” Think OUTSIDE the Box!” This saying applies to SO many scenarios – including your Work from Home environment.
This is my first Blog on my new Website so WELCOME! And let me say:
WOOHOO for you new WAHAers! (Work At Home Agents)
First, let me introduce myself….my name is Jean and I have worked from home for over 20 years – call me a WAHA Wiz! I have to admit…I LOVED the WAHA idea from the get go! It provided a solution to being a single Mom on a limited (obscenely limited) income raising a child. It meant that I was raising my child VS. having him raised by others – who, for the most part are wonderfully responsible, dedicated, and caring people -but some are not (check off THAT fear). I longed for the peace and quiet and privacy it afforded me so I could really focus on my work. I embraced being minutes from:
- Later wake up time (discussed in further detail below)
- My personal coffee maker
- A fridge that catered to my needs, wants, and tastes alone! (no one eating my lunch – no globs of, God knows what, on the shelves for me to clean)
- A clean private Microwave – minus someone else’s exploded burrito left overs…Ewww! (and yes, my child was brought up to know better! lol!)
- A private bathroom
- A view, or view of whatever I wanted to look at
- My Computer
I had freedom in an environment that was 90% (or more) vacant of work place stress and foolishness and 100% full of the comforts of home. My lunches were healthier and my breaks more productive, freeing up more time on the week nights and weekends to enjoy my family and friends. Other Perks were:
- No rush hour traffic (and the toxic fumes and high blood pressure that come with it)
- No parking pass or express lane pass expenses
- Lower insurance rates because I did not use my car for work
- Lower Gas expense
- “Casual Friday” All week! (and a point to be expanded on in a bit)
- The piece of mind that, if something unforeseen happened, I was home and my family easily accessible instead of miles and miles away.
- When I DID drive somewhere it was for my own pleasure and purposes – voluntary – so that I actually enjoyed driving again.
“Okay, but that was YOUR way of looking at it Jean. What about those of us who LIKE being in a co-worker environment, a busy office and all the stimulation that environment provides?” Or ” I feel shut off, isolated from the world when I work from home” Or even, “I’m afraid I will not be organized or motivated enough to get my work done and I will fall behind or get fired.” All of these are extremely valid points and great segues into the meat and potatoes of this Blog post.
And before we make that deep dive….it is important that I point out there is a HUGE difference in how one adapts to working from home if it was Voluntary VS. Involuntary. Just like in any scenario – there is a higher anxiety level associated when the choice is Involuntary.
In the Words of Peter Parker’s Uncle “With great Power (freedom) comes great Responsibility!” The perfect Mantra for the WAHA!
For a majority of the working class, working from home is a frightening undertaking! One of the biggest hurdles is feeling Isolated. Cut off from instant help or fellow worker reminders as to the ebb and flow of being productive. Just like there is comfort (believe it or not) for a child to have house rules and Mom and Dad or Big brother/sister around to watch over them -keep them on track, there is a subconscious feeling of security in knowing there are codes of conduct and upper management overseeing how your day goes. Isolation is a state of mind. In reality it is the separation that we are feeling when we are in a work from home environment. The office rules and your managers, supervisors, and coworkers are still all “there” you just cannot physically SEE them! They are only a phone call away…and the upper management is still “watching”. (insert scary music here)
Here are some WAHA 101 guidelines that should help conquer A LOT of the Work from Home anxieties many of us have.:
1.) Start your day as if you were still “going to the office”!
— Set your alarm for a wake- up call 1hr or so before you have to sign on
— Perform the same morning rituals you did when going into the office (shower, shave, brush teeth, put on makeup etc…)
2.) Dress comfortable/professional – this engages the “Professional” mind set.
— PJ’s and slippers can be your new “casual Friday” attire ONLY on Fridays!
3.) Make your “office space” just that…
— Clear of anything non-work related
— Comfortable chair that allows for good posture
— Good Lighting
— As “away” from distractions as possible
4.) Invest in a good headset (does not have to be expensive just noise reducing, and comfortable if possible)
— If you’re not required to have an ethernet cable connection then I recommend a wireless headset to allow for more movement if needed.
5.) Establish “house office rules” and be strict in following them.
