Making Remote Work...Work!
In these strange and unprecedented times, those of us fortunate enough to work at all are doing so from home. With stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders being issued in an increasing number of states and the federal government urging folks to stay inside at least through April, working remotely right now isn’t much of an option. As such, it’s hugely important that we construct our spaces for efficient, effective work. Tech makes it possible to do our jobs from home, but that doesn’t mean working from home is a one-to-one comparison from being at the office. If you expect that seamless transition and don’t set yourself up for success, you could end up frustrated at your performance. With that in mind, here are a few tips to get your space and yourself adjusted to remote life.
Build a workstation
Even people who work from home semi-regularly may not have a home office or well-kitted-out desk area. The truth is that if you’re only working home one day per week, you probably won’t notice the difference. But give it a few days, a week, or a month and you can’t help but feel it. A well-functioning workstation improves your quality of work, so it’s up to you to create the best one you can. If your office is still accessible, consider asking if you can take home monitors, keyboards, and other peripherals you rely on to do your job. If you have slower internet speeds at home, consider directly wiring your machine via ethernet to ensure smooth webinars. Ideally, when your workstation is complete, you should have all of the tools you’d normally have at the office.
Start a routine
We’ve all had the thought that working from home will allow us to roll out of bed the moment before a meeting, allowing us to skip showering, eating breakfast, commuting, and so on. That may work in a pinch, but you shouldn’t make it a daily habit. A morning routine will benefit you just as much while working from home. Getting up and ready gives us time to wake up and approach the start of the workday at high levels of energy and clarity. If you open your eyes minutes before logging on, I’m willing to bet that your first couple hours of work will involve plenty of mental fog. Instead of sleepwalking through tasks, force yourself to get up, drink some water, eat breakfast, and approach the day as you would normally. Plus, you’ll probably still get some extra sleep anyway.
Look for opportunities to collaborate
When you’re working from home, it’s easy to become a silo. Without the ability to walk over and talk to somebody, you may reach out to your fellow team members only when absolutely necessary. This may not create any operational problems, but it will definitely make your work life a lot less rich. While little conversations we have throughout the day may not have a direct impact on work, they do build company culture and foster a sense of camaraderie. If you’re losing that sense, it’s a great idea to set up regular videoconferences, if only for a few minutes a day. Many companies have also instituted optional “virtual happy hours” where team members can unwind. These are great ways to bring people together while still staying safe.
Stay as positive as you can
There’s no denying that it’s a challenging, sometimes frightening moment in our history. Pretending everything is the same will do you no good. That said, you can’t allow yourself to dwell entirely in the negative isn’t sustainable. You have to find ways to make the best of the circumstances, connect with people in the safest way possible, and persevere.
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