Four Essentials For A Flourishing WFH Routine
Written by: Irene Bratsis
As someone who has worked remotely for the majority of my career, I’m a strong advocate for working from home. I like making my own lunches. I like not having a commute. I like that I can get out of bed, have my morning routine in the comfort of my own environment, and confront the work ahead of me like a civilized person. I love that after a productive and diligent day, I can celebrate the end of my workday with a glass of wine and switch to weekend mode. I like feeling appreciated, celebrated, trusted and respected.
I don’t like rushing, I don’t like having to go out of my way to get a coffee, I don’t like sitting in traffic and I especially don’t like being squeezed up against a lucky stranger on a crowded train. But that’s just me. We all have our personal preferences.
In these globalized, technologically-fueled fast times, it seems a bit outdated that some companies have the ethos of 1950s office decorum at the root of their operations.
Enter Covid-19.
This work from home trend is likely going to grow. Twitter, Facebook, and Google have all declared moves toward remote-first curiosity. Given that this trend is likely not going anywhere, I wanted to speak directly to those that are challenged by remote work. Those with children at home. Those that find it lonely and isolating. Those that stay in their PJs all day because they “can”.
So I will go over a few principles that I think will help re-envision WFH for these folks:
Energy.
It’s a sort of ambiguous word these days, it can mean different things to different people. I think of energy as the why. Why are you doing the thing you’re doing? That why is indicative of the energy you bring with you to any task or work environment. The most successful work-from-homers make their beds, put on real clothes, and put their best foot forward when they work remotely. This isn’t because someone is watching them and expecting them to, of course.
It’s because they know that when they do this, they are making a declaration to the universe: “I am here now, I am working, I am capable, trustworthy and READY!” This is what literally 90% of working from home is all about. Read on for the remaining 10%.
I am here now, I am working, I am capable, trustworthy and READY!
Communication.
You know how you have your work squad when you’re in the office IRL? You know, for survival purposes? Even in the most abrasive of offices, there is at least one person there that you can trust and maybe share a laugh with. Being the wonderful social creatures we are, we create inner circles at work to establish a sense of safety and familiarity. We MUST do this when we work remotely.
Yes it may appear more difficult at first, but here’s what it looks like remotely: A slack channel with your faves. Messages and voice memos sent throughout the day. Checking in with your friends from other teams. A weekly zoom call where you do indeed turn your video on! It’s so tempting to leave yourself on mute and turn that video off and coast through. Manage up. Help your leadership team trust you. Share. Communicate. Build relationships. Form alliances. Make friends. Have fun. Take over the world!
Communication also extends to ourselves. Are you in tune with your feelings? Are you craving more face to face time with friends and loved ones? Are you feeling isolated or demoralized? Communicate with yourself so that you avoid burnout and give yourself what you really need most.
Trust.
You always hear about how trust is one of those things that’s relatively easy to establish when you know how, and incredibly hard to build back up once it’s been broken. This works to our advantage remotely. You build trust by sharing, by expressing concern and care and by following through on the things you say you will do. Expressing a pattern of trustworthy behavior allows for people to give you the opportunities you seek. People want to trust you, for the most part. Humanity relies on the strength of our bonds and given the option, most people would opt to be surrounded by people we can trust and count on because the alternative is a scary scary place.
Given the impact we have on our environments and our workplaces, trust must begin with ourselves. Am I going to complete the project I volunteered to take over, or allow my attention to be diverted? Am I going to use my work time for the things I know are my top priorities? I have heard from countless people: “I can’t get work done at home.” If you’ve got a quiet place, and you have priority items to attend to, why wouldn’t you get anything done? Have you formed a trauma bond with your manager? Are you only able to get things done when someone is physically watching over you? If so, why? Understand yourself and your motivations well so that you can have trust in your most important relationship: your self.
A quiet place.
This one is pretty self explanatory and hugely paramount. For those with children at home: Find a quiet place. And maybe a playlist that sparks joy to combat the deafening silence.
How do we feel? Are we ready to embrace this newfound freedom and all the blessings that come along with it? You can do this. You have the power to make your wildest dreams come true. You can enjoy a rich work life with some remote tweaks. It is possible to advance in your career, make an impact in your organization and develop deep bonds with your work fam all while working remotely. People do it every day.
Working remotely gave me a way to participate in the grand infrastructure that is corporate America without the office politics, inconveniences and pettiness that can come with the close quarters of a stuffy and fearsome 9-5. The idea of people trying to appear busy in order to appease a micromanaging manager who is, in turn, stressed and pressured by her leadership team feels too... undignified for the 21st century. After all, we find ourselves in the greatest of times! Think not of what you’re losing, but of what you’re gaining. And if, after all this, you still can't get any work done at home. Maybe you just don't like your job. Another story all together.
If you’re looking for remote work feel free to check out:
Happy remoting everyone!
Irene,
NYC Chapter Lead