Come on into my office and let’s have a chat. I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks working remote for the first time in my life, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to separate my work life and personal life. It could be because I’m reading client emails in the same spot I smash 3 White Claws every night. It could also be the shift in virtual contact to personal contact. My point is, everything is melting together, so here are some things that help me keep business, where it belongs… In the metaphorical office, while keeping personal time stress-free.
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P.S. I can’t wait to read this is a few years and reminisce on my WFH days. I hope I didn’t take advantage of the time I had and the extra sleep I got.
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- First, I change up my working location, similar to how I operated in my office downtown. This helps me stay alert and comfortable. People say you can’t work from the coach, and I’m like if I get my work done, then why do you care?
- Also, being a manager level, I don’t have the space or fancy WFH set up’s my senior counterparts have, and that’s okay. Making my space work for me, not working against the space.
- Take Zoom meetings from my most elevated location. I mean physically, no double chins around here, but also I mean the space that looks tidy and professional. This allows me to keep the rest of my apartment personal and private.
- I don’t abide by strict working hours, I get things done that need to get done, whether it’s after hours, before I’m scheduled to be online, or on the weekend. I create a plan for what needs to get done during a certain time and I try my best to finish it completely. This minimizes my “did I send that report?” panic, when I’m enjoying personal time.
- I make it a point every season to plan out my PTO so I’m using all the paid time off I earned; giving me something to look forward to. That’s VITAL for my mental health these days.
- This one is going to sound crazy, but I also regulate what I eat and drink during a work day. For example, I really only drink drip coffee Monday-Friday and same things with leftovers. Getting take out, and making lattes on the weekend are just another way I treat myself while creating separation from my professional life.
- At the beginning of quarantine, I made it a point to set up my small outdoor area, so I can work remote, aka outside my back door. It’s been really nice sitting under the umbrella and soaking up maximum vitamin D during my work day.
- Merging the two, however, is not always a bad thing. Sharing pet pictures and asking about your co-workers weekend is one of my favorite ways to connect during the pandemic. I make an effort insert my personality into professional settings to remind everyone that there are people behind your reports, form submissions, and requests.
I know you probably don’t need these tips, and most of you already have this on lock, but if nothing else, it helped me. All I see on Instagram these days are bloggers, who peddling Amazon rising desks and fuzzy socks as the WFH essentials. And I can’t relate to someone who doesn’t know what a pivot table is and video tapes themselves dancing. No shame in that game, that’s just not my reality. Although, if someone were to say I could make my salary doing that I 1,000% would. Please keep doing your thing!
