Working From Home: How To Stay More Productive, Positive, and Prepared During the Coronavirus
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Working from home is definitely not for everyone. The shift from office to home working can feel unsettling, even unnatural, and you will inevitably feel a certain amount of resistance having worked hard to separate your work and home lives only for the two to become intimately acquainted. However, our “new normal” during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has meant that, for the majority of us, working from home is something we must find a way to reconcile with.
That said, you might just as easily be on the other side of this; relishing the chance to try a new style of working that you’d eventually like to make your full-time reality. If so, welcome to the WFH club friend! Ultimately, there is no wrong way to approach this. However you feel about your new home office, Entire Magazine is here to make sure you have the tools in your arsenal to feel positive and prepared to ace home working.
The upshot of our advice is quite simple; it is designed to help you create two separate zones in your home, both physically and mentally. Having mechanisms in place to ensure you have a total and unbreachable separation between work and home lives will help you find the all-important balance.
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Dress to impress
Feel fierce, be fierce. Transitioning straight from bed to work might feel like you’re using your time efficiently, but you need to continue to assert the boundaries between home and work life, not to mention some mechanism of feeling like a) you’re owning this and b) you’ve actually started work.
I’m not suggesting you have to power suit up, but I am also totally condoning it if it works for you. Find your equilibrium between dressing to impress and feeling comfortable in your home. Why not use the classic freelancer trick of wearing makeup and a nice shirt so your top half is all business for video calls, but you’re keeping it real in sweatpants, or even just your underwear, on the bottom. Remember it’s all about finding the balance!
Read More: 5 Tips For Building An Authentic Social Media Following
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Find the light
Working where there is plenty of natural light will enthuse your day with positivity and keep your home far away from feeling like a dark office with bad lighting. If you can, work close to a window so you can observe the movements of the day. This will help you not to feel closed in by your surroundings, and ensure you do not spend all day looking at - and getting frustrated with - your home. When you want to switch off, it helps to have a different outlook - the same as you would when leaving the office and returning home.
Know when (and how) to walk away
This goes for moments during the day as well as, most importantly, the end of your working day. Take regular breaks and refine the structure of your lunch break so that you step away from all screens. Sure, you might eat lunch at your desk in the office, but you also have a commute and probably a coffee break(s) during which you are not in the physical presence of your work.
If you do nothing else, set a definitive end to the workday. At this point shut your laptop, turn off all work notifications on your phone, and tidy all of your work stuff out of sight. This way you will not be tempted to “finish that one tiny thing” or just “super quickly answer that one email”.
Lists, zones and moments alone
Every great list is made possible by a sub-list. Having an overriding to-do list that gives you the bigger picture is great, but create smaller, more manageable lists that help you to structure each day. Sub-lists will also help with a daily sense of satisfaction when you complete your allocated tasks. If you work in a team, set up group lists so you feel less isolated and keep that team spirit. Equally, to ensure you feel set up for the next day, create your task list the night before. However, always be realistic about your capacity. Don’t set yourself up for failure with an over-ambitious list because remember, you can’t get the physical distance to clear your head.
Set up a work zone. Your sofa or bed is your chill space and not where you want to associate with work. You need to be able to sit down - or stand-up desk if that’s your vibe - at a designated place to allow you to feel like you’re in the work zone. A home worker’s biggest trap is that they are always “on”, so keeping spaces in your home that have nothing to do with work will help to counteract this.
Turn off all notifications - work and social - when you need to hit a deadline, or when you just need a mindful moment. This will help you focus completely on the task at hand, prevent blurred lines between social time and work time or simply give you some vital breathing space to ensure your home remains as stress-free as possible.
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Find the Fun
Yes, you need to be potent and productive and a top-of-her(his)-game work babe even though you’re at home and that often means more serious diligence than fun. However, this space is your home and you need to continue to infuse it with fun and happiness and things you enjoy.
Start your days with a workout if that's your thing. Set up a lunchtime dance party via Zoom (oh this is actually a thing... no seriously!) Curate different playlists for various moods and moments during your day. FaceTime your bestie during your lunch break to lament and laugh together. Taking these steps will ensure your home still remains a place that is yours, over which you have full dominion, and help you to remember that you make your own rules.
Written By Entire’s Travel & Lifestyle Writer Kate McDonald
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