As I write this, the Coronavirus has changed the world and changed the way we work. Many of us are now working from home (WFH) and while it might be the way you always work, it comes with challenges and everyone needs advice for how to be as effective as possible while trying to GSD and balance your life. Here are the three keys to success according to my experience and the advice of others.
1. Have a schedule!
Some still have to punch in virtually to track their time. Salary employees are on the honor system. Either way, the best advice for working from home is to have a start time and an end time! Keeping to your regular hours as if you were in the office is good for your circadian rhythm and will keep you in a new-normal routine. It doesn't have to be exactly the same (if you're allowed the flexibility by your employer) but at least know what time you are starting and stopping for the day before you start your day.
2. Work in a separate space
Biggie here... never work in your bed or your bedroom if you can help it. Good sleep is important and mixing work with sleep is a common mistake. You don't have to have a dedicated room to be your "office". Just pick a space in a room (dining room, living room, etc) that is your workspace. Having a dedicated area will help you make the mental shift from work to home.
3. Honor your Off-The-Clock time
You will burn-out faster than the lasted teenage catchphrase if you don't honor your time off-the-clock. Set your quitting time and leave it at that. It's too easy with your workspace set up at home and email on your phone to work constantly. You will find soon enough that there is always more that can be done but for your sanity you need to keep your break times (at least stop for lunch) and stop working at your scheduled quitting time.
Linked In and other social media channels give us the opportunity to connect beyond our immediate coworkers. I asked my connections what advice they had for someone working from home for the first time. Check out what they had to say:
Comment below with your advice or lessons learned!
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