Whether you’ve been working from home for most of your career, you just started in 2020, or are looking to work remotely for the first time now, the idea of working from anywhere has gained tremendous popularity, and for good reason.
I, like a lot of people, started working from home in March of 2020 during the Covid Pandemic. I still remember the weeks leading up to our last day in the office. At first it was very organized and thoughtful. We were having people bring in their own laptops to get set up with our company software a handful at a time. Then, it turned into sending people home to go get their laptops and once they were set up, sending them back home to start working remotely. And in the least couple days leading up to working completely remotely I remember loading office desktops on our desk chairs and pushing them up to people’s cars who were lined up at the building entrance. It was chaos and everyone was scared. I remember asking my manager at the time do you think we’ll at least be home for a few weeks? This was a lot of work to get everyone home if we’re going to be back next Monday. Of course all she could do at the time was shrug her shoulders.
So here we are, 3 1/2 years later and I’m still working from home- mostly. My company, along with many others, are encouraging workers to return to the office buildings at least on some sort of hybrid schedule, and others have realized that there are a lot of people who prefer working remotely and are still offering this as a job perk. I must say, I’m of the latter group. But, I do understand that there are many who take advantage of working from home and because of this companies have been forced to implement a return to office for the sake of productivity and profit.
So if you want to work from home, a successful remote career absolutely is possible! There are a few key things to keep in mind if you’re working from home:
- Get ready for your work day
- Have a dedicated work space
- Don’t treat it like a day off
Getting Ready for Your Work Day:
At the beginning of the pandemic I was a direct supervisor of 6-8 associates. We had some sort of video calling option from the start, though it’s morphed over the years. But I remember calling one of my associates for a scheduled meeting I had with her and when she answered she was clearly lying in her bed, in her pajamas, with curlers in her hair. Now I’m not saying that you need to wear a 3 piece suit to answer a video call, but putting some effort into getting ready for your work day goes a long way towards your mindset and productivity.
Think back to when you drove into an office. What was your morning routine like? What time did you wake up? Did you workout? Eat breakfast? Shower every morning? Pack the kids’ lunches? Style your hair and put on jewelry and makeup? Some of these may not be necessary when working from home but following some sort of morning routine and getting ready to “go to work” is a must. Currently, I workout 4-5 days a week, clean up, and then change into what I’m going to wear for the day. I still put on minimal makeup and make sure that my clothes are at least clean and appropriate if my boss and colleagues are going to see me on video. I absolutely wear leggings almost every day when it’s cool enough and I do wear t-shirts a lot (neither of which were part of dress code in office) but I do make sure it’s a different pair of legging than what I worked out in, and not the t-shirt I slept in. Then after I have a fresh cup of coffee I make my “commute” to my home office. The bonus here of course is that it’s a 3 second walk instead of a 45 minute drive.
When I was in high school my Mom had a consulting firm that she ran with a business partner who lived in another state. In fact, the partners and their handful of employees all lived in different states so of course they worked remotely. But I remember my Mom getting up, walking the dog, getting a shower, blow drying her hair and putting on a clean professional outfit every morning before she went to her office for the day. And this was before video calling so nobody was even seeing her. But she made it a point to tell me that she was “going to work” and that’s why she still followed this routine.
Having a Dedicated Workspace is Important for 2 Reasons:
- It lets you set up the professional space you need and
- It creates a separation so there is a work life balance
I cannot stress the importance of having a dedicated space for where you work. Yes, in the beginning of the pandemic a lot of people were camping out on their kitchen tables but as this temporary situation became more and more permanent the need for a home office grew. You don’t have to have a grand room with a large cherry desk, floor to ceiling bookshelves and diplomas hanging on your walls, but a nook, part of a room or even an actual home office will allow the space where you can buy the equipment you need to be successful. A lot of companies supply laptops to work from home but depending on what you do, those small screens are not enough. Multiple monitors, a keyboard and a mouse really do make a huge difference in productivity. Having a desk that suits your needs for space is also crucial. I went through 2 desks before I found the one I currently have and I love it. The L shape fits my office space and the curved inside means I can sit at an angle! It holds my personal laptop, work laptop, and 2 extra monitors with a full-size keyboard and separate mouse perfectly. A link to the desk I have is below:
I also invested in a power sit/stand desk topper that helps keep me active and fight being so sedentary in an office position. I also have to say this was a must when my son was an infant and I needed to rock him while working. The latest model of this item is below:
Your own space in your home where you can think, be creative, and get work done also means you can personalize and decorate how you want! A few small accessories will make it fun and yours too. A few of my favorites are below:
Now, an absolute must if you spend all day staring at a computer screen are glasses to help with the blue light. I love these because they’re inexpensive and come in 3 packs, but they really have reduced my headaches and my eyes don’t feel as strained after 8 hours.
The second benefit to having a dedicated work space is helping with work life balance. A lot of people may struggle with this because your computer is right there. It would be nothing to just knock out a couple things on Saturday morning before the weekend gets started. But, personally, I don’t go into my office on the weekend if I don’t have to. That space is for work and not my family time. And because it is separate from the general living space I can avoid it on nights and weekends. It would be a lot harder to separate your work from home if your work is set up on your kitchen table for example.
Don’t Treat it Like a Day Off
Working from home is still a regular work day. Believe me, I know how tempting it is to take care of some things around the house since you’re home all day, but I urge you not to do this. I’m not saying you can’t throw a load of laundry in if your kid needs their uniform for practice at 5:30pm but resist the urge to clean your kitchen, or sweep the floors outside of any break or lunch times. Working from home does allow the flexibility to throw something in the crockpot at 10am, but be mindful that any chores or anything is within your allotted break times. You don’t want to take advantage!
Working from home is a privilege that I’ve personally become very dependent on. It has allowed me to see my son grow from a newborn to a toddler and not miss much, but it certainly has its challenges and takes a certain sense of discipline and commitment. For anyone wanting to work from home, or just be more dialed in to working from home, I hope this helped you to self reflect on how you approach your own remote work day!