Staying sane in the homeoffice

Many of us find ourselves working from home right now. I am one week into this experiment, which might last another two months or more. I have worked from home before, but usually no more than a day at a time. Working with a fully distributed team for several weeks feels very different already.

As we are settling in to our new reality, we have to adjust how we work and what we expect of ourselves to stay productive. You might feel the need to get even more work done now. Just because the boss cannot see you, you do not have to chain yourself to your desk for eight hours straight. It is okay to take breaks. Go get a coffee, have a snack, or chat with your coworkers, as you would in the office. Prepare a real meal around lunchtime and have it away from your desk.

I like having a “digital watercooler” to help with feelings of isolation. Instead of “social distancing”, we need to think of it as physical distancing. We still want to talk to our friends and joke around with our coworkers. Post a picture of your setup to Slack, check in with a friend, and talk to your spouse if they are also working from home. We still need human interaction, even if it will be primarily digital for a while.

Know when it’s time to close the laptop and call it a day. When there is no distance between “home” and “work”, it is important to know when to stop working. It might take a few days to get into the groove, but it will make working remotely more manageable.

Wash your hands, don’t touch your face.