About a year and a half ago I began working for a company with a flexible work option. Before that, I worked in a conventional office space, with desks, coworkers, and a dress code, so working from home was a huge change for me. Over the last several months, I’ve grown to love it. I feel so much more focused, productive, and (more times than not) less stressed. I have a lot more control over my day, including going to the gym midday. While I’ve found so many upsides, I’ve also learned the downsides, like pulling up work after hours or on the weekend because work is right there in your living room, making ‘outta sight, outta mind’ a bit difficult.
COVID-19 has been a catalyst for shifting the workforce towards more remote options, which is great. I’m really on board for the trajectory of more remote work options. Unfortunately for many, the change from an office to a home-work environment is abrupt and a bit unplanned. To help out anyone that may feel a little overwhelmed or not sure how to handle themselves working from home, I’ve compiled my top 5 tips.
1. Create a daily to-do list
If there’s one thing I learned quickly about working from home, it’s that there is a lot to do, not a lot of direct oversight, and so many distractions. To-do lists SAVED my days. Every single morning, I start my day by handwriting everything that I need to do, literally everything. As I work through the list, I cross off completed tasks. Not only do I stay organized, it helps me maintain a bit of motivation because I can track accountability, and when I close up shop for the night, I don’t feel the stress of having to remember where I left off that day. Honestly, I would recommend this for any work environment, but in a home office where chores, dogs, and naps are beckoning, this is definite must-do.
2. Keep your calendar up to date & check it often
With more flexibility comes more responsibility, especially when it comes to keeping track of time. If you’re home because of COVID-19, I’m going to take a gander and say that someone else in your household is also home. The beauty of working from home is that you get to enjoy and engage your time in a new and meaningful way. Unfortunately, I can attest that it is so easy to get caught up in a “break” taking the dogs out and making a great lunch and completely lose track of time. I learned that it’s ok to become quasi-dependent on your calendar. Make a consorted effort to keep that thing up-to-date and readily available. I have mine set to remind me on both my laptop and phone, so no matter where I wander off too in the day, I’m able to be where I’m supposed to be and talking to who I’m supposed to when I’m supposed to.
3. Routine is everything, but not the only thing
When you have to be at an office at a specific time, it’s really easy to develop and follow a routine. Conversely, when everything is accessible from the comfort of your home, it’s not so easy to establish and maintain a routine, however, it’s something that you must do. I don’t set an alarm, but I’m confident in my body clock- I never sleep in past 8 a.m., so I can still start my day for 9 a.m. While I gave up on the alarm clock wake up call, I do make sure to make a habit of certain things to align my day for productivity. I’ve found that routine is critical to the morning, and not so much in the afternoon/evening. My normal morning looks like this: wake up, take the dogs out (maybe even to a park), check social media, check my calendar for the day, around 9 a.m., make my way to opening my email, create my task list for the day, start on a task. After that, the day goes the way the day goes. I make the choice to only routinize my morning because that’s when my energy needs the most guidance. Also, by keeping my afternoons less predictable, I don’t get bogged down in the mundane, which for me, is important—I thrive off of stimulation and variation.
4. Make a point to do something outside of your house
I’m not saying you need to go somewhere or do something exciting, but you do need to get some fresh air to keep the day lively. Once you nuzzle your way into a spot at the table with your laptop, hours can pass you by without you ever leaving that scene. That alone can be draining. Taking my dogs out to go to the bathroom is one of the easiest ways that I refresh (even though them doing their business doesn’t always smell so refreshing). In short, the point is, that it’s important to find a way to just change up what you’re looking at around you, whether it’s taking the dogs out, going on a walk, getting the mail, or going somewhere entirely different.
5. Think about your sleep schedule
I think we can all get behind sleep. It’s something we all crave most throughout the workday. While I’d love to say my advice is “nap often”, that’s not realistic to your day or helpful. Remember how I mentioned routines? Well, establishing a routine for your sleep will help you balance your new work environment to still be a play environment. Trust me, do not work from bed. While sending e-mails to the office Karen from the comfort of your down comforter sounds like a dream, the reality is that your body is going to start associating your bedroom with stimulation and work. Create a boundary—do not work in your bedroom. Don’t even think about work while you’re in there (the to-do list helps with this too).
Encore tip: check your calendar and to-do list first thing in the morning so you can pre-schedule anything non-work related you might need to do. I love going to the gym during the midday. It’s a welcome break after a productive morning, I get renewed energy for the afternoon, and the gym has fewer people than during peak times before and after working hours. When I wake up, one of the first things I do is check out what my day looks like so I can pre-set aside time for an errand like the gym.
Hopefully, the lessons that I learned from my experience as a home-worker help you. Of course, I also hope that you stay healthy in this time of rampant ailment.