Well, it took a global pandemic, but your dream of being able to go to work in your PJs has finally come true.
Except it’s not yet noon and you can already feel things spiraling out of control. You miss all that chatter that you resented (and bought special headphones just to block out). Or, alternatively, if you have kids that are also home, there’s suddenly far too much chatter.
And how do you prove to your manager that you’re staying on top of things? You always suspected that the real reason they didn’t want you to work from home was because you’d binge-watch old episodes of Frasier instead of getting stuff done…and maybe they were right.
Or instead you’re having the opposite problem and now that all the distractions that were holding you back are gone you’re doing nothing but work. You haven’t moved in eight hours and the sun that just came up is already going back down.
All you know is that your world has shifted and you’re afraid your mind is going with it.
I’ve worked exclusively from home for nearly two years and I can verify that, while it does take some mental recalibration and a little bit of tech, you can be successful and more productive than ever working remotely. Here’s what’s worked for me.
Set Up a Productivity-Focused Routine
It’s tempting to roll out of bed whenever you feel like it, plop open the laptop, and start scrolling through emails while you slurp your morning coffee. Resist the temptation. Know when you’re going to log in and let people at your office know what your active hours will be. Keeping a regular schedule will help you stay productive and avoid burnout.
But more than keeping a regular routine, you need to create a routine that lets you capture the energy of your most productive hours. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, right after lunch, or even after everyone has logged off for the day, make sure you’re carving out a chunk of time that best works for you so that you can harness your best ideas and put them into action.
Overcommunicate
«So and so just won’t shut up.» Said no one in a virtual office ever. Without the convenience of face-to-face chats, you need make sure you’re always communicating your ideas and actions.
You don’t have the office break room anymore. So bumping into your boss around lunchtime and having a spontaneous chat about your project isn’t going to happen unless you make it happen.
You’ll likely have new tools like Slack to communicate with your coworkers. Use them liberally. Overshare your progress. You could be doing the most brilliant work of your entire career, but if you’re the only one that knows anything about it, you might as well be doing nothing.
If you’re nervous about sharing unfinished work, talk to your coworkers about sharing «first drafts» with each other, be they projects or just ideas. If you set expectations for things to be a little rough, people will focus more on your content and less on your mistakes.
Get Noise Cancelling Headphones
If you have family members or roommates that are also staying at home, your normal AirPods aren’t going to cut it. For me, it was the moment when I found myself humming the theme song to Jessie unironically (after my daughter had finished a way too long Disney+ binge). I knew I needed some aural space.
Grab a set of AirPods Pro or, if in-ear active-noise-cancelling headphones aren’t your thing, the new Monitor II over-the-ear headphones from Marshall.
I’ve really grown to appreciate the Monitor II headphones over the past couple of weeks. They’re strikingly attractive, feel extremely high-end in hand, and have all kinds of subtle details built in (like the guitar riffs they use for all of their feature activation tones). They deliver extremely well-balanced sound and are great for extended wear sessions.
Take Regular Breaks
If you’ve sent something out into the ether for feedback, don’t worry if no one texts or emails or messages back right away. They’re all adjusting to a new schedule too.
Instead, use that time to get a drink of water, step outside, or just take care of yourself for fifteen minutes. Being able to walk away from your work for a bit without fearing that you’re going to look unproductive to your office mates is an absolute revelation once you learn to use it wisely.
The key, though, is to do something. Maybe unload the dishwasher, or walk around the block, or give your mom a quick call (you know she’d love to hear from you). The trick is to let your subconscious mind chew on the issue so that when you come back to your desk, you’ll hopefully see things with a fresh perspective and you’ll be ready to tackle the next challenge.
The temptation with breaks is to make them too long or not take them at all. Peppering them at regular intervals throughout the day helps set a productive rhythm.
Know When to Log Off
When your office can reach you through your phone at all hours and everything you need to get work done is on your laptop down the hall, the temptation to log in and get «one quick thing» done is almost overwhelming.
Except you’re not giving your work the attention you should. And then you’re checking emails and Slack and finding other little tasks that you could knock out quickly. Before you know it, you’ve been on your laptop for an hour and you still haven’t finished the thing you opened it to finish.
Similar to taking regular breaks, knowing when to call it a day ensures that, when you’re back online, you’re at your best.
Splurge On an Office Light
Light affects how we feel, but the problem with most desk lights is that they fall somewhere in-between «weak candlelight» and «where were you on the night of the 15th?» A task light like the Dyson Lightcycle Morph is absolutely invaluable.
Not only does it give off carefully metered light of an intensity and temperature that’s meant to mimic shifting daylight, you can convert it from an omni-directional task light to a desk lamp that will bathe your entire workspace in a comforting glow.
It’s not cheap, but it absolutely makes a positive impact on your workspace. If you’re not ready to drop $649 on an office light, try to find a task light that mimics natural daylight.
Meditate
The toughest thing about working from home is learning how to power through distractions. When you first start, every single thing will pull your focus. All those little tasks that you think about doing at home when you’re at work are suddenly right there and feel so much more pressing than your work tasks.
With a meditation routine, like the one offered through the Headspace app, you can train your mind to recognize distracting thoughts and process them without spiraling into worry or anxiety.
To that end, Headspace has made the “Weathering the storm” collection of meditation and mindfulness content and the “Headspace for Work” resources and tools completely free, no subscription required. Headspace is also offering free Headspace Plus subscriptions through 2020 to healthcare professionals working in public health settings in the US to address rising levels of stress and burnout.
Especially now, when every little bit of news is awful and everyone is constantly on the verge of panic, it’s essential that you give yourself just 10 minutes per day to strengthen your mind and learn how to handle your fluctuating moods.
Get an Activity Watch
Be it an Apple Watch, or Garmin, or Fitbit, or even a Withings Steel HR, make sure you have something strapped to your wrist that you can’t ignore, then make sure it’s set to remind you to stand at regular intervals.
It’s easy to get sucked into a task and simply forget to move. An activity watch or band can help mitigate that.
And if it bugs you to be more active throughout the day, well, I’ve got some ideas on how you can take care of that as well.
Take Naps
Because y’know what? You’re an adult and sometimes adults need naps so that they can function at their fullest. Grab a pillow, wrap up in a blanket, and turn off notifications for a bit.
Just don’t forget to set a timer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.
