I've worked from home exclusively for the past two years for my corporate job, and it honestly took a bit of an adjustment period. With so many people being asked to work from home right now thanks to coronavirus, I thought I'd share my top four tips for working from home:
1. Find a routine to start and end your work days
Working from home can very easily take up your whole day if you let it. It's easy to roll out of bed and start working (or just grab your laptop and start working from bed!), but that isn't healthy for you, mentally or physically. Because of Mia, I have to get up and take her to daycare every day before I start working, and it really helps me separate my leisure time from my working time. If you don't have a kid or a pet, figure out a reason to leave the house, whether it's grabbing coffee or just going out for a quick walk. Head out at the end of your day too when your workday is over to help clear your mind.2. Work where you want, but take video calls in a professional setting
I get it, you're at home and you work just as well from your couch as you do from a desk. Heck, I'm writing this while reclined on the couch! But, if your job requires taking video calls, head over to an actual table for the call. It just isn't professional to turn on your video camera if you have your laptop balanced on your lap, and it honestly changes my opinions about coworkers if they appear unprofessional over video chat. Let's not even start about the guy who took a call laying in his bed last week (cringe!). While we're on the subject of video chats, try to choose a location that doesn't have a lot of background noise (you know, so not out on your front porch) and that has decent lighting so people can actually see you.3. Get fully ready for your day before you sit down to work
I certainly hope you're at least brushing your teeth before you start your work from home day, but my recommendation is to fully get ready before sitting down at your laptop. Take a shower, do your hair, put on makeup, and pick out an outfit you'd wear into the office. I spent a good deal of my pregnancy working from home in my pajamas, or thinking I'd wait until my lunch break to shower. It really did affect my workday, and made me feel less focused and less productive. It's all about getting in the right mindset to work from home.4. Put blocks on your calendar to eat
People seem to fall into one of two camps when they work from home. Either they snack on basically everything they can find, or they forget to eat. I usually fall into the forgetting to eat club, which is pretty incredible considering how much I like food. I just will get in a zone and want to finish "just one more thing" and then before I know it, it's 3pm and I'm HANGRY. Whether you're trying to control snacking or need a reminder to step away from your desk, put blocks on your calendar for breakfast, lunch, or a coffee break. That way you'll have boundaries as to when you're allowed to eat, or have that time carved out to step away from your computer.
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