First up - yes, you can do this
Are you having to work from home right now and wondering how people do it? Perhaps it seemed like the best idea ever where you sailed through day one and now find you’re spending more time watching the news or worse, doing housework! Successfully working from home takes another level of commitment especially when we are surrounded by family who may not value you being there and not focused on them.
We will all have different reasons for choosing to work from home. Right now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, some of us are having this option given to us without choosing it. Maybe it’s just you having to work from home as your partner is now out of a job, or maybe it’s both of you. Whatever the circumstances, there are a few things we can do to have those we live with support us with this new style of working.
Managing a change in environment
My working from home journey began where my new boss at the time saw my 1.5-hr drive to work in peak traffic, with no immediate plans to relocate, meant I would burn out very quickly, and I was allowed to work from home 1-day a week.
This experience helped give me the confidence try it out again following the birth of my first child 11 years ago where I also chose to become self-employed. I had three reasons for working from home as an alternative work style option that still apply today:
- EARN MONEY – I wanted to try another way of working to keep up my contributions to the household
- STAY RELEVANT – I recognised continuing to work would keep my skills current in my industry, making for an easier return to work
- CREATE OPPORTUNITY – My employer valued my work and this allowed me to see the opportunity to continue making a difference for them in alternative ways, as a contractor
Behavioural flexibility is essential
As some of us know only too well, when there’s no-one looking over our shoulder, it’s much harder to stay focused! Having less or no accountability from a boss, colleagues or a team can challenge us where we allow distraction and procrastination to become the focus.
Below are seven hacks to help set up the ideal working-from-home environment:
1. RAISE YOUR STANDARDS
There’s a lot we can include on standards however the biggest one I have is having a designated place in the house that is my workspace; everyone in my family knows that space is only for that use and nothing else. Much like we drive to our office only to do our job, our workspace being designated for that task helps us focus when we are using it. Having the space tidy and free from clutter helps creativity flow and reduce distraction.
2. PRIORITISE YOUR TIME
Set yourself a realistic schedule (be it daily, and or weekly) that suits your circumstances and stick to it. As a mother of three primary-school aged kids who do lots of sport, I am responsible for a lot. I don’t get much downtime in the week and so getting everything that needs to get done can be a real challenge. My hack here is to set yourself a work schedule where all we do is work, in that allocated time. I find it works best to take care of household chores in a separate time to the scheduled work time. Sometimes I may load washing or wash up dishes during a coffee or lunch break but generally, don’t factor in a task that you wouldn’t do had you been at the office.
3. BE THE EXAMPLE IN YOUR HOME
If you say you’re going to do something, do it, don’t just talk about doing it. This is more relevant to people who may be working from home for the first time. Begin with doing what you tell others you are doing. Don’t just say it. What I mean by this is if you say you’re at your workspace or home office working, don’t be messing around on social media, for example. An hour can go past and over the day, you’ll not achieve what you could have. Where we have kids, how can we expect them to focus on homework or schoolwork (and not be abusing screen time) if they continually see us NOT doing that. This goes for our partners as well. Be the example you want to see in those you live with.
4. DO LESS, ACHIEVE MORE
Be realistic with your time and don’t set daily goals that likely won’t get done. Be smarter about the times of the day where you find you focus better and do the jobs you have been putting off first, using that time. You’ll be amazed at what gets done. For me, I try to get up 2 or 3 mornings a week at around 4am or 5am as I am more productive before 7am, often getting through half of my to-do list before school run starts. Be kind to yourself with this and build in plenty of earned breaks, rest and downtime to ensure you don’t get over tired, making you less productive.
5. BE RESPONSIBLE
Your work is your responsibility and so it’s unrealistic to expect those you live with to care about it as much as you. They won’t…they’ll care about what matters to them. It’s important to remember that we all have our own value system…especially with kids… whose values are often very different to adults and yet matter as much as ours. We need to be responsible for what it means to work from home, and not expect those we live with to do more because we are choosing to work. Respect it’s their home too.
6. MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
Being at home, it is very easy to spend much more time working than honouring other priorities that bring us balance in life. Setting boundaries within the home where there’s an agreed time for work and play helps each person know what is expected of them and when. An example I share is where I openly ask my kids at bedtime to know that mum clocks off at 8.30pm and Lorraine clocks into her office to work. This helps create a separation from my roles for me and allows them to be more responsible for their bedtime routine (in theory…always a challenge!). For my kids to value this approach, I find it helps where all they expect of me is taken care of, for example making sure I stop when they need me to and take time to chat to each of them to hear about their day.
7. CONNECT WITH LIKE PEOPLE
There has never been a better time to connect with other people facing the same new changes as us. We all have a need to feel supported and some of us will cope with the new situation better than others. For all of us, it can get very lonely at home by ourselves and it’s also not the real world. Even if you are busy, aim to speak to someone at least once a day to either serve or contribute; inspire or help someone out. The confidence we gain from connecting and asking for what we need is worth it.
Making the most of it...
Whilst the main theme in this article is about how to remain focused working at home, equally this is a great time to reflect on the many great things flexible working options provide to families. Those more used to conventional face-to-face work hours will be enjoying all of these, right now. Things like less pressure to be somewhere on time, more say over our scheduling of work tasks, and we get to work very close to our families allowing for much need quality time to connect. Having full acceptance of the new changes, embracing the hacks, and remembering to take breaks to make the most of this time will provide for a positive outlook and some cherished memories.
Stay safe, stay connected and stay working