By this point, the honeymoon is over. If you have to work from home you’ve probably fallen into a new routine. Meanwhile, students are beginning a second semester behind the screen of a laptop with no sense of normalcy.
Many Americans continue working at home under the assumption they will eventually return to the office. In the meantime, the leisures of a work from home environment are silently becoming your idea of normal. This will make the transition back into the office more challenging. Even if you want to see your coworkers, the inconveniences of office work will become apparent after you’ve experienced home employment.
If you think you will go back to the office, you’ll want to lessen the challenges associated with the transition back. Prepare yourself by building a schedule that embraces working from home while accepting the structure of in-person work.
1. Wake Up at a Normal Time
The ability to trade your commute for your bed is once of the sweetest perks of being at home. Sadly, the more comfortable you become with this routine, the harder it will be to break.
I’ve resorted to setting my alarm to the same time I woke up in January, 2020. As a result, I have 75 minutes between waking up and when I’d normally be at work. Not only does this give me a big chunk of time that I can use for anything, but I also know I have a shorter commute than average. If I want to keep a regular routine in my life, I am going to keep waking up at 6:15 AM.
2. Keep Your “Commute”
If you’re truly committed to your routine, you might want to keep a commute in your schedule. Of course, you don’t need to catch the train or hop in your car. Rather, use the time you’d normally spend commuting for a productivity or wellness activity such as: taking a walk, yoga, or running. Not only will this allow you to keep a routine, but you could also end up with some toned legs!
Use your extra time wisely, but don’t use it as an excuse to get too comfortable. Try to fill your “commute” time with something beneficial, but not so phenomenal that you’ll miss it when your regular commute replaces it.
3. Get Dressed
If you want to feel like you’re at work, you can’t dress like you’re doing to bed. It’s easy to wake up and get straight to work, but do yourself a favor and transition out of your pajamas.
This isn’t to say you need to get fully dressed. The goal is to differentiate your time working from your time relaxing. So, there’s no need for a full face of make-up, ironed pants, or a tie. Stay comfortable, just not so comfortable that you’re ready to nap at a moment’s notice.
4. Save What You Don’t Spend
Working from home can be less expensive. You’ll spend less on gas, dining out, and work clothes. While you might see an increase your electric bill or groceries, chances are you’re spending less overall.
Save the the difference! This will help you in case an emergency pops up like a car or home repair. You will be able to use these savings in that type of incident. You shouldn’t spend all of your savings on luxury items, as you won’t be able to sustain this lifestyle when you’re back in the office.
5. Change Your Environment
If you’re working on a laptop, take it to a different area and work there. Just because no one is forcing you to move doesn’t mean you need to remain in one spot all day.
Depending on how you work, this might be one of the best perks when you work from home. You can go outside, sit on the couch, or stay at your desk. So long as you’re able to work effectively there’s more freedom to roam. Keep in mind, most people don’t stay stationary while they’re in the office. They have meetings and go to lunch, not to mention those visits to other coworkers.
6. Communicate With Others
You and your colleagues still have joint experiences. Just because you can’t see each other face-to-face doesn’t mean you can’t communicate with them. Any good employer will know that an open dialogue is part of a strong team dynamic. There’s no need to lose that just because you’re working at home.
Physically, you might be isolated, but the real issue comes when you feel socially isolated. Try to use the tools available so you can see other people’s faces and maintain a working relationship.
7. Maintain Organization
I’m sure you have an office calendar, and it’s good to have your time organized. When you’re at home, organizing your environment is just as important. Keep distractions on the other side of the room and your office supplies nearby. Otherwise, you’ll spend all day looking at a Nintendo Switch rather than your notebook.
I’d certainly advocate for a lack of clutter. It can be distracting, but there are bigger distractions. If you know your phone, tablets, or books will prevent you from getting work done then you should find a place for them in a different location.
8. Keep Yourself Off Social Media
It’s so easy to get lost in a sea of timelines, tweets, and upvotes. If this is what your normal internet activity looks like, the temptation to browse social media can be super tempting when you’re in your own bubble. Logically, you know this is not a good use of your time, but it only takes a momentary lapse of judgement to derail that.
When I started to work from home, I made a separate user profile on my computer. I kept my work life there and my regular life on my main profile. This way I can’t mindlessly wonder to Facebook: I never logged in. I know I would wind up in some social media blackholes if I allowed myself easy access to my accounts.
9. Meal Prep
Unless you live a life fueled by Starbucks and Chipotle, and honestly I have in the past, you’re going to need to prepare food. If you were in the office you wouldn’t have the luxury of cooking lunch at a moment’s notice, so don’t get used to that type of schedule.
Whether you cook every night or just on Sundays, you want to keep that schedule. Make multiple servings of food when you’re cooking so you have leftovers for lunch. Even if you never meal prepped before, now might be a good time to start. Cooking has become very trendy now that people have to be home. Might as well put the new trend to good use!
10. Focus on Getting Better
The worst mentality to have while working from home is the idea that you’re just staying afloat. Your work from home order might be temporary, but it’s a longer temporary than anticipated.
Focus on building new skills and learning more. When you find yourself in a position where you have some free time, don’t drift onto social media. Rather, find a way to work on personal development. This might mean talking to your supervisor and identifying areas where there’s a need for development. This way, you’ll return to the office in a better position to excel.
11. Unplug
The worst part of the work from home life: your home becomes your office. Normally you’d turn off your computer, leave the office, and disconnect when you get home. Now, a thought might pop into your head at 8 PM. As a result, you log back onto your computer and reply to a series of e-mails.
For your own sanity, don’t do this. Learn to create a divide in your day. Say that after 5 PM, you are done with work. You’re supposed to work from home, you’re not supposed to dedicate you life to work. If disconnecting isn’t acceptable, you need to have a bigger conversation with your boss.
Work From Home/ Office Blend
My work from home order began with a two week duration. During this time, I was blinded by the luxuries of working at home and embraced the comforts. For two weeks, this wasn’t a huge deal; at least I didn’t think it was.
After multiple extensions, it became clear that I’d have to work from home for a while. I still operate under the pretense that I will eventually return to the office, but that won’t be any time too soon. I don’t want my return to be a miserable adjustment, and I don’t want to be unproductive while I work from home.
Finding balance between working from home and in-office work required me to be much more proactive. I’ve had to make some very intentional adjustments to my schedule and workflow. By doing this, I’ve enjoyed some of the comforts of being at home. I have also found myself being much more productive, which has given me a sense of satisfaction while stuck at home. Eventually the day will come and I will go back to the office. It will be an adjustment, but I feel prepared to face that adjustment now that I have organized my work from home schedule.
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