Perhaps this week marks the first time you’re working from home – maybe before these unprecedented times your employer didn’t support WFH and it’s taken a governmental directive to get here or the thought of working remotely doesn’t appeal to you and you’re not here by choice.
It’s not lost on me that a battle many of us have been having for much of our working lives, has in the past few weeks been rendered obsolete. All of the barriers that had previously stood in the way of requests to WFH sporadically, have been swept away in a mad dash of software procurement, hardware sourcing and enforced trust granting to allow almost instantaneous full-time WFH enablement for whole teams.
Now that we stand here, on the precipice of monumental workplace change, the questions begs, how do we make the most of this new situation that we find ourselves in? Ever curious about how other millennials get the best from themselves, I reached out to my network to speak to those who’ve been working from home for a number of years and asked them how they’ve been making it work…
I love the variety of responses from everyone and a key takeaway here is the permission to be playful with your new circumstances – there’s no one right answer to what is going to work best for you on any given day, so I invite you to make a note of the strategies that inspire you and be kind to yourself on the days when it doesn’t flow. We’re all doing the best we can.
First things first
In the absence of your usual morning commute to work, how do you want to intentionally start your day? Movement, reflection, inspiration seeking and socialisation are all possible elements that you could try integrating in to your morning, to set you up before sitting down at your desk…
I always start my day with walking our dog. It’s great to get fresh air and move in the morning before starting my work day. (Isabel, of sustainable luxury brand Tautanz)
I have a slower start to my day than I used to when I worked in an office. I like to take some time to have a proper brekkie, and then I spend some time journaling and setting my intentions for the day ahead before I jump into my to-do list. I find that this helps me to focus and stops me getting as distracted throughout the day. (Sophie Cliff, aka The Joyful Coach)
I walk the dogs first thing (after sending the little one off to nursery!) and listen to podcasts. This wakes me up and focuses me. I have my phones on me, and I always enjoy a morning chat. It's my pseudo commute. (Clark, a Senior Business Development Manager at CloudPay)
I start the morning by going for a walk through the park next to my house. Sometimes I will walk to my favourite cafe to get a coffee or work from there for the first couple of hours. (Callum, Content Strategist at Framer)
I feel there has to be planned interaction at the start of the day and at regular intervals, just to keep your mojo going. The interaction should also include checking-in on priorities and challenges. (Amy)
Dress for the day you want
Everyone had a personal take on how to approach your WFH wardrobe; this will likely come down to a combination of your company policy, personal preference and what is required of you that day...
I dress for my mood, and my day. How you prepare for your day depends on what you're trying to achieve. Everyone always gets weird about having their webcam on, but usually it's because they haven't prepared for a WFH day properly. They've prepared to hide away and not see the world. Feel good, get ready and go to work... albeit from home! (Clark)
I’m much more productive when dressing as if I’d meet a client since I feel more professional dressed that way. Wearing jogging pants can be tempting but also slows me down. (Isabel)
I often get dressed and put on makeup if I’m struggling with productivity. I’ll either wear normal clothes or at the very least gym clothes. Red lipstick really means I’ve got stuff to do! (Emily, Senior Brand Manager for Vintage Kilo Sale)
I prefer to be as comfortable as possible, so I’d usually wear leggings and layers. You don’t need to get fully ready with a face of makeup on. (Kristabel, London-based fashion, travel and lifestyle blogger at IWantYouToKnow)
I have to properly get dressed and put my make up on each morning as that almost signals the start of the working day for me. Although, I must admit that sometimes I opt for the comfort of leggings rather than jeans! (Sophie)
I freelanced from home for three months and did the whole don’t-get-out-of-your-pajamas thing and I will never go back to that again. Getting up, showering, doing my hair, and dressing right makes me feel like a human being rather than a half-awake mess. (Callum)
Getting stuff done
Days at home have the tendency to stretch out ahead of you, until suddenly it’s 5:30pm on Friday and you’re not sure what just happened. In the absence of the daily rituals and markers that may have kept your day flowing in the office, finding your own rhythm and structure is key…
In the beginning of each week, I write a to-do-list for each day of the week. This allows me to sit down in the morning, knowing exactly what to work on and get done by the end of the day. (Isabel)
My day starts with a to-do list. This is based on actions I want to accomplish and tasks I need to accomplish. It's important to have the distinction so I can prioritise. The reason I do this first thing in the morning, rather than for the whole week on a Sunday, is that I want the flexibility to manage my day as I need to. (Clark)
I try and make sure I’m ‘at my desk’ around 9:30am. I always start my day by making a list of what needs to be done, this gets moved around during the day but means I can go back and check tasks I may have forgotten about. (Emily)
I try to allocate certain days of the week to certain tasks - for example, Wednesday and Thursday are always coaching days, while Friday tends to be a day of creating content or planning for the following week. I find that batching my tasks in this way helps me to be more productive as I'm not having to switch in or out of certain modes throughout the day. (Sophie)
I’d say the most important thing to tackle working from home is mindset and accepting that you will not always be productive… I’ve often felt guilty because I’ve woken up and not been able to do what’s on my schedule, but now I’m trying to accept it. The most important thing is listening to your body and working out the day you'll need to plan for yourself. (Kristabel)
