How to Make the Most of WFH!
Lake West Chamber is always here for you to help promote your business and provide networking opportunities. Today we are talking on a more personal level about how to work from home, or "WFH" as people are saying. Working from home is the new normal for a lot of people due to the ongoing virus. If you are new to remote work, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you learn how to work from home without too much disruption to your typical home life. Read on to learn more!
It's important to have defined hours for your day, even if you are not on a tight schedule. Without regularly defined hours, it could be easy to fall into the trap of working way too much and not knowing when to stop. It can be easy for some people to blur the lines between work and home in a regular week. When work and home are the same place, it can be even harder to set boundaries.
If you have kids at home with you, it may not be easy or practical to work your typical 9 to 5 hours. Instead, try breaking it up and splitting your day to fit the needs of your household. Try getting up earlier and starting the day off strong, taking time off in the middle, and finishing the day's work later in the evening. You may think your boss won't go for a split timeline, but everyone is having to get creative and find new ways to work during this time. Find what works for you, your workload, and your family, and communicate your needs and schedule clearly with the rest of your team.
It's important to have a beginning and end-of-day routine. Doing so can help you get into the right mindset and clearly separate what is work time and what is home time. If you typically work in an office, then your morning routine may include getting dressed, having breakfast, brushing your teeth, gathering your belongings, and then driving into work. Try keeping as many of these routines as possible. Jump-start your work day with a fresh outfit, healthy breakfast, and a hot cup of coffee so your brain knows it's time to get to work!
It's also important to have an end-of-day routine that allows you to decompress from a full day of work. Normally, you would pack up your belongings and drive home listening to your favorite podcast or radio station. When you get home, you may change out of formal business clothes and get dinner started. Again, stay as close to normal as possible. At the end of the day, put your work away... quite literally out of sight. Do something that allows you to forget work for the rest of the evening and enjoy your time at home with family. Listen to the radio station for awhile, go for a walk with the dog to stretch your legs, or do an at-home exercise. Whatever you choose, make this time all about taking care of yourself and leave work behind until tomorrow.
Even though you may be tired of the monotony of working from home, there are a few perks that you could be overlooking!
Depending on how far you normally have to commute, you could have an extra hour or more in your day that is normally taken up by driving. Use this time to pursue a new hobby or pick up on old hobbies that you haven't had time for. Has your instrument been trapped in its case for years? Break out the tuner and give it a try again! Are there books on your shelf collecting dust? Read them for the first time while you relax on the deck.
Working from home also gives you the unique opportunity to eat a more balanced and healthy diet. At first it may seem like the opposite as you mindlessly snack on chips and snacks all day. However, there is a big opportunity here! On a normal day, you may have to quickly throw whatever you can into a lunch box on your way out the door. Your breakfast may only consist of a banana, because that's the quickest thing you could grab and eat on the way. But at home, you don't have to be in a rush. You can take your time to prepare and enjoy a balanced breakfast. And when lunch rolls around, you won't be stuck with odds and ends in a lunch box or high-calorie take-out. You'll have the whole refrigerator and pantry to choose from to make a healthy and filling lunch.
Lake West Chamber knows that these times are difficult, and that adjusting to staying at home all of the time can be hard. We hope that some of these tips help as you work from home and continue to care for your family. Remember that we are here for you and that our community is resilient, and we can get through this together!
Regular Hours
It's important to have defined hours for your day, even if you are not on a tight schedule. Without regularly defined hours, it could be easy to fall into the trap of working way too much and not knowing when to stop. It can be easy for some people to blur the lines between work and home in a regular week. When work and home are the same place, it can be even harder to set boundaries.
If you have kids at home with you, it may not be easy or practical to work your typical 9 to 5 hours. Instead, try breaking it up and splitting your day to fit the needs of your household. Try getting up earlier and starting the day off strong, taking time off in the middle, and finishing the day's work later in the evening. You may think your boss won't go for a split timeline, but everyone is having to get creative and find new ways to work during this time. Find what works for you, your workload, and your family, and communicate your needs and schedule clearly with the rest of your team.
Set Routines
It's important to have a beginning and end-of-day routine. Doing so can help you get into the right mindset and clearly separate what is work time and what is home time. If you typically work in an office, then your morning routine may include getting dressed, having breakfast, brushing your teeth, gathering your belongings, and then driving into work. Try keeping as many of these routines as possible. Jump-start your work day with a fresh outfit, healthy breakfast, and a hot cup of coffee so your brain knows it's time to get to work!
It's also important to have an end-of-day routine that allows you to decompress from a full day of work. Normally, you would pack up your belongings and drive home listening to your favorite podcast or radio station. When you get home, you may change out of formal business clothes and get dinner started. Again, stay as close to normal as possible. At the end of the day, put your work away... quite literally out of sight. Do something that allows you to forget work for the rest of the evening and enjoy your time at home with family. Listen to the radio station for awhile, go for a walk with the dog to stretch your legs, or do an at-home exercise. Whatever you choose, make this time all about taking care of yourself and leave work behind until tomorrow.
Take Advantage of the Perks
Even though you may be tired of the monotony of working from home, there are a few perks that you could be overlooking!
Depending on how far you normally have to commute, you could have an extra hour or more in your day that is normally taken up by driving. Use this time to pursue a new hobby or pick up on old hobbies that you haven't had time for. Has your instrument been trapped in its case for years? Break out the tuner and give it a try again! Are there books on your shelf collecting dust? Read them for the first time while you relax on the deck.
Working from home also gives you the unique opportunity to eat a more balanced and healthy diet. At first it may seem like the opposite as you mindlessly snack on chips and snacks all day. However, there is a big opportunity here! On a normal day, you may have to quickly throw whatever you can into a lunch box on your way out the door. Your breakfast may only consist of a banana, because that's the quickest thing you could grab and eat on the way. But at home, you don't have to be in a rush. You can take your time to prepare and enjoy a balanced breakfast. And when lunch rolls around, you won't be stuck with odds and ends in a lunch box or high-calorie take-out. You'll have the whole refrigerator and pantry to choose from to make a healthy and filling lunch.
We Are Here for You
Lake West Chamber knows that these times are difficult, and that adjusting to staying at home all of the time can be hard. We hope that some of these tips help as you work from home and continue to care for your family. Remember that we are here for you and that our community is resilient, and we can get through this together!
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