Brian Alberti, Corporate Public Relations Manager, (ISC)2
Millions of workers around the world have been asked to work from their homes for an unspecified period of time until the COVID-19 outbreak has been contained by social distancing. For many people, this may be the first time in their work lives that they have worked out of their home for more than a day or two, and the transition can be a challenging one, especially with no definitive timeline on your return to your office building.
Nearly two years ago I made the switch to a remote work position after nearly 20 years of going into an office environment every day. I had a choice in the matter, but many workers today are not so lucky, and may find this change disconcerting. Following are some ideas and tips for how to stay engaged while working remotely.
Carve Out Your Workspace
It’s really important to find quiet space in your home where you can focus. If you don’t already have a private home office where you can shut the door and participate in calls, think about an area that you can retrofit to provide yourself similar space. Is there room in your basement or attic where you could comfortably fit a desk? A guest bedroom that no one will be using during this pandemic? A low-traffic corner or loft that you can convert? Make sure you’re as far away from others in your home as you can reasonably be. Not a bad idea anyway during a viral outbreak! And if you live in a studio apartment and are laughing at the idea of the luxury of extra space, you can find ways to mark your office with tape or a physical partition like a bookcase. Having a designated work area that you go to each morning will help you mentally lock in on what you need to accomplish.
Limit Distractions
With everything closed, including childcare facilities, schools, doggie daycares and maybe your significant other’s office as well, this can seem like an unwinnable battle right now. You’ll have responsibilities that just can’t reasonably be put off during work hours. This makes maximizing the time you do have so much more important. As much as you can control it, try to limit potential distractions by planning ahead.
Use noise-cancelling headphones or play classical or instrumental music to drown out any ambient noises in your home. There are some great playlists here. If your family is prone to interrupting you unnecessarily, let them know in advance when you’ll be on calls or focusing on important tasks so they don’t disturb you. One friend of mine posted the sign below on her office door to proactively head off any questions from her kids.
If you share parenting responsibilities (of children and/or pets), discuss the next day's schedule ahead of time with your family; When do you both have scheduled calls? What is non-negotiable? It helps clarify the needs for each day and gives you foresight into any roadblocks you may face so you can problem solve before you get on that important team call.
Create A Routine and Stick To It
Even in the face of a strange new cultural landscape, work still needs to get done and businesses are trying to operate at peak efficiency. While you may be asked to pitch in on different projects and be a little more flexible, hopefully much of your day-to-day work remains the same. As such, try to treat your workday as if you were still going into an office. Maintain a daily routine and write down a schedule of what you plan to accomplish (ex. meditate, exercise, shower, eat breakfast, read the news, catch up on email, attend meetings, etc.).
As much as you can, structure your schedule to mirror what it was, just taking the commute out of the equation. Show up to your home office at the same time you would normally get to your desk. Resist the urge to work every day in your pajamas. Getting dressed for work helps with establishing a work-focused mindset. Take your lunch break when you would routinely do so. I’ve found that setting appointments in my calendar and giving myself blocks of time and deadlines for different projects helps me stay focused on the tasks at hand.
While working from home also gives you a lot of flexibility, set work hours to avoid work creep. If your job allows for it, shut your laptop at your routine stopping time and close your office door for the evening. Make sure your out of office message is turned on so colleagues know you’re not working. Burnout is a real thing and you’ll be doing yourself and your employer a service by getting rest and increasing your performance during work hours.
Stay in Touch
Be proactive and reach out to colleagues to keep the lines of communication open. Person to person interaction can be a welcome reminder that you’re not alone. Share content to keep in touch regularly, even if it’s a meme you saw, a blog post on working effectively while remote (hint), or a recipe for dinner. Normally in an office environment, we complain about having too many in-person meetings that could be handled over email. During this period of time, think about whether a conversation might be better to have over a Skype or GoToMeeting video call, or an instant messaging application in order to keep everyone engaged with each other. There can be unseen, non-work-related pressures people are now facing, including the reality of family members and friends who are battling COVID-19 directly. Good teams lift each other up and check in on each other.
Be Good to Your Body
In an office environment, there are constant reasons to get up and moving, checking in with colleagues in their cubicles, attending in-person meetings in conference rooms, making trips to the break room or the restroom. While it may not seem like much, you are getting some steps in and giving yourself a break from your chair.
Your glutes can literally shut off (yes, there is actually a phenomenon known as “dead butt syndrome”) after extended sitting and put strain on your quads, lower back, knees and hips. In your home office, you may not have the same interruptions, and it’s critical to make sure you stretch regularly to prevent muscle fatigue and even injuries. Schedule breaks for yourself every hour or two to get up and move. Choosing an ergonomically supportive and comfortable desk chair is also helpful to limit bad posture.
Even if your gym is closed, routine exercise is an effective way to stay physically fit and mentally sharp. Here’s a great list of no-equipment-needed home workouts, as well as online training options: https://www.consumerreports.org/exercise-fitness/how-to-keep-fit-at-home-during-the-coronavirus/
Do you have a tip that I haven’t covered here? Something you’ve discovered that has helped you make the adjustment more easily. Comment below so we can help everyone get through this thing!