This spotlight illustrates how each remote worker finds freedom and productivity in their everyday life, in their unique way. Get inspired and see how you can improve your workspace, workflow, and work/life balance.

Name: Lucia Fallavena

Pronouns: she/her

Current Job: Marketing Analyst at Rocket.Chat

Current Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Current Computer: 13" MacBook Pro

Current mobile devices: iPhone 11, Airpods

Remote work wasn’t that known when I started back in 2015. Now, I’m thankful to have adopted this work style. It allowed me to live in Ukraine, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Brazil, and now Portugal, my home since 2018. For me, remote work is rewarding but challenging: it demands self-organization, motivation, and excellent digital communication skills to make sure what you’re doing is aligned with your goals, clients, and projects.

8 am: My morning routine starts with coffee, scrambled eggs, meditation, and a shower. Lately, I’ve been conscious about my appearance even if I won’t leave the house. That’s why I save some time to dress up and move away from overly relaxed outfits. There is no way better to boost one’s emotional state than by refining one’s self on a daily basis.

9 am: I start my day by prioritizing my top 4 to 5 tasks. These are key items that will get me closer to my personal and professional goals. After that, I focus on tracking and measuring marketing campaigns, reviewing tasks and their status, and chatting with teammates. Rocket.Chat, Google Analytics, Zoho, and Clickup are among the tools I use daily. The last 10 minutes are for urgent emails.

10 am: If it is a Monday or Thursday, I meet with my team to discuss marketing ideas, strategy, and plan campaigns based on our goals. No-call days mean that I would be focusing on tasks that require more attention, like analyzing data.

12 pm: Lunchtime. I usually go for a walk right after eating. Sunny days in Portugal can’t enjoy themselves alone :)

2 pm: Crunch time! No afternoon is the same when you’re in a startup environment. My tasks are broad and vary a lot. Here are a few examples: overseeing digital marketing campaigns, researching market trends, interviewing clients, etc.

5 pm: Decaf time! Alongside cookies or snacks. I usually tackle low priority tasks and get on a 1-on-1 call with a colleague to touch base.

6 pm: By this time, I am done with my tasks and I try to detach myself from my home office to relax. Time for another walk - my daily goal is to reach 10 thousand steps, which I heard is the minimum to maintain good health.

8 pm: Start planning dinner and battling with my boyfriend for our next Netflix pick (due to our different tastes, it takes a while to reach common ground). 

11 pm: Reading, stretching, and bedtime!

My workspace has a unique setting: it’s shared with my boyfriend, who also works remotely. We recently redecorated our living room with a brand new double desk, some paintings, and plants to turn it into a cozy home office. Beyond decorating, we also learned about sharing a common space and respecting each other’s agenda. Since we both have different daily activities and lots of calls. 👌🏼

To keep a good vibe around and stay productive, I listen to calm music. My favorite playlist is called Warm Water and goes from Tame Impala, Metronomy to electronic songs. I also use a productivity app to stay on track with my tasks. I highly recommend it: Pomodoro assistant. 

Besides my AirPods, my vertical ergonomic mouse was a life-changing gadget. It prevents wrist pain, turning my tasks that involve a lot of scrolling into a breeze. Now I can simply enjoy my work rather than worry about tendinopathies :)

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhfallavena/
Website: https://whorunsthewords.com/
Instagram @whorunsthewords