John Gronski’s BIG FIVE tips for working from home
For many Americans who were going to a place of work almost every day, the COVID-19 crisis has drastically changed the dynamics of the workday and the lives of many. Here is a quick down and dirty Big Five to thrive when working remotely from home. Bottom line up front: Keep things real!
Walk to work.
Do not spend the entire day, from the time you rise from bed until the time you crawl back under the covers, inside of your home. A good technique is to start the day with a walk outside in your neighborhood. Think of it as a walk to work. A walk home from work at the end of the day is not a bad idea either.
Brush, brush, brush.
I am talking about keeping up with hygiene. When you work remotely you have the potential to go for a few days without seeing anyone outside of your household. Some may find it easy to slack off on hygiene. So just as you had been doing when you were going to work prior to the social distancing measures, brush those teeth, brush that hair, take that shower and shave that face of yours. Sorry if this sounds crude but it is important, and it could be easy to fall into the lack of hygiene trap when you are not interacting with others.
Dress for success.
This is like taking care of your hygiene, but this has to do with the apparel you wear when working from home. You should still dress appropriately, even when working on the computer in your makeshift home-office. Just like taking that daily shower, putting on those sporty duds have a way of making most people feel better and feel more productive. No sitting around on a conference call in those pajamas and fuzzy bedroom slippers. Dress for success and feel better about yourself.
No snack zone.
Take care to eat normally when working from home. There is no need to carb up on junk food just because you are not at the office. Being close to snacks could be a powerful temptation so limit the areas of your house where you allow yourself to eat and snack. Better yet, stock up on the healthy stuff like seeds, nuts, carrots, apples, and the like.
Reach out.
On days you do not have conference calls scheduled go out of your way to reach out to others. Use Zoom, Skype, or the good old-fashioned telephone. Check in on others regularly and help ensure everyone is feeling OK.
So, there is a quick BIG FIVE to survive working remotely. These are unusual times but if we all stick together, I have no doubt we will all come out of this stronger and with a fresh perspective for what is important.
