Confession: March-September 2020 working from home was a hot mess. I ranged from being hyper-focused to basic tasks taking 10x longer than needed and decided to rearrange my plants at 10 AM on Tuesday. A lot changed when I accepted my new role at the company so there was a little loss of direction in general for our previous team which contributed to the lack of clarity.
Now that I have my new role, moved to a new home I’ve been determined to find the WFH routine that works for me. No more being distracted by laundry but still taking advantage of the benefits WFH are providing. I’ve learned to really appreciate the time WFH has given me but also learned there’s a reason I need to separate work and home to help prevent burnout.
What A Day of WFH Looks Like for Me
There is absolutely no point in me trying to start working after 8 am. I’ve tried late-start mornings, morning appointments, etc. and they are absolutely the worst for my anxiety. If I am not in my seat or answering emails by 7:30/:45 am my anxiety gets the best of me.
One thing I’ve appreciated about working from home is I’ve learned more about how to better plan my day. For example, I need to start and end my day with creative reviews to help our creative team plan for their day and I can maximize efficiencies.
I’ve also learned not to just sit at my desk to be available. If I have finished for the day, I’m allowing myself to be free to “leave” my office. I’m always available and can easily get online to handle something. If I am struggling with a concept or need to think, I will jump on my Peloton for a 30 minute ride and then finish an evening work session.
You are not going to grow your career by sitting just to be a body in a seat. Advocate for what makes you a better person and fuels your personal and professional life. If that’s asking to adjust your 8-5 to 7:30-4:30, now is the time to ask! Use this time of working from home to find out what truly works for you.
How to Stay Focused Working From Home
I have never struggled with my attention-span until I started working from home. I would be going to the bathroom and 20 minutes later find myself Swiffering the kitchen floor which led to me taking calls while I folded laundry, etc. I’m a tidy person in general but working from home means absolutely nothing can be out of place. Hence why you see me using my Roomba during my workday and allow myself some personal tasks in my schedule.
My top tip to stay focused working from home is 45/15 stretches or 25/5 if you’re just starting out. Because there’s no chit-chat or drop-byes that breaks up your office day, give yourself that little “distraction” break. (And by distraction I mean task switching, etc.) I started using this last fall and it was so helpful to structure my day and allowed me to start training my brain to stay on-task.
When I moved one of the big priorities I had was a second bedroom I could use as a guest room/office. It’s been taken over as an office (it was previously Eleanor’s “bedroom”) and is purely for work purposes. I close the door over the weekend and truly keep it designated for work-only. (At some point this will be converted into a true guest room. The office will be relocated to the loft area upstairs.)
My Favorite WFH Items
My goal is to have absolutely no reason to get up from my desk unless it’s a bio break. Even Eleanor knows not to bother me when I’m in the office, mom is working! Here’s a list of what I use daily.
- My lips and skin get so dry during the day! I apply this lip water mask in the morning and use one of these mists 2-3x a time.
- I love this mouse. I’ve had my eye on it for a while and I finally got it. I don’t know what it is about it, but it feels so cool. You can also get it in sage and pink!
- Buy a new webcam, yours is trash. No really, it probably is. I bought this webcam and several friends have also gotten it for video calls!
- I still write in a notebook during meetings. These are fun to jot things down during quick calls.
- I love glass straws so much.
- My Jabra puck for conference calls. It’s now mostly used for Spotify after calls, but get you a puck that can do it all.
- This throw blanket is light/somehow heavy and perfect for when you just want a little layer of comfort.
- I’ve been wearing blue-light glasses for YEARS! Yes, you are going to love them.
There’s no shame in saying you are having to learn how to stay focused working from home! It’s not easy for most of us who love being in an office. I did not expect to enjoy working from home, but it’s opened up so many new things for me! Best of all is getting to spend so much time with Eleanor and learning more about how I can optimize and streamline my day to be even more effective.
