When WFH got you like WTF
As Working From Home (WFH) becomes the new normal, we are all struggling to adjust
Thanks to COVID-19, more people than ever are working remotely. There seems to be two types of people when it comes to working from home. There's that one person who never seems to be around, rarely answers the phone, replies to emails sometimes, posts on social media all the time and generally seems to be doing anything but work. Then there's you. You find it nearly impossible to switch from work mode to home mode because, really, it's all the same at this point. You worry that people will think you aren't doing anything because you're at home so you make it a point to send emails, answer phone calls, and work on all the projects. There's nothing wrong with this...during work hours. If you find that at 10 pm, you are still doing work-related tasks, it may be time to look at setting some boundaries for work-from-home. Here are a few tips:
1. Set physical boundaries. If you have the space for a home office, great! If not, it can just designate a corner of a room for your work station. Set up your work stuff on a desk or table and use it only for that. Don't work from your couch, bed, or kitchen table if you can avoid it.
2. Set time boundaries. What are your standard work hours? Do you get an hour for lunch? As hard as it may be, make yourself stick to the schedule you kept when working in the office. Don't start work at 7 am if you typically had to be there at 9. Stop working at 5 if that was your time to leave when in the office. Take time for a real lunch and not just eating while in front of your work computer. And yes, this is going to be easier said than done. Most likely, you had trouble getting out of the office on time before any of this started.
3. Keep home tasks separate. If you find yourself feeling guilty about folding laundry during work hours and therefore working well into the night, save the laundry for the evening. Once you've "clocked out" from work you can cook, wash the dishes, fold the laundry, etc. You can do all these things while enjoying other non-work related things such as listening to a podcast or bingeing Netflix.
4. Help yourself unwind. When commuting to and from work, we have built-in time to decompress. On the way home, you might listen to music, a podcast, or just process the things that happened at work. By the time you get home, hopefully, you can switch into your non-work life. Now that you are working and living in the same place, there is nothing to physically disconnect the two. After your work day is done, try taking a walk, doing an online fitness class or some light stretching, a 15 minute meditation, or even taking a shower and changing clothes (into your nighttime vs daytime pajamas). Whatever you decide to do, make it part of your routine. This way, you tell your mind and body that work is over and now it is "me" time.
5. Call a friend. Reach out to those that you love and talk about anything other than work. It helps to connect and feel less isolated when you are stuck at home. Bonus if you use video to talk to them as it makes it feel even more like face-to-face interaction.
6. The weekends are for you. Even though you can't leave the house, it doesn't mean you should be working. Find time for hobbies that you enjoy, read a book, watch bad TV, take, or anything that is relaxing for you.
One word of caution, even in a pandemic, you may want to hold off on cutting your own bangs…results vary.