Pomodoro Sauce, Fika, and Fitbit: The WFH Advice You’ve Been Waiting For
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Like a college freshman dropped off on campus, no one is here to tell you what to do and when to do it — you’re on your own.
For example, you may be grappling with the following conundrums:
Should I wear pants?
Where does the work day begin and playtime with my cat end?
What hashtags should I be using on social media?
How much yoga should I be doing?
Am I a home-school teacher now?
Feeling the pressure? Here are some tried and true #WFH tips and tools to create a successful work-at-home lifestyle.
Stop being busy.
Be productive, not busy. If you expect to work from 9am–5pm from home, you’re in for a rude awakening. Time management requires a focus on productivity, not how busy you seem. Make yourself available to your team from 9–5, but make a simple request to your colleagues: give me a head’s up if you need me.
For the love of all things quarantine, practice Zoom before your first video meeting.
Companies are using apps like Zoom, Google Hangouts and Facetime so you can take a seat at the table from home. That being said, avoid playing the fool by downloading the app ahead of time and practice:
Connecting your audio and video (this is the bare minimum, obviously)
Setting a respectable background (remove dirty dishes, etc.)
Positioning the camera (try not to point it up your nose)
Sharing your screen (to avoid sharing an embarrassing browser window)
Muting and unmuting yourself (is that cough the virus?!)
Using the chat function (for putting in your two cents when someone else is talking)
Resist the To-Do list.
If you plan your work day too carefully, it’s likely to get disrupted by outside factors. And that can be devastating to your motivation levels. Instead, try making a list of project/task categories for the day/week, organize the list by priority, and stick to it as best you can.
Sample the Pomodoro Sauce.
This method doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s offbeat and worth a shot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
Here’s a nifty online app to get started: https://tomato-timer.com/
Like-a the Fika.
It’s cool, it’s European, it’s Fika: the almighty Swedish coffee break. For Swedes, Fika is nothing revolutionary; it’s simply part of everyday life. But talk to any Swede who has moved abroad, or anyone who has visited Sweden, and they’ll tell you all about how wonderful Fika is and how you should be doing more of it. Read about it here.
Hide.
Unfortunately, we don’t all live in a remote cabin in the woods on Walden Pond, and we don’t have to tell you how distracting your home is at this point. This will be hard for most in the beginning, but you’ll get there. So, hide. Find a new spot where your family doesn’t normally look for you. Use a fan or white noise machine so you don’t hear your kids climbing on the kitchen counters. Order a baby gate to barricade your dog.
Make it your Dedicated Desk.
Coworking spaces provide Dedicated Desks for a reason: it’s important to give yourself that structure. And we don’t mean laying in your bed with your laptop, head propped up with one hand in a bag of Doritos. We mean an actual desk, countertop, or table… really any hard surface you have to work with that’s free from clutter (and ideally doesn’t have to be cleared off for dinner).
And remember, you’re at home now, you have complete freedom to decorate! Finally, that Grecian fountain you’ve always wanted for the office is attainable (assuming they aren’t as popular as toilet paper).
Girl, wash your face.
Literally. Boys, too. This advice is for anyone who’s tempted to jump out of bed at 7:55 and head right to their laptop. Nothing beats a cold splash of water in the morning. Better yet, grab a shower before it’s been 3 days and you’re still wearing the same pajamas.
Experts say you should still get ready just like you do for a regular workday, but we disagree… skipping the whole “what am I going to wear?” and makeup routine is totally allowable. However, on days when there is a virtual/video call you should make yourself look presentable (even if that’s just from the top up) out of respect for your coworkers.
Count your steps.
Your Fitbit has never been more important, so dig it up out of your junk drawer and get moving! This isn’t a contest for who can be the best remote worker in quarantine. You can — GASP — go outside.
When people work from home, they are less likely to take breaks (mostly for no reason), and they don’t pace around the office as usual. They do things like sitting in an awkward position for so long they can’t feel their legs, or waiting as long as possible before going to the bathroom…
Pro tip for max effect: aim for 5,000–10,000 steps a day.
Learn to say Namaste.
Check out Glo, it’s an app for yoga, pilates, or meditation and a total life saver. Have 10 minutes? There’s a class for that. Need some stress relief? There’s a mediation for that. Bonus: Glo is free for the first 15 days.
Feelin’ cheap or not ready to commit? You can also search YouTube for virtually any exercise. And many local gyms and studios are hosting free online classes to continue to support your health and wellbeing — straight from their own living rooms.
Dance like no one’s watching.
Maybe you’re looking for a little fun with your indoor power break? Dancing at home is just as mentally rewarding as it is physically. Start by picking out a song you know you can’t resist (we recommend Whitney Houston, R.I.P.). It doesn’t matter if you’re a good or bad dancer, what matters is how you feel — no one is judging you besides your cat.
Tread carefully with social media.
This probably doesn’t need to be said, but we’ll say it anyway. It’s easy to go “down the rabbit hole” on Facebook when you’re not in your typical work environment. If you’re taking “Harry Potter” quizzes or discovering TikTok, you may find yourself in a time warp where you’re not getting enough done. Leave your phone in the other room.
Hop on a Happy Hour.
Have you heard? Coworkers everywhere are fighting back social isolation with virtual happy hours. They have a nice way of making a “meeting” have that “special occasion” vibe versus a serious work call, and it’s still a great way to touch base. Not to mention, happy hours in general are great excuse to get a little “liquid relaxation” into your system. (Another round barkeep! Or… husband!)
So wrap up your work projects, get in your comfy chair, grab that glass of whiskey or kombucha and tune in. Join one here with 25N Coworking every Thursday at 4 CST: https://bit.ly/25N-virtual