How To Work From Home, from a 19-year veteran

It was February 2003.

I’d been working from the moment I got up in the morning, until late at night – at my home, still in the same clothes, frequently not having showered. And mostly having grabbed bites to eat here and there. Definitely not exercising or practicing self-care.

I was intent on building my new business.

The kicker was that I wasn’t making the progress I thought I should be making.

And, I was exhausted.

Wait a minute… is it supposed to be like this? The relentless pursuit of… ‘success’?

Nope. The day I crashed I spent it sleeping and regrouping, realizing that it’s not good to rise and grind. For anyone.

I woke up the next day, reset and immediately started exercising better practices.

That day is etched in my brain because I learned a powerful lesson: Never lose sight of taking care of yourself, regardless of everything else. Rise and grind isn’t glorious; it’s a killer.

That day, years ago, happened within the first month of me starting my very first business.

And the lesson is that there are wise practices in working from home and unwise practices.

‘Working from home’ is a misnomer; work is the operative word and it doesn’t matter where it takes place.

What many of us are learning is that an enormous number of people are experiencing ‘working from home’ right now for the first time. Many companies and organizations are struggling with how to operate and motivate and still do business.

Many of us are struggling to connect with others, while either still doing the work or searching for work.

Here are some of my best practices for working at home, to get and stay connected.

1. Dedicate office space. A separate room or reserved space. Beyond the tax implications (talk with your tax pro or accountant), it’s important to get your mindset to align with your actions. “I work in here” = mindset.
2. Have a desk for business only. Keep it organized and tidy. Do your other household and non-business pursuits elsewhere.
3. Set your mind that your work is business, and deserves the physical space and headspace to get to it and go to work. Don’t mingle chores and non-work with your work pursuits. It’s tempting… though you’d never do laundry at an office, so don’t do it at home during your work hours.
4. Choose your working hours, starting and finishing, and honor them.
5. Use a paper, printed or bound daily calendar or datebook. Writing things down, having it in front of you, without a screen or device, has a positive impact.
6. Protect your schedule diligently and daily. Keep what moves the needle, get rid of the rest that simply muddies your progress. This is probably my biggest ongoing challenge (I want to connect with so many people!), so I continually review, remove and adjust.
7. Reserve your most powerful hours for your most meaningful work. DO NOT give away your focused genius to email, other peoples’ agenda, ‘social media’ and meaningless activity
8. Have a full glass of water by you all day, drink it regularly to fight fatigue and stay healthier. A full pitcher at hand is even better. Dehydration can lead to headaches, which are a total drag. Chose a small safe place to set it, out of the way of being bumped and spilling on precious devices and materials.
9. Get & keep your files organized, digital and paper. Make the time, set the ritual in place to keep tidy because it helps with focus and clarity. Sloppiness is a time waster.
10. Have a window in your office. I learned years ago when teaching art in a windowless classroom that being able to see outside has a huge impact! Seeing sunshine, stars, clouds, rain and snow helps us stay grounded.
11. Have all the supplies you need readily at hand. I’m a big pencil user so I keep them close & sharpened, in addition to pens, highlighters, scissors & tape (for mailing my books), a paper cutter, stationary and various useful supplies I use regularly.
12. Keep a large posted client and project list in full view, in an obvious spot. Seeing who you’re serving, past, current and future, can light the fire of KeepGoing when the going’s rough. And it’s fun to see when the going’s great!
13. Move your body regularly. Some people set timers and reminder notifications to pause and walk/stretch/move/do jumping jacks/walk around the block/play with the dog. An active body fuels a productive life.
14. Take naps. Resting is key to your body rhythms. A brief scheduled and protected rest helps me get my daily second wind. Listen to your body when you need to rest and act on that.
15. Schedule and take lunch out of your office. Breaks are needed, even 15 or 20 minutes, and helps us reset. You can even have virtual lunch dates with colleagues, outside and about your yard a park or other locale for a change of scenery.
16. When you go virtual, stand up. We’re more erect and at attention when we stand, giving a better presence and (I think) pay attention better. Also, walking & talking for phone meetings is a healthy double whammy.
17. Dress for work. Working in my pajamas all those years ago was mentally unhelpful. Put on the clothes you would to work and then, go to work.
18. Schedule and honor days off. Make time to read, recreate and socialize. Relentlessness isn’t a winner; it’s an energy suck. Don’t repeat my mistake. Days off help us reset, refresh and reinvigorate and are necessary to our well-being.
19. Stay actively connected with people who support you. This is absodanglutely the time to examine relationships - healthy ones, growth ones, toxic ones, negative ones. Clear out those that hold you back; focus and feed the ones that support you and move your forward. Reserve time for these relationships - I can't stress this strongly enough. We must FEEL human connection, no matter physical distance. And it takes purposeful intention and attention.
20. Get help you need, when you need it. The struggle isn’t glorious if you let it wear you down to the nubbins. Seek and engage with support to keep you going. From VA’s to annual checkups, from counselors to business advisors.
21. If you don't like the work you're doing, make a change. There is always room for you, in the area you want to work in. It may take more creativity to look, seek, and find, and it's possible. Being happy in your work is key to sound mental health.

Where you work may have changed.

Practices, habits and rituals make all the difference in connecting you with your work, wherever in the world you do it.

I sincerely hope these help you.

And if you have a practice you would love to add, please comment and tell me.

Thanks for being part of the community. I appreciate you!

Stay safe, sane and keep connecting.

g

If you want more, please visit me at GingerJohnson.com, my youtube channel, Twitter @gingerjohnson, IG @gingertheconnector. The book, Connectivity Canon, is available here and our newsletter community provides additional exclusive insights.