Since beginning my career in start ups about seven years ago, I was introduced to the modern habit of working from home ("WFH" if you've ever read a PJ-wearing peer's gchat status). I never liked working from home, yet my current job pretty much calls for it.
In my first nine months of this job, working from home helped me become depressed.
Part of problem was that I had 0 friends as the new girl in town. Well, I changed that through luck and action.
Another issue what my offense to the fact that I believe work for an entity outside myself has no place in my home, my sanctuary. I changed my attitude toward that by reevaluating my 9 to 5 time within my sanctuary.
Remaining are my days, vast with possibility of motivation/lack of motivation.
How do I deal?
I make lists.
1. Starting with the intangible, digital realm, my iPhone helps. Included with my latest iOS are two apps, "Bedtime" within the alarm app and "Reminders". Bedtime reminds me at 9:30 PM to get ready for 10:00 PM sleep.
At 7:00 AM, my alarm rings ("chirps" really, as I have it set to a forest of birds waking me! Not as tranquil as it sounds!). That's a total of nine hours of sleep, which is the least I need. I could, and do, sleep or lay around even longer. But, the important thing here is to have bed/wake times. Without a plan, there's no beginning or end to the days at all, thus an overwhelming pool of hours without a name.
2. Once I'm up, which varies between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM (no later) depending on the day of the week or what I did the night before, I make coffee. I'm one of those "no coffee, no talkie" people, but it's more than that. It's part of my routine, my morning ritual. I make my coffee with my janky set up (mason jar, sieve), and enjoy it while eating cereal, starting simpler work tasks, talking to my husband, or just staring. Borrowing a clever line from Stranger Things, "Mornings are for coffee and contemplation."
That makes it a ritual, elevating it from just a routine or something I do to get through the morning. This approach secures it as a moment of grounding and simplicity.
3. As I ease into getting down to business (actual work), I make my daily list. It usually looks like this:
Monday
review upcoming bills/budget
work 8:30-12:30
-edit posts
-rewrite descriptions
-clear team inbox
meditate 1
yoga/lunch
work 1:30-5:00
-Tahoe lodge descriptions
-Martha's Vineyard beach house
-Big Sky email
meditate 2
Lists within lists, vague to-dos, specific tasks. Some of these (meditate, yoga), I have reminders on my phone for, yet I still include them in my handwritten list because it's a part of my day and physically crossing it out feels good.
Some of these are obvious, like work. When WFH, though, it has been all too easy for me to get lost in the possibility of when and how much to work, when to stop, when to start, what to do when, etc. With a plan of attack, I have a structure to work through step by step. Before I know it, I've completed my hours, contributed to my next paycheck, and can move on to "me time."
That's pretty much it!
A note on handwritten vs. digital: I'm a compulsive notebook hoarder, so it's easy for me to handwrite my dailies. If you're a minimalist and can't stand clutter, perhaps one big binder or a clean stack of Moleskins will work for you.
Whatever you do, I really believe that handwriting will save us all. The physical connection from our hands to pen to paper better solidifies that thought in our minds. You may also feel compelled to jot down other things on or beyond your list: a random thought, a funny memory, a doodle, an idea. Now your day is richer because you didn't just let your phone tell you what to do.
Want to start similar habits? Here are a few things you might want:
1. Easy-to-use apps like Bedtime and Reminders to nudge you nicely
2. A notebook and pen, or a pile of scrap papers and crayon, your hand and a Sharpie, etc.
3. Ownership of your time, a.k.a. breaks from work when you need them
4. Your own permission for sitting and staring at nothing
5. Patience for practice. ...
It's not going to work the first time exactly as you expect. It's never going to work unless you just keep doing it as much as you can. You will miss days because you're on vacation, you have an appointment, you have an emergency, you're tired or bored. Trying your best to practice every day and letting the practice take its time is enough in itself. And, I believe, that when you practice, it will work out for you as it needs to.
Do you WFH? What are your tips?
In my first nine months of this job, working from home helped me become depressed.
Part of problem was that I had 0 friends as the new girl in town. Well, I changed that through luck and action.
Another issue what my offense to the fact that I believe work for an entity outside myself has no place in my home, my sanctuary. I changed my attitude toward that by reevaluating my 9 to 5 time within my sanctuary.
Remaining are my days, vast with possibility of motivation/lack of motivation.
How do I deal?
I make lists.
1. Starting with the intangible, digital realm, my iPhone helps. Included with my latest iOS are two apps, "Bedtime" within the alarm app and "Reminders". Bedtime reminds me at 9:30 PM to get ready for 10:00 PM sleep.
At 7:00 AM, my alarm rings ("chirps" really, as I have it set to a forest of birds waking me! Not as tranquil as it sounds!). That's a total of nine hours of sleep, which is the least I need. I could, and do, sleep or lay around even longer. But, the important thing here is to have bed/wake times. Without a plan, there's no beginning or end to the days at all, thus an overwhelming pool of hours without a name.
2. Once I'm up, which varies between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM (no later) depending on the day of the week or what I did the night before, I make coffee. I'm one of those "no coffee, no talkie" people, but it's more than that. It's part of my routine, my morning ritual. I make my coffee with my janky set up (mason jar, sieve), and enjoy it while eating cereal, starting simpler work tasks, talking to my husband, or just staring. Borrowing a clever line from Stranger Things, "Mornings are for coffee and contemplation."
That makes it a ritual, elevating it from just a routine or something I do to get through the morning. This approach secures it as a moment of grounding and simplicity.
3. As I ease into getting down to business (actual work), I make my daily list. It usually looks like this:
Monday
review upcoming bills/budget
work 8:30-12:30
-edit posts
-rewrite descriptions
-clear team inbox
meditate 1
yoga/lunch
work 1:30-5:00
-Tahoe lodge descriptions
-Martha's Vineyard beach house
-Big Sky email
meditate 2
Lists within lists, vague to-dos, specific tasks. Some of these (meditate, yoga), I have reminders on my phone for, yet I still include them in my handwritten list because it's a part of my day and physically crossing it out feels good.
Some of these are obvious, like work. When WFH, though, it has been all too easy for me to get lost in the possibility of when and how much to work, when to stop, when to start, what to do when, etc. With a plan of attack, I have a structure to work through step by step. Before I know it, I've completed my hours, contributed to my next paycheck, and can move on to "me time."
That's pretty much it!
A note on handwritten vs. digital: I'm a compulsive notebook hoarder, so it's easy for me to handwrite my dailies. If you're a minimalist and can't stand clutter, perhaps one big binder or a clean stack of Moleskins will work for you.
Whatever you do, I really believe that handwriting will save us all. The physical connection from our hands to pen to paper better solidifies that thought in our minds. You may also feel compelled to jot down other things on or beyond your list: a random thought, a funny memory, a doodle, an idea. Now your day is richer because you didn't just let your phone tell you what to do.
Want to start similar habits? Here are a few things you might want:
1. Easy-to-use apps like Bedtime and Reminders to nudge you nicely
2. A notebook and pen, or a pile of scrap papers and crayon, your hand and a Sharpie, etc.
3. Ownership of your time, a.k.a. breaks from work when you need them
4. Your own permission for sitting and staring at nothing
5. Patience for practice. ...
It's not going to work the first time exactly as you expect. It's never going to work unless you just keep doing it as much as you can. You will miss days because you're on vacation, you have an appointment, you have an emergency, you're tired or bored. Trying your best to practice every day and letting the practice take its time is enough in itself. And, I believe, that when you practice, it will work out for you as it needs to.
Do you WFH? What are your tips?
No comments:
Post a Comment