For some remote workers, their experience can include isolation and loneliness from their work community and overwhelm at home. It almost seems like you are working more than ever and cannot figure out why others are finding ways to manage and even thrive. There are things you can do differently and better to make the remote experience work for you.
Here are some tips for thriving at home while working remotely:
1. Build buffer time between meetings. You may want to end your meeting anytime from 5 -15 mins. before the top of the hour so you can have a moment to grab water, stretch, get up, and move around. At the office, we had those natural buffer times built in as we walked from one location to another. Going straight into another meeting can be disorienting. Take a few minutes to close the work from the previous meeting and be intentional about the next meeting. You may want to keep a notepad near your desk to capture all the action items.
2. Build in transition and reflection time. We had natural transitions during our commute where we could be alone with our thoughts. It was a prime opportunity at the beginning of the day to think about what we wanted to get from the day or how we wanted to contribute to the upcoming meeting or at the end of the day where we can process the many disparate thoughts to sense make and reflect on how the day went. That precious time served as excellent learning time as people could listen to a podcast or book or have time for entertainment where they can escape to another world with a great piece of fiction. If you and your family are working from the same spot and your alone time has shrunk, how are you building in transition time, especially for an introvert who needs that time to recharge? Where are you creating the white space in your day to process? Other than longer showers, some people find building in 15 min. walks to be a saving grace.
3. Build in connection time. Similarly, extroverts may have enjoyed those times in the office when they got to linger around after a meeting and chat with their friends. As external processes, that vital time to share your thoughts and hear others so you can better make sense of topics was crucial. Who do you do that with now? Do you have a designated buddy you can call to recreate that time after a meeting to debrief and satisfy one of your work needs? If you are using your family as your sounding board, but they also appreciate their alone time, they may feel exhausted from your sharing.
4. Set boundaries. It is essential to set boundaries at work and at home. One of my clients realized he and his wife had opposite styles, she was an introvert who needed alone time, and he was an extrovert who needed extra connect time. While working from home for the first time, they sat down to discuss what was not working. The wife noticed she used to have her coffee alone to think through her to-do list for the day but now that her husband was home, he would want to use that time to chat. So they talked about a better way to organize their time going forward to get both of their needs met and designate the right time for processing and the right time for connecting so they can be at their best and be even better prepared to contribute at work and to their relationship.
Thriving at home while working remotely takes the intention to rearrange your day to practice your values and fit in time for non-negotiables such as family, exercise, healthy eating, and solitude for learning and reflection. Otherwise, it can be easy to default to unhealthy habits of overworking and neglecting other essential needs naturally built into the routine of going to the office.
Quote of the day: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”— Anne Lamott
Q: What practices help you be at your best when working remotely? Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!
The next blog in this series 10/11 will focus on onboarding virtually.
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.
Thriving while working remotely