4 Work From Home Tips
Now that the time of social distancing and working from home is our new reality, I am getting questions from others asking: How do you do it? How do you work from home and get anything done?
For my business, WFH has been the norm for over 15 years. So this is business as usual at Oxyjen Design. Well… almost. I now have the whole family at home with me, which is why I’ve had to adjust how I work and become a homeschool parent at the same time. Here are some tips that are keeping me sane right now:
Set a schedule
Keep your “work time” to a set schedule. Make work your priority during that time and ignore any home chores or tasks. You can get to those “after hours.” Try to set up your space where you will have less distractions. If you have younger kids or pets at home that may be more challenging. There may be times you need to step away to take the dog out, or work while the kiddos are sleeping, but try to get back on schedule whenever possible.
Make exercise a priority
For my family, taking a walk in the neighborhood has really helped. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and alleviate a little stress at the same time. Maybe it’s raining and you can’t get outside? Try an indoor activity to do together or clean and organize the house.
Use any tools you have available to stay on schedule
You can use a timer to keep the kids focused on a project while you work, or if you have teens, here’s what has really helped me: Kanban for Kids (a shout out to my friend, Meghan McInerny, for coming up with this idea and posting on LinkedIn). This has been a game-changer for me! See her post here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/kanban-kids-how-i-used-agile-become-homeschool-parent-meghan-mcinerny/
My version is slightly different. I write down tasks or things that need to get done on a Post-It note, set up a “To Do & Done” section on a mirror in a high traffic area where everyone has access to it. (I didn’t have the large sheets of paper like in the article). When they are done with the task they move the post-it and check in with me. Well, realistically, it’s been me doing the moving. It’s a process, but we are all actually doing the items on the notes! Note: It’s more motivating when there are fun things on the list, too.
Create a “Plan B”
Remember, this doesn’t have to be rigid. I’ve had to adjust my schedule as things come up. We can’t always control when work or other interruptions will crop up, so switch things as needed and adjust the plan. If it’s working for you, keep plugging away!
I’m not sure how this will all play out, but if we keep calm and stick to the plan as much as possible, we can all get through this and learn something new along the way. If you have any questions or any tips you would like to share about working from home, reach out to me. I would love to connect!