First of all, I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Things are intense out there, but we need to work together to stop the spread of the virus as best we can. That means we all gotta be smart and work together. One of the biggest ways we can do that is by working at home as much as we can.
This is a good time to talk about the best practices for working at home. Since August, I’ve been (more or less) working from my kitchen table and I have a few suggestions for people who are struggling with the transition from a structured office to a productive Work At Home.
First, make a schedule and try to keep to it. I have an alarm for 5:30 and usually roll out of bed at 6:00. After I shower, I’ll make some breakfast, usually eggs and spend some time on Facebook and other social media to see what I missed. After that, I’ll settle into my current project (whether that’s editing or writing). Around noon, I’ll go for a walk outside (not too far and alone). I usually close up around 5 or 5:30, but I’ll keep going if I’m on a good roll. At worst, I’ll close up everything at 7:00 and go do some reading in bed before I fall asleep.
Which leads to my next point: Have more than one space to work in, if you can. If you have access to more than one space, you should establish one as your workspace and one as your recreational/sleep space. I have a separate bedroom than my living space, so it’s easy to close my door at night and leave my writing work at my kitchen table. I have the bad habit of working while eating other meals, but who isn’t a little bit guilty of that? I’m able to limit the overlap between Working Brain and Sleeping Brain by physical space.
Thirdly, drink a lot. No, I don’t mean that kind of drinking. Water and tea are my suggestions. It’s important to stay hydrated through out the day. I’ve been going through six or seven mugs of tea a day at this point. When working at home, it’s strangely easy to ignore our basic needs like water.
And finally, don’t forget to stop working! Yes, productivity at home is good, but don’t let that drive burn you out completely. When we’re working, it’s easier to keep track of our daily work schedule and clock out right at 5:00. When you’re already home, what’s five more minutes? Then ten minutes. And next thing you know, it’s dark outside already (which is shocking now that we’re entering the long, summer days).
Above all else, if you’re working from home? Stay healthy both physically and mentally. So, stay safe, stay well and don’t forget to relax once in a while.
Follow Me On Social Media
