Working from home. A nice work-perk turned into a necessity. But, there’s a segment of society that has been forced to work from home already (some of us measure that time in years) and it’s time for us to share our expertise.
It’s a Matter of Time
When I was restructured, my first instinct was to turn my alarm off. “Hey, I don’t have anyone to answer to now so why should I answer to a clock!” So, I stayed up late... binge-watching! I went from getting up at 5 am, to 8… 8:30… 9… 9:30… 10… when I hit 10:30, all I felt was how much of the day I had wasted. Now that you’re working from home, you may not have to get up quite as early as before, but GET UP!
Time to Get Your Pants On!
And shower, and get dressed, and sweats don’t count! I found that even if I did get up at a set time, lounging around in sweat pants and a t-shirt all day (and some days not even showering) put me in “lazy mode.” I could apply to 15 jobs that day and still feel down about myself. Put on real pants, and something better than a t-shirt. Doing the things that get you prepared for work gives you focus to get work done.
Schedule Time for Everything
“Ok, I’m ready to work but everything about my environment has changed.” And that can make it hard to know what to spend time on, lose yourself to “distractions” or exhaust yourself in one task. In the book “The One Thing”, author Garry Keller talks about “blocking your time.” It’s not a new idea but a great reminder about deciding how much time you need for a task and sticking to it… NO MATTER WHAT! Including lunch, breaks AND the things you don’t want to do.
Time, for a Reward!
Once you’ve completed your “Blocked off” tasks, it’s time for dessert! I grew up in a household where the sweet reward of a tasty treat would only be awarded if you completed a certain task. How many of you heard this at the dinner table; “You can’t have dessert unless you finish your dinner!” I choked and gagged down the most hated meals as a kid but, it was worth it! So, make sure you schedule yourself “dessert.” And by “dessert” I mean doing something you like. Playing with your kids, watching (not binging) a new show, catching up on social media but ONLY if you complete your blocked tasks.
It’s Time for the Experts
Being in transition has allowed me to experience the traps of “working from home.” It’s lonely some times. It can feel unproductive. The very walls around you can be all consuming. Blocking off time, getting up on-time and dressing like you mean to get work done has helped me deal with the emotional stresses of being forced to “work from home.”
If you need help, or would like to share your ideas on how to “work from home,” I’d love to hear from you. If you know someone in transition and need some advice, I’m pretty sure they’d love to know how much you value their expertise. If you think this article could help someone, please share it!
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