Quick Tips for Working from Home

By: Kristen Sohlman MACP, RP

For some the opportunity to work from home has been a glorious and welcomed change, while for others this change has been difficult and the wait to return to “normal” cannot come fast enough. While there are many work environments and workplace needs, there are some things that can help make the “new normal” more manageable.
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Where possible, things to consider when working from home:

• Prepare for a work routine by engaging in self-care, eating a healthy breakfast, stretching or exercise, showering, and getting dressed. 
• Set up a workspace for you to do your work which is separate from where you eat or sleep.  If you have the privilege to, set up a few workspaces in your house to give you some variety and to help you move around throughout the day. 
• Keep your workspace clean. Keeping up with household chores can help you work more productively and creatively from home. 
• Set up a work schedule. Decide what your goals and tasks you would like to achieve for the day, as well as decide how much time to spend on each task.  Write your schedule down or use an electronic device to keep track, and set tasks to repeat each day or week as you’ve decided. 
• Take your breaks and your lunch hour.  Eat a nutritious snack and/or lunch, and drink water.  Avoid eating at your workspace.  Finish your workday on time. Finishing that last thing can wait until tomorrow.  This will protect against burnout. 
• Go outside and get some fresh air during your lunch hour or end your workday by taking a walk outside. 
• Address feelings of loneliness and disconnection.  Face to face contact still matters.  Stay connected with your team through weekly meetings, meetings online, social distanced meeting outdoors, office chats, etc.  

• Ask for help.  Consult with coworkers or managers.
• Be patient with yourself, practice self-compassion, practice self-care, and be empathetic towards yourself and others as much as possible.
• If you have a partner who also works from home spend some time apart.  Enjoy your own hobbies and recreation interests, engage in self-care, and engage your own friends.  Make time to spend with you partner or family outside of working alongside them. 
• If you will be working from home for the long term, there is no time like the weekend to train any pets that are home.  A well-trained pet can minimize interruptions to your workday whether those interruptions come through barking at the window or doorbell, cleaning up messes when you could not make it to put them out, or the like.
• Enjoy the benefits of spending less time commuting to work, saving money on gas, having the flexibility to manage life tasks, better concentration (when the dogs and kids are occupied and cared for), and more autonomy in your work. 
• Make time to switch off from work to home life. Find a routine or ritual that helps you transition from work to home life such as putting away your work, cleaning your desk, changing your clothes, go for a walk, etc.