Although working remotely has become more popular in recent years, with many remote workers proudly claiming that they “work in their pajamas,” it can still be hard to adjust to it if it is something that has been forced on you due to the recent global pandemic. Keep in mind, however, that social distancing (I prefer the term “physical distancing”) is the best way to keep yourself safe and healthy and make an effort to come up with a routine that will work for you.
As someone who has been working at home for the last ten years, I can safely say that once you get used to the idea and get yourself organized at home, you might even end up feeling it works better for you than working from an office. Here are some tips:
Scheduling Your Day
It's very easy to let the days flow into the nights and vice versa when you don't have anywhere to be. But you can't keep sleeping late every night and waking up late every morning. This might feel good in the beginning, but after a while, you start to feel lethargic when you don't have a schedule.
- Rough Schedules: Some people prefer a rough kind of schedule like this: doing some chores around the house in the morning and working in the afternoon. Or this: making calls and answering email in the morning and doing work which requires concentration in the evening.
- Strict Schedules: For other people, a stricter schedule may be required. There are people who like to schedule each and every thing, either on Google Calendar or in a diary. If this is what you generally do at work, then it's best to continue doing it at home as well, especially if you have a lot of phone calls or video conferences set up.
- Lists: Still other people might not come up with a schedule per se but they just make a list of everything that needs to be done during the day and then go down the list until everything on it is done. Of course, you can keep adding to the list as new things come up or go over it once a day to make sure it's a comprehensive list.
If your work is all of the same type e.g., if it just consists of writing one blog post after another in the day, then you may not need to do as much scheduling as a person who has a variety of things on their plate such as answering email, phone calls, writing, making appointments, creating spreadsheets, creating PowerPoint presentations etc. When you have a number of different types of things to do, scheduling helps you more because you are less likely to forget what needs to be done.
Making Time for Yourself
When you go to the office, certain times are usually set aside for you to do other things in your life. For example, you might make time for a morning run, lunch with a friend or you set aside time to meditate or do yoga. This might seem like an ideal day, but most of us make at least some time for ourselves in this way.
When you're at home all day, however, you may not know how to fit in all these other things. You may forget to do them or just feel like you're not motivated to do them.
- Working Out: Just because you're practicing social distancing doesn't mean you can't work out. There are a number of great videos for home workouts on YouTube or on other fitness websites. You can do cardio workouts in front of your TV just by moving your coffee table to one side. If you have dumbbells at home, you can also do a weight workout. So don't forget to make time for this. In fact, put it on your calendar.
- Calling Friends: You can also make sure you remember to call your friends every on a regular basis. Put this on your calendar too. If you have a standing lunch date with someone, don't cancel it. Instead, give them a call at that time and find out how they are doing. Schedule that lunch and meet over a video conference.
- Date Night: Social distancing doesn't mean you can't prepare a candlelit dinner or watch a movie on Netflix with your partner at home. Maybe even get a little dressed up to make it feel like an event
It's very important to keep doing these things at home so you have the motivation needed to keep going with work.
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Please note: Our marketing consulting firm is in Denver, Colorado, and we work with professional services providers and business owners throughout the United States. Brad Friedman, President of the Friedman Group, practiced as an attorney for 16 years and has more than 30 years of marketing experience.
