6 Tips for Staying Sane While Working From Home
Many of us are transitioning to a new way of working. Even those who worked from home before probably did not have their family members home all the time. Our work environments, schedules, routines, and responsibilities have shifted in significant ways. We have even more on our shoulders to balance than ever before. We are responsible for ourselves, our teams, and for delivering results for our organization. Most people are cooped up in their houses right now. Perhaps you and your spouse are sharing childcare responsibilities, or you are sharing the space with people you’re not accustomed to being with all day. Here are some techniques to manage yourself, your team, and your culture while working remotely.
How to stay sane while working from home:
- Set Goals and Structure Your Day
Set a standard schedule for your day – work time, play time, mealtime, exercise time. Create daily and weekly goals for everyone in your house. Synchronize your work time with your goals and with the demands of your team so there is no competition for your time and focus. Also, take a shower and get dressed for work (even if just the “nice” sweatpants). - Arrange Your Space
Clear your desk. Go through the “Later” stack and create a workable space. You may need to move your workspace so everyone has workable space. Bedrooms and garages are being converted to on-screen spaces. Try to find natural lighting. Make sure you’re working in a chair that promotes healthy posture. Don’t work from bed or on the floor. - Breathe and Repeat
Start your day with a meditation, reflection, or quote. Schedule meetings to end at :25 or :50 to give yourself transition time between activities. Get up to get a drink of water or run to the loo. See some tips and tricks for your Corona-virus anxiety. - Test Your Tech
Check your internet speed. Test your Zoom or Hangout ahead of the meeting. Provide a back up number in your calendar invites in case people are having trouble connecting by video. Practice using polling or breakout rooms beforehand. Experience the learning curve beforehand. It will set the expectation to be prepared, and it will make you look like you’ve got this working remote thing nailed. - Assume People are Doing Their Best
Don’t assume because someone is not online; he’s not working hard. Schedules are shifting. When you do reach them, first ask if they are OK, then ask why they missed the meeting. Trust that everyone is doing their best. Uninformed reactions and runaway stories no longer serve us. - Practice Good Boundaries
Some of us tend to flex our schedules a lot when we work from home. Set some boundaries with your work hours. Really stick to those schedules. Your risk of burnout or getting stressed is greater if you’re working 24/7.
Want more help? Sign your team up for our interactive 90-minute webinar “Best Practices for Working Virtually.” Contact Lindsay for more information.