When occupying the same space with others, you need to develop patterns for interaction and times when you can be alone. Not everyone has the same agenda, and distractions are everywhere. It is important to have a work area that does not encroach on family space. Set expectations for every house member and abide by those rules as best possible.
Get up at a specific time on weekdays. Although it is tempting to sleep in, early morning hours are crucial to productivity. My dogs wake me around 5:30 am each day, and it provides a nice routine for me…I let them outside, feed them breakfast, make a cup of tea or coffee for myself and take care of early tasks such as emptying the dishwasher, or planning the day’s meals, etc.
Take showers regularly, and dress for the day. Don’t give in to laziness and wear your pajamas all day, instead, put on clothes that you might wear outside. If you are participating in video calls with co-workers, clients, or colleagues, take note of what you are wearing; you may not need a business suit, but a sloppy T-shirt may be too relaxed – think casual Friday. Even if you don’t leave your house, women may consider putting on light makeup as you would if you were going out in public…it makes you feel better.
Establish regular schedules. Although you don’t have to drive into the office, you are still working, and those days should be treated as such with a similar routine – establish a pattern that you can follow based on your expected work hours. Everything is more relaxed at home, and early morning can be used for personal tasks such as breakfast with family members, a morning jog or yoga stretches, or watching the morning news on TV. Lunchtime can be a time to reconnect with others, perhaps take the dog for a walk or commune with nature, or put something in the crockpot for dinner, then get back to work.
Plan the night before. Late night is when others are winding down, or in bed. If you aren’t a morning person, use some of this quiet time to prepare for the next day. Make a to-do list for the items that need to be tackled the following day or revise priorities for the coming week. Make notes on your calendar…it is important that others in the house know your schedule, too.
When you are at home, it is easy to fall into a more relaxed state. The new discipline is setting aside uninterrupted work hours and balancing that with home tasks. If you are good at multi-tasking, it’s really convenient to pop a load of laundry in the washer on your way to refill your coffee cup. Turn off the TV whenever possible. If you are by yourself and it is too quiet, music is much less distracting.
Working from home can also lead to longer work hours. There is no real start and stop time as you have greater flexibility. I have owned my own business for years and I put in more hours than I would if I worked for someone else. Be careful to establish a work schedule.
Even more important, establish responsibilities among house members; home tasks need to be balanced with work time, and all must pitch in. Others may assume if you walk into the room you are available. Children look to their parents to provide for their needs, and there is no one else to coach them through schoolwork or oversee how they are occupying their time. All of this is a distraction from a parent’s ability to concentrate on their work.
The benefit of “going to work” was that you didn’t have to deal with home-related issues. Now, now so much! Anything you can do ahead of time is a plus! Sunday evenings are good for preparing things, such as lunches and snacks for the week ahead, weekly schedules, task assignments, or menus, and then post them on the refrigerator for all to access.
If your company isn’t using cloud-based software, make that your first priority. Those who have upgraded to Windows 10/Office 365 and other cloud-based applications, have a distinct advantage that they can access their computer from anywhere, at any time, plus have the security of saving to the cloud.
Use a meeting/collaboration software to connect to others. If you have upgraded to Windows 10/ Office 365, for instance, you likely have Microsoft Teams which can be used for meetings, video calls, collaboration and document sharing, and communication. Otherwise, check into products such as Zoom, LoopUp, or GoToMeeting to connect for group calls, online meetings, and screen sharing. Note: If multiple people are taxing your Internet, try to minimize other devices connecting to your Wi-Fi when participating in online meetings.
If your business has slowed down or work hours are less, take this time to improve your skills – read a business book, or watch webinars. Companies might consider providing training to their workers to improve skills – when things get back to normal there may not be time for this.