UNITED STATES─So many employers have enacted a work from home policy in the midst of this global crisis that has stifled the economy and forced many Americans to shelter in place, or as I call it be on house arrest. For anyone who has every worked from home, you’re fully aware that it is NO EASY task at all to accomplish, and that is the truth people. Working from home requires a certain level of discipline and motivation.
Why? Some people fail to realize that while you’re working from home, you actually have to do work. It is so easy to get distracted and start watching TV, trying to watch the kids, cook dinner, answer phone calls, get the door, doing things you should not do, etc. Here’s the biggest distracter about working from home when you have other people in the household: they forget that you’re working.
As someone who has worked from home for years, the biggest challenge is ensuring others in your household understand that when you’re working it is just that: you’re working. Let them know you CANNOT be disturbed, you cannot let the dog out, you cannot do this or that, you need to focus fully on the task at hand and nothing else people. The discipline is the first step and many of you might be asking me what does that mean? It means, if you have a scheduled shift, ensure during that time frame you’re fully focused on work. Yes, you should take a break while working, but don’t elongate the break longer than what it should be.
Next, you need to be in a work environment where the distractions are limited. So if you have an office, go into that office and lock the door. This way you know the distractions will be limited and people will be well aware that if you’re in that office, you’re working and you need to focus on tasks at hand. With that said, this might be the most important to me when it comes to working from home: mental strength.
What do I mean by mental strength? It means place yourself into the state of mind that you’re actually going to work. There has not been a day where I have not gotten dressed when I have to work from home. You have to make it appear like you’re going to work, which is exactly what you’re doing people. The notion of me sitting in my bed and working in my pajamas will never happen. I just cannot fathom it, nor will I ever do it.
When you dress as if you’re going to work, you feel like you’re at work and as a result you will work harder and get the job or any activities that need to be completed done. For those just getting their feet wet in the past week working from home, it’s likely been a major adjustment, but it will get better over time. Follow those tips delivered and you will see an improvement each day that you work from home, until you reach a point where you have a system in place that totally works in your favor. It will indeed be a massive adjustment, but once you get the mental strength in place, it will be smooth sailing from there.
Written By Zoe Mitchell
