5 Work From Home Tips
5 Tips On How To Efficiently Work From Home
The effects of COVID-19 in 2020 pushed many comfort zones worldwide. And for those in the office space, the line drawn between work and home was intensely blended.
About 1 year ago, my team was sent home to “temporarily” work remote. I remember having an impromptu Town Hall meeting at the office, where our CEO shared that many of us were to start working from home for an uncertain amount of time, starting that same day.
My team walked away from that meeting, packed up our desks, laptops, and office materials, and drove home thinking that this would last a couple of weeks or maybe a couple of months. I would have never predicted that I’d still be working from home a year later, and indefinitely for the unforeseeable future.
In September 2020, my husband and I relocated to Boston due to military orders. My “temporary” remote position thus became a “permanent” remote position. While I still count my blessings on the fact that my company was willing to be flexible and keep me on the team (even when 3500 miles away), shifting the mindset of “We’ll be back in the office soon!” to, “I have to create an office at home…?” was a bigger leap for me.
Creating space for work where you live has its ups and downs. Now that I have 1 year of working from home under my belt, I wanted to share 5 Tips On How To Efficiently Work From Home that are working for me thus far. Hopefully you'll find them helpful too!
1. Schedule-In Your Breaks
Hustle culture is very real within my generation and I admittedly, follow suit. Ever since college, I was notorious for pushing through breaks and meals just to finish whatever I needed to complete that day. While it made for very happy managers and happily accepted pay raises, at what cost was I willing to take?
Mental health is extremely important, and as cliche as it sounds, you can’t pour from an empty cup. While you might be able to sustain this lifestyle for a significant amount of time, you’ll eventually burn out.
To avoid this inevitable scenario, I’ve learned that it’s better to schedule-in breaks so you actually remember to take them. Whether it’s blocking out time on your Outlook Calendar for a Lunch Break, or setting a reminder on your phone to take a 15 minute break, do what you need to do to take a well-deserved break.
On the flip side, you can also set a timer for when to return to work after your break, so your “one load of laundry” doesn’t turn into deep cleaning the entire apartment ;)
2. Set Boundaries
When I first started working from home, I had the idea that the circumstances were “temporary.” So instead of buying myself a desk and a monitor, I would work from home on the couch or the foot of my bed with a foldable TV tray table. My ergonomics were less than ideal, and I felt like my work permeated into my home. I felt as if I couldn’t ever “walk away” from work.
Now that my work from home situation is much more definite, I found that setting aside office space in our apartment (aka the guest room), allows me to “walk away” from work at the end of the day and “arrive home.” It seems like such a simple solution, but it can truly improve your mental well-being when you don’t work where you live or live where you work.
On a related note, set boundaries for time. Just because you can walk back into your office and open up your laptop at 8pm at night, doesn’t mean you should. Unless it’s a dire emergency, it can always wait until the morning, so be sure to set firm boundaries on when to shut down for the day, and when to turn on your “Do Not Disturb” mode.
3. Dress the Part
I struggled with this one because who doesn’t get tempted to stay in pajamas all day with a messy bun? While there are definitely days where I cave into this temptation (especially on Mondays, or when there aren’t any video meetings scheduled), I have learned that it’s so helpful to get dressed as if you were going into the office.
It allows your mind to “prepare” for the day as you get ready, and I’ve found that it can even influence productivity by making you “dress the part.” I’ve noticed that on days where I stay in pajamas, I get less work done and move at a slower pace, compared to the days when I get dressed.
I’m not saying I wear dress pants, a blazer, and heels every day to work from home, but I definitely change out of my leggings and into some jeans. It makes a huge difference.
4. Get Some Fresh Air
When working remote, your commute is nonexistent, so remind yourself to go outside for some fresh air throughout the day. Staying in a stuffy room all day and all night, will create draining health effects. Whether it’s going for a walk once a day, walking out into your balcony for a minute, or cracking open a window for air flow, make sure to create time to get fresh air (and some Vitamin D!) for a clear mind.
5. Create Transitions to (and from) Work
This last tip was one shared with me by my uncle who’s worked from home for 5+ years. While a lack of a commute sounds initially desirable, I’ve learned that it’s very difficult to go from waking up to immediately working, or go from working on a project to cooking dinner/doing house chores.
Sometimes I think commuters take their commute for granted. The opportunity to allow your mind to “prepare” in the morning or “decompress” after work, are important parts of a daily WFH routine that I initially overlooked.
Some transition ideas include going for a walk, listening to a podcast, or reading a chapter or two. Creating routines to transition in and out of work can allow your mind to ease into each new environment.
While 1 year of working from home isn't nearly as impressive as 5+ years, I hope you find some of these tips helpful as you learn to cultivate your own work/life balance. Let me know if you also work from home, and what tips/tricks you've learned!
'Til the next one,
Gen
