My wife and I met at our jobs. We worked for the same company. One thing that seemed to bring us together was that we were both doing some side work after hours and on the weekends. She was doing graphic design. I was doing writing.
So that’s probably where we first got comfortable working from home. She later would leave the full time job to do graphic design full-time. And a year or so after that I would leave the job to start Ghost Blog Writers full time. Since then my wife has rented a few office spaces, but now we both work from home and have since about 2012.
So we have a lot of experience. Good and bad. Lots of learning especially in the early days.
For many reasons, working from home is more common. And it’s probably going to get more common. Obviously not all jobs can be done from home. But it’s become part of life for many.
Here are a few thoughts on how to thrive while you’re working, any kind of work, from home.
1. Find The Most Efficient Way To Communicate
Communication is a challenge in most work settings. It’s a different kind of struggle working remotely. We have email, Slack, phone, Zoom and all kinds of options. But with so many options come struggle. Try to identify the form of communication that is best for you. The one that you’re comfortable with, but that also helps you execute. And also focus on what works for your coworkers and colleagues.
Many Zoom meetings can emails. Many Slack chats can be comments on a document. Many Zoom calls can be regular phone calls.
Try to remove unnecessary communication. But make sure you’re being clear about your expectations. And make sure you’re responding to those that need decisions or help with something.
2. Pay Attention To Bottlenecks Early
Let’s say that your coworkers are letting you down in some way. They’re behind on work for a project. They seem frustrated and stressed. Use that as a red flag signaling that there is an issue. And probably a bottleneck somewhere in the system.
One struggle in all work, and it seems more with remote work, is adding tasks to the priority list. We ask someone to do one little thing. Then we ask them to do another. Then another. Pretty soon they’re behind on important things and we act surprised.
Anytime you feel this happen immediately start looking for things to cut back on. You may need to rearrange task assignments. You may need to eliminate tasks.
3. Separation
When you leave the home to go to work there is separation. You might still have some home thoughts on your mind, but there is at least physical separation. It’s important to create separation at home. A space just for work. As much as you possibly can. A time for work.
Many of the best writers throughout history have often had little sheds or cabins outside of their home. They need to get away from the distractions. They need to separate. And they often have time as well. For Hemingway it was from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM. That was writing time. And he stopped right at 12:00 PM every day.
It’s not just writers. It’s anyone that works at home. The more you can separate space and time the better.
4. Routine
Building on time is the idea of routine. The same routine every work day. We fall into one no matter what it seems so it’s better to create the routine than to let it happen. And it’s important to start with the little things.
One of my favorite stories comes from John Wooden. The famous basketball coach. When new players came into his program one of the first things they worked on was tying their shoes. Wooden did this for a few reasons. One, he really wanted players to put their socks and shoes on in a specific way to avoid blisters. But beyond that he wanted to start building routines. It started with shoes. Then warmups. Then game time.
Routines reduce stress. Your body gets into a groove and you stop thinking about little things. You don’t have to make as many decisions. You can move from life to work in a better way and separate.
5. Social Activities
Work is social for many people. As I mentioned earlier, my wife and I met at work. When you’re working from home you miss out on connecting with people in real life. Zoom can do a little, but it’s not real life.
For me, I belong to a golf league every week. It’s a way for me to connect with people. To get out into the real world a little beyond the home. And I love being with my family, but we all need a little separation at times. And something regular seems to be really good for us all.
Conclusion
Working from home is common. It will probably continue to be common. Technology has allowed it in many ways. It’s amazing that we can do video calls with people anywhere in the world. But working from home brings new challenges. Hopefully the items here can provide a little help if you’re struggling with the move to working from home.