From Wearin’ of the Green to PJ’s — Navigating as a remote worker
Today usually signifies the wearin’ of the green but instead for many people it has changed to the wearin’ of the pj’s working or learning remotely from home. It’s unchartered territory for many and those who are implementing or have done it guarantee you’ll love it.
What people don’t tell you is the change in mindset is key to being a remote worker. You need to understand that your time belongs to someone else and you have a responsibility to get things done on their behalf. And you also have to understand yourself; recognizing what it takes to keep the focus, ignore chores or other items around the house, and how to create an atmosphere and a lifestyle to accommodate it.
One way to do so is to create a dedicated space, one where you can ‘leave’ at the end of the day. You also want to have it set up to have all the tools you need so you don’t spend time wandering the house looking for scotch tape and then folding laundry, and so on until you’ve wasted an hour. You also want to establish time through your regularly scheduled meetings but also perhaps an online chat or text session so you don’t feel lonely. Remember, if you worked anywhere with other people you used to have the option to wander down or run into each other in a break room. You just need to recreate those instances in a virtual way!
Treat your lunchtime as you would any other day. Eat in the same pattern you normally do and create small meals to keep on track with your health. If you are a snacker, space out those times. Think about how you pack your lunch and put them into small containers so you only eat what is there. To avoid boredom, try to eat something different for lunch and dinner.
Breaks! Just like work, you can take a break and it’s an important tool for your mindset. Take a quick walk, read from a book or magazine, whatever things can help you reset and clear your mind. You can even schedule them into your day or just take them when it’s a good time to stop working on a project.
As I work remotely and work with others as well, I asked what’s the one recommendation they would give. The majority always say to be flexible and allow for adjustments. You already know the hours expected from your employer, you understand what deadlines have been moved and need to be met, and you know how long it takes you to complete your assigned work. Once you sketch that out into a week, go back and fill in where you’ll have lunch, breaks, or meetings. Then you’ll have a basic layout for the week and can work around how you’ll manage your time.
As a remote worker, I always remind myself of the client that’s waiting for my work. It’s important to keep them at the front of your thought process so you’re clear on your goals and meeting their expectations. While you can stay in your PJ’s, think about dressing for success or at least enough to feel like you’re working and not lounging.
So, put on your best bunny slippers and get to work!
