5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Working From Home
I count myself lucky that over the last few years, I have slowly transitioned from working in an office full time to working from anywhere I want. Each time I experienced the shift towards remote working, it was prompted in response to a significant event. It doesn’t surprise me at all that companies who can are now quick to have their employees working from home. What worries is me is the lack of preparation across the board for something that is such a drastic change. I wish I had sought guidance on how things were going to change for me earlier. Whilst I don’t have all the answers, I want to make the transition easier for the ‘virgins’ at this game. If you have started working from home for the first time, this is for you.
The voice in your head is right, you need a routine
As someone who likes change, it is painful for me to admit, but it’s as simple as that. For some of us, this consists of having common elements every day and for others, it may be different for each day of the week. I kept some of my routines from the office like having a standard water bottle to monitor my intake or using the same stationery. When I became home-based, I had to change from the occasional lunchtime gym class to 15–20 minutes bursts of exercise scattered across the week. There are countless studies on the benefits of a routine to human beings and the effect on our entire health. The important thing is to make your routine work for you (and your team).
Schedule your breaks ……
Otherwise, you may forget to take them! When I started remote working, I remember being hyper-conscious about my productivity and availability. I unconsciously took fewer breaks and even when I took a break, my laptop would often accompany me. I didn’t think I would easily fall into that pattern but it happened before I realised. Before you fall into that trap, purposely put activities in your calendar to prompt you to take a break. Schedule your lunchtime, take a little walk around the block or up and down the stairs. Make time for a few minutes of stretching or do some housework. Whatever you do, let your brain and body have a rest.
Physical Distancing v Social Distancing
I not sure about our use of the term ‘social distancing’. It implies that physical distancing is the same thing when in fact these days being ‘social’ can happen physically or virtually. I used to be part of a team who worked in a network of extended teams across several times zones. We had an online chat open for quick communication and although the chatter sometimes slipped towards more casual topics, it really helped us build trust and discover the human side of colleagues whom we were visualising as avatars. Whether it be a mobile app or an official WebApp, I strongly recommend having a voluntary channel where everyone on a team can communicate quickly and/or often. Even if someone doesn’t participate often, having that channel available will be a lifeline for that one time when they need to speak. As an introvert, I cherished my ‘quiet time’ when working from home but even I have to admit, I missed people. Without the various open chats, I would have felt less connected.
Change your diet before your diet changes you
Let’s face it most people who work in an office are tempted by the goodies people bring as a treat to motivate their teams or in showing off the triumphs of the previous night’s baking. There’s a temptation every day in the form of chocolate, cakes, sweets and all sorts of things that we shouldn’t be eating. I personally developed a terrible habit of being able to eat multiple Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one day! Once I started working from home more often, I was forced to change my diet to save my health. If you feel that you must keep temptation in the house, lock the ’goodies’ in a cupboard, preferably somewhere where it’s hard to reach or don’t buy them at all! We all know that we have to eat healthier but when we are stressed and in a crisis, who is realistically reaching for the carrot and hummus??
The workspace doesn’t have to be the same space, does it?
Until last week, the whole house was my office. I worked in different rooms depending on my mood, the task I was doing and whether or not I needed to appear professional on a video call. It’s been great for my productivity — when I need to concentrate, I placed myself in a quiet place and when I need to be creative, I can move around as much as I like. If like me, you now have to share a workspace with another human being, would it be worth looking at whether you can do different types of work in different places? In offices, we use meeting rooms, booths, corridors, coffee areas and our desk to do ‘work’ so why restrict yourself to one table + chair in one area? Who wrote that rule?
“Is it really hard or is it that you just never done it before? Do you know the difference?”
I have gotten lots of questions about how I cope and manage to stay productive at home or ‘not in an office’. I am still asking myself that question and figuring it out, to be perfectly honest. What I know for certain is that if you’re not used to working at home at all or you’re not used to having any of your team members any of your direct reports working from home there are going to be teething problems along the way. That’s a guarantee. The only thing that will help you is HOW you approach these issues. There is no set of defined practices that will work for all individuals or organisations. The best thing to do is to learn from others, be patient, try and create the processes that work best for you, your clients and your colleagues.
Working from home has been the most challenging and liberating privilege in my life. Once the frenzy dies down and we come out the other side of this crisis, I hope we learn enough to reap the benefits and work in better ways.
Whether you are a seasoned pro at working from home or completely new to this practice, leave a comment or add to the tips below. What else do you wish someone had told you?
