Working Remotely: Thriving You (Part 1)

Originally posted March 15, 2020

As someone who has been working remotely for a while now, even I felt low energy the last few days being at home and trying to focus on being productive as worldwide panic around COVID-19 ramped up. I fell victim to watching a romcom midday instead of checking off my to-do list and quickly realized that I was one step away from falling down a slippery slope. I snapped back and accomplished my goal for the day, and wouldn’t you know, I experienced a much greater high from that than from watching TV. Which brings me here to share my top strategies for thriving when your environment has radically shifted.

> Maintain your morning routine: Give yourself the same space in your remote mornings to prepare yourself for the day. Not going into the office is initially thrilling. Many of you may already work remotely here and there and love those days. When one day turns into five turns into three weeks turns into who knows, the sheen wears off, especially when you are also social distancing. Don’t fall into the trap of rolling out of bed and wearily powering up your computer while you sit in your PJs and think about how maybe you should shower midday. Get ready, get dressed, and get prepared as you would if you were going into the office.

> Take solace in the reduced commute time and stress: Whether your commute was previously 10 minutes or an hour plus, reclaim this time as yours and use it for something that powers YOU up for the day. Whether that means a bit of extra sleep, making a luxurious cup of coffee or tea, cooking a healthy breakfast, listening to a podcast, or stepping outside before sitting down at your computer, do something that generates positive energy for you to kick off your day.

You also have the chance to do this as your day winds down! Instead of having to slog through commuter traffic on your way home, create the evening transition period that you want. You’ve been meaning to learn that language, practice that long-forgotten talent, do that meditation, cook those elaborate dinners, now is your time.

> Ensure you have workspace that is conducive to your comfort and productivity: The human mind naturally associates a certain location with a certain mental state. When you go to the beach, you feel ready to relax. When you sit at your desk in your office, you mentally switch into work mode. When you’re working remotely, choose a space where you feel high energy and make it your center of productivity so that when you are there you are really ready to delve in. Also, if you share your space with others, cooperate with each other to create boundaries and alignment to minimize interruptions/distractions.

> Get Organized: Take some time to look ahead to the next day and rest of the week. Planning out your days will allow you to define when your workday starts and ends and keep structure in an unstructured environment. Some tips for planning the day include blocking out segments of time in your calendar, tracking deadlines to identify how much time you will need to complete the task, and using a project management tool like Asana to help stay organized.

> Keep the things that worked for you about your workday and shed the ones that didn’t: This is your chance to redefine your workday. Everything and everyone is off-kilter right now. What an incredible opportunity to make some changes that could have a big impact for your happiness and productivity. What you do while working remotely for weeks or even months will set a new precedent for when you return to the office, so take the time to design what you want out of your workday!

> Eat well: Take advantage of being in your own space to stock it with food and drinks that you love that will also keep you high energy and healthy (knowing they are safe from fridge thieves and other people’s germs.) One of my favorite things about moving to a remote work life was no longer having to shovel in my lunch (and let’s be real, my breakfast and dinner) at my desk, eating with one hand and typing with the other. Now mealtimes are fulfilling and nutritionally satisfying.

> Have a contingency plan: Can’t log onto the video conference because your WiFi is suddenly down? Kids are screaming for you in the other room when you’ve just hit a peak of productivity? You realize the washing machine is leaking because water is suddenly creeping into your office? It’s expected that things will come up that derail you – what’s more important is that you work through the situation without getting flustered and throwing off the rest of your day. Keep a list handy of technical (or plumbing) support. Join the conference by phone. Use the pockets of time when the kids are playing outside or napping for you to hit that stride. Be resourceful and be prepared to adapt as needed.

> Find the quiet to reflect and strategize: As chaos ensues, take a step back to think about your long-term goals so that you’re well-positioned to pounce when a sense of normalcy returns and others are still getting their bearings.

It’s easy and natural to slip into complacency mode when working remotely. And it feels good, at first. But similar to anything enjoyable in excess, the good feelings soon turn negative. When you feel that happening, take a deep breath, center yourself, and use this list and other resources to get you back to where you want to be. I believe in you and your ability to create positivity and opportunity out of chaos.