10 Tips For
Working From Home
Hi, friends! Molly from KetoBars.com here.
The global spread of COVID-19 is keeping people at home, and for good reason. If you are one of the lucky ones that is able to continue working from home, you'll need to change (or keep!) some of your habits and routines to make it a success.
I am no stranger to WFH (work from home). I have been working from home for the past 5 years. A lot of people call me "lucky" but let me tell you, it's not easy. It can be isolating and it requires a lot of discipline. I'd like to share some of my tips and some tips I've gathered from others over the years. Hopefully, some of these will help you find your footing and give you a sense of normalcy during these difficult times.
1. Maintain regular hours.
Creating a start time and stop time will help you maintain that work-life balance, and balance will keep you sane! Notice what times of day you are more productive and schedule important tasks for then.
2. Create a morning routine.
Over our work years we have created morning routines aka 'conditioned responses' for ourselves. Our conditioned responses are acts or signs that let us know that something is about to happen. For instance, this flow: taking a shower, making coffee and listening to a podcast lets me know that I am getting ready to get into work mode. We all of our own morning routines and it's imperative that we keep that, or our flow will be disrupted, you will feel disorganized and it's unlikely you will be productive.
3. Get dressed!
I honestly cannot stress this one enough. Getting dressed makes the home office more like a real office, and tells and reminds everyone, especially you, that you are actually working.
4. Create a dedicated work space.
I get it. It's SO tempting to work from your bed. It might feel really good now, but you're going to pay for it later. When do you ask? When you try to go to bed and you can't. When you re-wire your brain into thinking that your bed is your work zone and not your sleep zone. So, next time you think about doing, it I suggest looking at your bed and saying "I will see YOU later!".
5. Make a list.
I love lists! I live for lists. I love making THIS list. The reason why lists are so important, especially while working from home is because humans are easily distracted. We are even MORE distracted when we're at home. Right now I'm looking at a wall that I would like to paint. But, that's not the next item on my list. As long as I follow this list I will finish this blog post, respond to my emails and then maybe I can paint. Also, it's harder to keep track of what you've accomplished at home. If you have a list and complete it, you have a handy dandy cheat sheet of what you can tell your boss you've accomplished.
6. Set boundaries.
Tips 3 and 4 will help with this. If you are dressed and sitting in your dedicated work zone you are sending a clear message that you are working. If your friends or fam still aren't getting the picture you must let them know what times you will be available. Remember boundaries are only as effective as they are enforced.
7. Over communicate.
Stay in touch with your team as often as you can. Let them know what tasks you have accomplished, what you're working on now and what you're working on next. Do it even if they didn't ask for it. It's helpful for everyone to stay on the same page - and this will be keep you in line.
8. Be aware of your posture.
Another important one. Your body has been used to sitting in the same position at work for months or maybe even years. And now all of a sudden you're throwing it a curveball. Make sure you're in a comfortable and supported chair with a desk height that keeps your screen at eye level. We have enough to worry about right now, let's not add a sore neck or bad back to the list.
9. Leave the house.
YES! Even now. Sit on your porch, do yard work, go for a run or a walk. There are plenty of activities that you can do outdoors, while social distancing.
10. Don't beat yourself up.
This is new. Navigating new territory takes time. And even though there is a ton of information that might help, sometimes it just takes making the mistakes yourself and learning that way. So, just do your best, keep your head up, and wash your hands.
Stay safe and enjoy this slow down.
All the best,
Molly | CMO | KetoBars.com