I’ve been now working from home (WFH) for about 8 years and I’ve learned this takes skills. Are you learning the skills it takes to work from home?

I’ve found that a lot of people during the pandemic are too busy to catch up. The truth might be however is that people aren’t so much “busy” as they’re trying to grasp this new working environment. If you’re new to working from home, this could be quite an adjustment.

I’ve always enjoyed working from home. The freedom to create my own schedule and still get work done has been the best lifestyle for me. However, this lifestyle that has been forced on a lot of us needs some getting used to which has proven to be difficult on a lot of people.  

I’ve worked at home building my own business and I’ve also worked full time with having a desk in the office with the freedom to work from home.  I know what works for me and what doesn’t.  

If you’ve been working from home for the past 5 months now, you might have already figured this out. If you’re still trying to find ways to work at home, these tips can certainly help.

1. Have a morning routine. 

Don’t start the day by doing that one thing every morning. Doing one thing doesn’t constitute a routine. What I do aside from work every morning is what gets me going. Before the pandemic it might have been getting dressed, grabbing coffee, commuting, etc. all before getting into the office and signing onto the computer before checking my emails. Without even knowing it, this was my morning routine. Working at home has required me to replace my getting dressed and commuting into work.  

It may not be yoga at 6am but maybe it’s wiping down the kitchen counters every morning, going for a walk, making the bed, feeding my future dog I’d love to have or just meditating. It’s important to find a rhythm every morning because it’s this rhythm that gets me into the rhythm of working at my desk. It can’t be done by just doing one thing. 

2. Managing my time.

The most successful professionals visit their calendars daily like almost an obsession. I look at my calendar first thing in the morning when I wake up before my daily routine.

I have hours blocked for certain things everyday that don’t change often but I'm constantly editing it throughout the day. I write notes in my blocked times to remind myself of what to do during that time when I’m working on other projects. I move my blocked times up or down because I’m working on something else more important. I’m constantly managing my time. 

Chances are that something new is on my calendar from something I put on there last week. Or maybe I’m setting an appointment for next week while chatting real quick on the phone. The calendar is as important as the cell phone. There is no one else walking into the conference room around me as a reminder that there is team meeting. I have to rely on my calendar to remind me. 

3. Lunchtime in the kitchen - not on my desk. 

The days of eating at my desk are OVER. Scheduling lunches and walking to the kitchen has proven how important it is to clear my head and get off my chair. I stand while eating, read a short magazine article or make a quick phone call for plans tonight.

I’ve had to force myself to physically get up and eat something and you know, It works! Taking lunch in my kitchen creates normalcy, structure and less stress - just like the labor laws have enforced companies to acknowledge with their employees. What a concept!  

4. Know What It Takes For You To Focus. 

What helps me to focus is soft music in the background although it really depends on what I’m working on and when.

There are variations of not just songs but sounds you can stream online (similar to the sounds in Barcelona above). There are silent gongs in the background, spa music, therapeutic music made by therapists and of course just random songs you would hear on a music station. 

There is literally any kind of sound that can be played in the background to help you focus. Listening to music is the most popular way of focusing but depending on what you do, it could be just the sound of a fan humming in the background, who knows? The point is, get to know what makes you focus.

Is it turning off your alerts on your phone? I’ve recently done that too. Is it clearing off your desk completely? I make calls and it still takes focus. If you can’t focus, what can help you stay focused?

5. Invest in Equipment

If your company gives you an allowance, beautiful! Take advantage! I have equipment from companies that were free donations or I paid for. I’m so glad I invested in good quality too. 

Invest in a 2nd monitor to use with your laptop, a mouse, a bluetooth keyboard, upgrade your Mac as a backup you’ve had sitting around. Invest in charging docs, headsets, a small fan that clips to your desk, a 12-hour chair, a memory foam cushion for your chair. Do it! Your life and your work will be much more efficient, less stressful and the investment is worth every penny. You’ll be glad you did. 

6. Designate an office space. 

If you’re still working on the dining room table, is that space ok if it stays permanent? Is your dining room table ergonomic? If you’re constantly moving your computer off the table to eat dinner, it might be time to consider finding your work corner. 

Facebook’s Marketplace is a treasure trove right now as employees are moving like there’s no tomorrow, (because there may be no tomorrow for going back to the office anytime soon). 

If you don’t have an extra room to use as an office, claim your corner. Move stuff around, maybe you want to get rid of that piece of furniture you’ve never liked in your living room anyway. 

7. Stay Healthy 

The worst thing about WFH is having to take your health seriously. You’re walking just a few hundred yards to your new office. You sign off and walk to your kitchen to grab dinner before heading to bed to do it all over again tomorrow. Suddenly the only exercise you’ve had is walking around the grocery store. 

I’ve read that sitting is the new smoking and boy did I feel it after a few weeks! I worked with a bookkeeper who worked from home too who told me about this inversion swing chair she used to swing herself upside down with (aka inversion therapy) -- was I jealous! 

Get to know the apps or youtube channels for exercising and eating right. Whatever it is, now is the time to take your health seriously.

It’s painful to remember so many people saying they just didn’t like working from home. I thought it might have been just a few skills to learn at home for more people to realize they would have more freedom working from home. Now a lot of them have no choice.

Whether working from home is here to stay, the debate rages on. An example of this is a convincing blog by James Altucher, an American author. His post NYC is Dead Forever is about as convincing as the reality of how the debate for employees no longer needing to work from home is now dead. 

As you get used to this new way of working, do you see yourself returning to the office? Do you see how having the skills, the equipment and the focus will be effective and certainly more valuable in the future? 

Now the idea of working at home will probably be the new must-have skill. There’s certainly no more debates about it.