How to Not Go Nuts Working from Home During COVID-19

Ready or not, it’s time to test out all those theories about working from home.

I’ve worked from home exclusively for almost 8 years. Bourbon Fat is run 100% remotely and we’ve been strong advocates for it since day one. We’ve experienced the best and worst of it, the skepticism and benefits. While it’s not rocket science, we picked up a few tips along the way. For those that are completely new to it, it will be an adjustment. Here’s how you can stay sane:

Build a New Routine

As Brené Brown recently said on the Tim Ferris Podcast, “Routine will set you free.” Getting up, showering, dressing, commuting, getting coffee, dropping the kids off…these are all part of our daily experience. They’re primers for getting into a work mindset. Most of those behaviors are now on hiatus, but that doesn’t mean you should ditch a version of this routine. Develop a new routine that gets you into a work mindset. Use your commute time to workout early, make a French Press coffee, or meditate. Many people find that showering and getting fully dressed is an ideal way to trigger productivity. If you’re like me and you don’t always have an early meeting that requires you to be on webcam, you may find getting ready mid-morning feels better. I learned that diving in to work quickly after I wake and get a cup of coffee makes the morning productive. I tend to get stuck at about 10:30 am and this offers a perfect break to get dressed and ready to regroup. I hit another wall in the afternoon and find that a quick workout or coffee gets me back on track. I also enjoy doing some work at 10:00 pm, so whatever doesn’t get done during the day can happen when everyone else is asleep. The point is, there isn’t any right way. In these first weeks, pay attention to your energy levels to find a routine that unleashes your productivity and keeps you feeling sane. Even for those that have a full day of meetings, you’ll find the time-savings and flexibility make it easier to squeeze in moments for yourself.

Find a Quiet Space

Have you ever had visions of being one of those remote employees sipping a latte while you work from your laptop at a hip coffee shop? Me too. I discovered that coffee shops are actually incredibly loud places. You’re better off being stuck at home. If you have calls in your day, you need a quiet space where you can keep your dog under control and lock out your kids (if they’re old enough obviously). My kids know that if my door is closed, they’re not to come in to my office. While most colleagues are more than forgiving of these little life moments, for those that are new or traditional, its important to try to control the chaos until they can adjust to these realities. If you have an office, you’re off to a great start. If not, find a designated place to take calls. Move in and set up the essentials. You can still move around and change it up when you feel bored, but it’s important to have a space that triggers your work mindset. Just make sure you get far away from kitchens and bathrooms, no one wants a toilet flush in the middle of your report.

Get Over Your Webcam Insecurities

Can we all agree that regardless of how good the tech has become, webcam is an unflattering and awkward medium? Great. Now lets keep using that shit. It helps you stay engaged and connected, and as we’re all working from home, we need that more than ever. Embrace your inner TV host. Prepare and make a commitment to use it. Make sure the background is appropriate - it doesn’t have to look like a TV backdrop, it just has to be free of embarrassing or distracting objects. This is the perfect time to show your peers how smart you are by sitting in front of your bookshelf. Fix your lighting by getting near a window. Raise your laptop to get rid of your double chin. Bring your dog in your room - everyone loves seeing dogs on video. And last but not least, don’t forget to get fully dressed. It may sound ridiculous to the newly initiated work-from-homers, but its a real possibility as you develop your routine, get lost in your work, and forget where you’re at.

Create Boundaries, but Forgive Yourself

One negative consequence about WFH is that you are constantly confronted with the chores and duties of your home life. Especially as kids will be going through this with you, it becomes burdensome to notice all the things at home that also need to be done while you’re trying to answer emails from your boss. Dishes pile up, you see a few weeds outside, the fridge is making a strange noise…all these chores become more visible and can place emotional strain on your mental to-do list. It’s important that you compartmentalize your tasks and focus. Block time that you keep for only work tasks, and when lunch rolls around, don’t feel guilty about knocking out the laundry. The fact that you CAN do both is one of the benefits, just make sure to segment them so you don’t always feel overwhelmed. Setting rules can help. “I don’t do dishes between 9 and 12” is one way to think about it for example, but it’s up to you. Inevitably, you’ll find the allure of multi-tasking your home chores and work chores too inviting, so when this happens just forgive yourself. This is the human-nature piece that most companies have failed to acknowledge about WFH, but its a reality of the situation. As long as your colleagues feel like your delivering, you’re doing great.

Take Breaks to Combat Loneliness

Listen, for extroverts, this is going to be tough. Loneliness is a real consequence of WFH. Many of us genuinely like our work lives and co-workers and you’re now being torn from that. Team lunches and meetings do have benefits (even though we generally hate meetings). Remember to take breaks and energize with your family and through texting your friends. It’s important to save time for this and you’ll find that you actually need it to stay productive.

There are a lot more tips to share, but those will get you started. What tips do you have? Share and post yours. We’re all in this together. Let’s prove just how well we can do this.