Fuelling your day
Missing the ease of popping out to get your regular meal deal, or paralysed by the options afforded to you in your own kitchen space? Sometimes the act of mentally removing yourself from your desk and preparing lunch can be a helpful break, and sometimes a chore and distraction…
I used to cook extravagant omelettes in the early days, but now I like to keep things quick. Ideally I would try and batch cook some soup at the weekend, so all I have to do is warm it up. (Kristabel)
I always try to take the time to cook a proper lunch and sit and eat it at the dining table - it doesn't always happen, but on the days when I do take that time for myself I feel a lot happier and more focused. (Sophie)
I don't bring food up to my office with me, because I like to go down and get it from the kitchen. This removes me from my space and is akin to walking down the corridors at work... plus it means I get to see the dogs. (Clark)
A dedicated space to avoid distractions
When there is no longer a distinction between work and home, it can be easy to get distracted – both by the jobs that need doing around the house when you’re working and by the work once it’s time to switch off. Unanimously, everyone recommends finding some way to have a dedicated space you work in at home…
I think it’s important to create a dedicated area where you work, no matter if you have a spare room or just a corner for your desk. There can be lots of distractions at home; quickly taking the dishes out of the machine, putting on the washing machine, and so on. Having an office in the house helps me to not be distracted by those things and separate working time from private time. (Isabel)
Having a good, tidy work space, good music and being near the window help me. I always try and work at my desk too and not my sofa/kitchen/bedroom. My space is in my living room as it’s got the best light, but is neatly tucked away so I’m not distracted by it when I’m ‘off’. (Emily)
I'm lucky enough to have a separate room in my house that operates as my office, and so often, just leaving that room and coming down to the living room signals that the working day is done. (Sophie)
I am lucky enough to have a little mezzanine in my living room that feels super separate from the rest of the house. Up there I have a desk and second screen, so the set up doesn’t feel too far removed to what I am used to at work. Being able to get away from your chill-out space is great. It helps me to mentally categorise the different areas of my apartment and what I use them for. (Callum)
Apps or tools to make life easier or the experience more enjoyable
While there’s no silver bullet to revolutionise your WFH experience, there are a number of apps recommended by the group that you probably are already familiar with or have installed on your devices that can enhance remote work…
Spotify is a great tool for me to create a nice atmosphere and make my work day more enjoyable. (Isabel)
Having the radio on is vital for me, as an extrovert that gets energy from being with others. (Amy)
Productivity apps like Forest are great. Forest lets you set time periods that you want to stay off your phone and rewards you with a little tree at the end of it. I’m pretty sure you can sync it with your desktop too. If you quit halfway through a session, you have to live with the fact that you killed your little plant friend. It also lets you look at your productivity over time as well as the forest of productivity trees you’ve grown! (Callum)
WhatsApp. We’ve trialled other apps in the past but it’s too confusing for everyone to get on board with. We like to stick to a medium that people know and keep it simple with a notebook for lists. (Emily)
I'm trying to be kinder to myself and accept that I may need to check social media to get ideas for work. I'm prone to jumping from task to task, to I try and recognise that to focus on one thing at a time. I use SelfControl to block Twitter for 2-8 hours if I find myself checking too much. (Kristabel)
Technology plays a huge role in my working from home experience, and I wouldn't be able to do it without it! I use Skype and Zoom for all of my client calls, which means I can connect with and coach people from all over the world - I have clients as far away as New Zealand and Alaska! I'm also very reliant on Google calendar and Acuity for helping me to schedule calls and effectively plan my time. (Sophie)
Get on LinkedIn. Participate in a community of some sort. Try and be visible for your own sanity. (Clark)
The importance of casual conversations and human connection
Especially now, more than ever, we need to remember the importance of social connection, albeit virtually. A number of the full-time WFH regulars mentioned that they usually mix up their working week with some days at home and others at co-working spaces or on client sites to give them face-to-face connection. However, given the current situation, it’s still important to remember that just because you’re working from home, doesn’t mean total isolation…
If you can, try and develop a network around you. When you work in an office, you can guarantee throughout the day, someone will come and lean on your desk and chat utter nonsense for 5 minutes, to the point where you start feeling awkward they've been there so long. You don't get that inane chat WFH, but sometimes you need. Never be afraid to call someone (especially if it's a WFH colleague) and just chat rubbish for a little bit. It can be an important outlet. (Clark)
I think the biggest challenge is communicating complex ideas. I much prefer to do this in person than over Slack. To overcome this, I will either make sure I have clarity on whatever I am facing in the days before I go to work for home or I will jump on a video call. (Callum)
I’m very lucky that I’m able to go to my co-working space, but with the virus outbreak I will try and organise FaceTime sessions with my ‘colleagues.’ (Kristabel)
I'm lucky that I have a few self employed friends who I can meet with for coffee or chat to on Whatsapp or Instagram throughout the day. (Sophie)
Thank you to Isabel, Emily, Clark, Sophie, Amy and Kristabel for sharing their learnings.
Ask yourself:
How do I want to start my day?
How can I best structure my day?
What boundaries will I have for myself? How will I know when I’m done?
How does what I wear impact my productivity?
Can I create a dedicated space for work?
What input do I need from others? Who? How often? In what format?