—Have set hours you work and set breaks and lunch times (do not stray from this schedule if you can possibly help it. Part of working from home allows for flexibility – but straying from your set schedule too often enables your work days to become out of control and your work suffers.
— Make sure family members respect your work hours and rules (it is hard if you have toddlers (and of course this is where being able to be more flexible is nice) make quick exceptions – but even little ones can and should have to abide by a schedule and adapt to “Mom’s/Dad’s” new circumstances. If you can still afford to do partial day care or a sitter ( family friend or relative) and are comfortable doing so – then do so.
— Keep animals out of your work space – especially if they are “needy”. During COVID-19, it is more accepted by clientele when a dog or cat gets vocal or active during a call or Zoom meeting – but it is still a distraction and seen as unprofessional.
6.) Stand up and move a little through-out the work day.
— Standing up, stretching, and other forms of getting out of the work chair mobility every 30 min to an hour is energizing and healthy – even in an office work environment! Think about it…at the office you do, from time to time, run to the copy machine, take a bathroom break, consult with a co-worker/manager, or get a drink. Your circulation will thank you and you will conquer the “mid-day slump” if you remember to stand up and move things about from time to time!
7.) Keep yourself hydrated!
— Keeping bottled water or juice or tea easily accessible (spill proof cup if possible) will make the difference between keeping your focus on-going and suddenly napping in the later hours of your day! 🙂 Having nuts, dried fruit or a hard boiled egg handy to give yourself a protein boost mid-day is a life saver as well!
8.) Start bringing your day to a close before quitting time
— Take advantage of this AMAZING PERK afforded to the WAHA!! Your solo environment brings to a sudden halt 99% of the last minute interruptions from ALL humanoids that would be in an office environment – revel in this unique perk!! You can now start closing files, putting last minute touches on work, filing things away to start on in the morning, and organize your work area in the last 30 minutes of your work day
— Make getting out of “the office” exactly ON TIME a given! Be honest, how many times does this happen when you are in your little cubicle at the office? You can slunk down in your chair…hide under your desk…hightail it to the restroom or WHATEVER…but “they” still find you! (this one scenario at the office has awaken me many times in a cold sweat at night!)
Put on some music and whistle while you finish working…
When you are able to start winding down your day with as little interruption as possible, you are then able to do our last step ….
9.) End your workday on time.
— “Impossible” you say? Not in the WAH environment. Outside of the last minute call or forgot about that item… rare scenario….you are already at home… there is no one to stop you…shut. it. down.
— If your work area is in your bedroom or front room …think about sectioning it off with one of those foldout screens or dividers. At least turn off all lights and remove yourself from the work area so you are not tempted to “work some more” just because you are already HOME.
10.) Celebrate another solo day – NAILED IT!
What was once your rush hour drive of wasted time coming home from the office is now your free to start dinner early or your grab a glass of wine and listen to the news or something else comical. It is your “on the train” time to meditate, rock your world to those tunes that just send you! ANYTHING that gives you even 5 minutes of YOU time before the rest of your world pulls you back into its demands and needs.
Suggestion – Organize a “TGIF” Zoom Happy Hour with co workers 🙂 This gives you the visual contact, even if in a virtual room, with your office friends/family that you miss so much while working from your home. It will also go a LONG way in dissipating that feeling of Isolation and separation.
As you can see, working from home is very much like going to an office to work, but with a twist. See the up side to that “twist” – think outside what you perceive to be an isolated, lonely “BOX” and see it for the unique opportunity that it truly IS.
Hearing those little voices telling you that you are not handling your new work condition well or that you CAN’T do this…is resistance to change, and normal. It also means you are handling it – it’s just new, different and you need to take baby steps to conquer and own it. Enter in … Gratitude. Be grateful you are working (a lot are not so fortunate). Be grateful you are safe and in the comfort of your very familiar surroundings called HOME. Humility = Motivation = Success.
The transformation will take time but YOU are worth it! And you will see stress and anxiety start melting away to be replaced by a more balanced, productive and approachable YOU. Promise.
I want to express my sincere Joy and Gratitude at sharing this time with you! THANK YOU! Please “wade in” anytime….you’re always Welcome!
Brightest of Blessings!
Jean