Are you currently working from home and find yourself not focusing on your work AND not getting dinner ready on the table for the family? Telecommuting can help save time and money not to mention cutting your commute to zero. However, if you can’t manage to stay focused and get your work done while working from home then your professional career can suffer along with unnecessary stress. I can help you alleviate that.
I’ve been working from home for over 16 years and I guess you can call me a telecommuting veteran. When I switched over to my current job a few years ago our team allowed telecommuting once a week. With the COVID19 lockdown, we are now working from home until the quarantine is lifted. Since telecommuting is not new to me I adjusted to my new environment very quickly. Working from home full-time is the moment I had prepared for all those years.
Working from home without being distracted and get your work done is a matter of building good habits. So how you start your morning will set the tone for the entire day. My advice is to off the TV until after dinner!
Here are my tips that have helped me thrive professionally and personally while working from home.
MORNING ROUTINE BEFORE 8 AM
One of the advantages of working from home is that I have more time in the morning. The first thing I do to set the tone for the day is to make my bed (the hubs usually gets up before me). Then I roll out my yoga mat and do a 30-minute exercise, which gives me so much energy. A shower after that feels heavenly. I make coffee and breakfast for the family while waiting for my hair to air dry. By the time I’m done eating I get dressed, apply makeup and style my hair. If I have time I get on social media and do some engagements.
WORKING HOURS ( 8 to 5)
Respect your working hours and treat telecommuting like you are in the office. Before you start this routine establish some house rules and set expectations at home for the entire family. If you have a space for your office make sure your family knows not to disturb you during your working hours. I used to tell my kids (they are 8 now and no longer interrupt me) that while mommy is working please do not disturb unless you’re bleeding, choking, or stop breathing. Or, their mommy will get fired and won’t be able to buy food or live in the house let alone getting them toys. It worked like a charm. At the same time let them know that you can take breaks at a certain time during the day so that you can socialize with them.
You are entitled to have your breaks and lunch during the working hours. But once you start your working day and are online, focus on getting the priorities done. If you want to chitchat with your coworkers you can still call them or ping each other using a messenger service from your company.
Sometimes during my breaks, I would do laundry, sweep the floor, clean the kitchen, or walk the dog.
For lunch, I have only 1 hour but sometimes I have meetings during that time and the hubs would help to prepare food for all of us. My advice is to make sure you have pre-made food the night or the weekend before so that you can heat them up for the entire family without having to spend the entire hour cooking with very little time to eat. Try to eat with them during lunch as much as you can so that they get to spend some quality time with you. Don’t worry about cleaning the dishes. I usually load up an entire day of dirty dishes in the dishwasher at night and run it while sleeping so that I have clean dishes the next morning.
FAMILY TIME
Most often than not I usually work late. One of the drawbacks of working from home is that you actually spend more time at work than when you are in the office. It’s great from a productivity standpoint because you get so much done. At the same time, you get to spend less time with your family. So, it’s important to balance that. It took me years to perfect that balance. My advice is to turn off your laptop/monitor once your workday is over. If you have an office at home close that door and don’t go back until the next workday.
It’s not easy to work from home, especially if you are very social and need face time with your co-workers. If you usually have lunchbreaks with your coworkers you guys can do Facetime with each other while having your lunch.
When I first started telecommuting I felt lonely, isolated, invisible and sometimes not feeling very motivated. Once you developed these good habits you will find yourself getting more things done than usual.
