As concerns around the spread of COVI-19 in Sri Lanka it is likely that many more companies and organizations will have us working from home for at least a few days of the week. At the very least more meetings will happen online and not in person. For almost 5 years now I have worked as a freelance consultant working from home for at least 50-60% of the time.
Here are a few things I have learned over that time:
1. Take a Shower. Get Dressed: A few people who have experience working remotely and from home have also said this and I stand by it 100%. When I first started working from home, I embraced the “working in your PJ’s from bed” aesthetic with abandon and I must confess there are days I return to it. As a rule, however, starting your day the way you would if you were leaving the house to work gives your day structure, it provides an energy that differentiates from just being at home to working from home. It helps freshen you up, shed yesterday’s sleep and skin, begin your day on a clear note.
2. Set an Agenda: What can often overwhelm you about working from home is the many distractions that cop up from not being in an office environment and being unused to working from home. I do this for this week with room for flexibility, but it also works well as a place to start your work from. Make a task list of things you want to achieve and include things like lunch breaks, checking emails etc. Try and keep to that agenda which will give you structure and familiarity. This also means scheduling meeting calls in advance as much as possible
3. Give Yourself Office Hours: I made two major mistakes when I first started working from home. The first was not working enough hours which lead to panic and torture when deadlines came up. The second was working too much – literally through the day, on weekends, and until I went to bed I would work – which lead to exhaustion and poor quality of work. Try and stick to your regular office hours and when you log off – do so completely. You will be more productive and a set time of work will ensure you work for a decent amount of time to actually get things done.
4. Breaks Between Calls: With many meetings and discussions switching to online platforms (See here for an amazing Twitter thread of excellent suggestions for platforms to use for your virtual meetings and how to run them effectively) you will need to factor this in as well. The temptation will be to schedule them back-to-back but make sure you have a 15-30 minute break (20minutes is my personal optimal time) between your calls. This will help you clear your mind, get your material together for the next meeting, get a snack/bathroom break and the little breathing space you usually get when you move physically from one meeting to the next. It seems like a small thing but will make a world of difference.
5. A Dedicated Space: Returning to my first tip – the bed is still somewhere I return to on occasion, but I highly recommend if possible, creating a dedicated, specific space to work from. For a long while this was actually the dining table for me. Think of your comfort, being near a window (I can’t tell your how much the fresh air flow helps!), where distractions can be minimized and there is some white noise. Make sure you can plug your devices in and factor in your health as well (a good seat with back support etc.).
For more tips I recommend this piece by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on working for a remote global organization which would be very useful for those of you managing teams or in high level positions of management.
Remember – practice individual and collective self-care (I love this piece from FRIDA around this topic), go easy on yourself as it can take time to find your rhythm, and remember what works best for you may not work for everyone else! Trial different things until you find your space.
[Image Credit: vecteezy.com and Francis Brown]
1. Take a Shower. Get Dressed: A few people who have experience working remotely and from home have also said this and I stand by it 100%. When I first started working from home, I embraced the “working in your PJ’s from bed” aesthetic with abandon and I must confess there are days I return to it. As a rule, however, starting your day the way you would if you were leaving the house to work gives your day structure, it provides an energy that differentiates from just being at home to working from home. It helps freshen you up, shed yesterday’s sleep and skin, begin your day on a clear note.
2. Set an Agenda: What can often overwhelm you about working from home is the many distractions that cop up from not being in an office environment and being unused to working from home. I do this for this week with room for flexibility, but it also works well as a place to start your work from. Make a task list of things you want to achieve and include things like lunch breaks, checking emails etc. Try and keep to that agenda which will give you structure and familiarity. This also means scheduling meeting calls in advance as much as possible
3. Give Yourself Office Hours: I made two major mistakes when I first started working from home. The first was not working enough hours which lead to panic and torture when deadlines came up. The second was working too much – literally through the day, on weekends, and until I went to bed I would work – which lead to exhaustion and poor quality of work. Try and stick to your regular office hours and when you log off – do so completely. You will be more productive and a set time of work will ensure you work for a decent amount of time to actually get things done.
4. Breaks Between Calls: With many meetings and discussions switching to online platforms (See here for an amazing Twitter thread of excellent suggestions for platforms to use for your virtual meetings and how to run them effectively) you will need to factor this in as well. The temptation will be to schedule them back-to-back but make sure you have a 15-30 minute break (20minutes is my personal optimal time) between your calls. This will help you clear your mind, get your material together for the next meeting, get a snack/bathroom break and the little breathing space you usually get when you move physically from one meeting to the next. It seems like a small thing but will make a world of difference.
5. A Dedicated Space: Returning to my first tip – the bed is still somewhere I return to on occasion, but I highly recommend if possible, creating a dedicated, specific space to work from. For a long while this was actually the dining table for me. Think of your comfort, being near a window (I can’t tell your how much the fresh air flow helps!), where distractions can be minimized and there is some white noise. Make sure you can plug your devices in and factor in your health as well (a good seat with back support etc.).
For more tips I recommend this piece by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on working for a remote global organization which would be very useful for those of you managing teams or in high level positions of management.
Remember – practice individual and collective self-care (I love this piece from FRIDA around this topic), go easy on yourself as it can take time to find your rhythm, and remember what works best for you may not work for everyone else! Trial different things until you find your space.
[Image Credit: vecteezy.com and Francis Brown]
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