As we settle into our new routine of working from home or working more isolated, I went in search of some tips on how we can make working remotely more enjoyable, productive, and healthy. Here are a few ideas that I saw over and over again. Though they may seem like common sense, I figure it never hurts to be reminded.
- Maintain regular hours. Set a schedule and stick to it just like you were going into work. Have clear start and stop times. When working from home, the lines between home life and work can become blurred. Having set start and stop times will help maintain a good work-life balance.
- Create a morning routine. Be consistent with how you start your day. Read, pray, have a cup of coffee, workout – whatever gets you started. Just make it consistent. It will set you up for more productivity and success.
- Have a dedicated physical space for work. Ideally, it is in another room that you can leave at the end of your work day. If that isn’t possible, at the end of the day, pack up all your work materials in a box and move it away from the kitchen table. We need to be able to physically separate ourselves from our “work” at the end of the day.
- Plan your breaks. We all need time to move, stretch and eat. Take a full 30 minutes or hour for lunch. Your mind needs it and your body needs to move. If you only need a few minutes to eat, go for a walk for the remainder of your break.
- Plan your lunch ahead of time. You may want to even consider making it the night before so all you need to do is take it out of the fridge.
- Work from a list. It is so easy to get distracted or to simply “spin”. You are bound to have a lot of interruptions if you have a spouse working from home or kids in the house. A list will help you prioritize and stay on track. Plus, there is just something rewarding about crossing things out!
- Find time to connect with colleagues. At work we talk at lunch, at meetings, and in passing. Suddenly being cut off from each other is hard. Schedule a quick Zoom to touch base or pick up the phone and check in. Plan a Zoom lunch with your coworkers or a virtual happy hour. We are social beings. We need to feel connected.
- Keep communication lines open with your supervisor and your peers. If you are struggling, reach out. If you are overwhelmed, ask for help.
- Be Positive. This too shall pass and in time we will be back working together. Is this tough, yes. But there are so many positive things coming from this as well. Focus on those.