While it can seem distracting and disorienting at first, working from home is an incredible opportunity to tune into your circadian rhythms and exactly how you work best. Even though your new commute may be from the bed to the living room to the office, you can still create rituals and boundaries that set you up for success when you start the day, and sanity when you end it. These are 25 of my favorite tips from nine years of working from home.
What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask
Background from our kick-off to this series, episode 159: With so much happening daily in the world and global economy around coronavirus, we’re all dealing with massive amounts of uncertainty, pivots at work, and for many—fear and anxiety that comes with not only the health concerns, but questions around how to maintain our livelihoods moving forward.
When Momentum member and pandemic expert Dr. Michael J. Consuelos reached out to offer himself as a resource to the JBE team and the MoMo community, I jumped at the chance to record a conversation for all of you as well, which has now turned into a full-blown series:
Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://PivotMethod.com/163
Topics Covered
Ditch the stories “I’m only productive at the coffee shop” or at work (LAC) - cofftivity, crazy
Devices: Laptop is for business (only), mobile is for browsing and podcasts (less likely to linger since it’s harder to read / type) - only important emails
Physical Spaces: Designate one or two work zones, do not cross-pollinate (no laptop while watching TV, in bed
Physical Energy and Productivity: Find your real hours - fit Optimize around your best energy windows
Get comfortable
Decide what to work on the day prior
Accountability: sprint with friends
Side-by-side virtual co-working
Set your ergonomics up — yoga ball, second monitor
Anchor your day
Build your playlist!
Clean your work space, clean your house
Morning routines: New commute is from the bed to the living room to the office office - create rituals in shift of space, lighting (is sunrise)
Evening wind-down routines: No email after 5pm; What are you modeling for your team?
Meeting / Team Communication format: Pop-up Slack, Zoom breakout rooms; don’t be afraid to suggest a phone call instead (I use UberConference) - walk and stretch
Get outside, take naps when needed
Figure out who will prep dinner or what you’ll do for dinner in the morning, when you have energy
Work out when you’re most likely to do it
FOMO for your family (or your fridge) — it’s going to happen
Door hanger system / default communication modes
Limit errands to mid-day during a week day - not the weekend - especially now!
Focus with manager on RESULTS and IMPACT, not activities or “butt in seat time"
Quiet times/library hours
Don’t get sucked into all day email
Hire your own assistant / create your own team
Resources Mentioned
Pivot-related:
Jenny’s Momentum Community
Free Up Founder Time — free mini-course
Software
Charlie Gilkey’s Momentum Planners
Misc.
Coffitivity coffee shop background soundtrack
Books
Related Pivot Podcasts:
Check out other episodes of the Pivot Podcast here. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen, and if you enjoy the show I would be very grateful for a rating and/or review! Sign-up for my weekly(ish) #PivotList newsletter to receive curated round-ups of what I’m reading, watching, listening to, and new tools I’m geeking out on.