotta clean
Remote working creates much more Slack noise

18/03/20 - Day 1 (week 1)
Government announced UK schools to close on Friday until further notice
Listened to 80s music all day
Took part in Tristan's Quiz
Ate a lot of biscuits (no bad thing)
Had plenty of video calls
Setup my remote working space