Working From Home - lessons learnt
Jenny Perkin
A mum who loves life and constantly strives for improvement. Be kind and be the best you can be - work life balance and happiness matter
Happy New Year all and welcome to 2021! As we continue to live in these strange times many are asking "Can #workfromhome offer a better workplace?".
As somebody who has been home based for many years, the new 'enforced' work from home environment is different, it is no longer interspersed with travel and face to face meetings. I admit this was challenging for me initially and I wanted to share some tips that have helped me:
1) Make sure you leave breaks between your video meetings (I've been scheduling 45-minute meetings and allowing myself 15 minutes to address actions and clear my head before jumping on to the next one). Back-to-back meetings all day will only leave you with a list of outstanding actions at the end of the day, and make it difficult for you to switch off from work. Whereas there are always occasions where working late does happen, this is your choice and the better you manage your own time the easier it becomes to draw a line between work and life.
2) Have breaks and clear work cut off times. It's tempting to work all of the time as you're always at 'work'. Set a line between work time and home time. Keep a healthy work life balance.
3) Check in on each other - many people feel anxious or lonely as a result of lockdown. If you've not heard from someone for a while then give them a call. And if you're struggling make sure you tell someone, feel comfortable to ask for help. It's OK not to be OK. People are here for you. Make time to be 'virtually' social.
4) Don't watch the news too often - it's good to know what's going on, but it's not healthy to dwell on it.
5) Move about! Sitting in one place all day is no good for anyone.
6) Make sure you have a workstation that is ergonomic and allows you to work comfortably.
7) Take time to do the things that you enjoy. Switch off - read a good book, watch a film, do a jigsaw, go for a run... I enjoy cooking - and lockdown chat has been full of menu preparation.
There are many advantages to working from home, but it's important that you don't let work become your life and that you look after yourself. So please do take care, and feel free to be in touch if you'd like to chat. These are just a few things that have helped me, but I'm interested to hear your ideas and what has worked best for you?
Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy 2021.
As you know Jenny, I love fresh air and exercise. I frequently run, cycle or walk to or from work, even though I have been home based for several years now. When I worked in an office, my commute provided valuable time to “decompress” from work. I have replaced that time with a walk round the block, run or cycle to ensure I don’t spend the entire day in the house
Experienced Leader | Certified Trusted & Strategic Partner | Expert in Project & Program Management | 30 Years in Manufacturing Business Systems & Processes |
3 年Hi. I'm the same, WFH before, but this is so different. Usually if it was a remote meeting, the other end would be in a room with a speaker, so it allowed for more interaction. Now it's just mute or speak. I do like the 45 minute meeting, I'm going to suggest this at work, especially as I coined a term "the BorgWarner 3 minutes", as meetings always start at 3 past or 33 past three hour. I've found arranging meetings at 15 or 45 past the hour forces intrigue, which blows my mind. The biggest thing I'm struggling with is the escape caused by reduction in socialising, work stresses are gone around a pub table or 5 a side pitch... Great article Jen