Hi,

I asked on my Instagram account about what were the common WFH struggles because I wanted to help using my own experience instead of sending yet another productivity hack article on the internet.

I was supposed to move to Japan when I started my job with Yanko Design. The outbreak wasn’t bad yet so I decided to simply delay the move till things settled down - this meant I had to start working from home for the time being. Who knew time being would bring us here today when the whole world has been put on an indefinite time out and everyone has to work from home. I don’t know when I will move to Japan but what I do know is that work from home isn’t a Pinterest moodboard and luckily I learned my lessons before the lockdown.

For someone who has only ever worked in a conventional office, no matter where I was in the world, WFH didn’t come naturally. I am sure many of us feel that way right now as we try to adjust to the new normal, there are is a hard truth we must accept before we are able to get into the flow of things.

There is going to be a honeymoon phase and it will come to an end very quickly.

You will enjoy not having a commute. You will get more than just 5 minutes of extra snooze time. You will love working in your pajamas. Lunch breaks will be happier without Karen’s life updates. You won’t have to pretend to work every time your boss walks by. You can sing along that embarrassing album without fear.

I give a week or two and then it will change to this -

You will probably wake up one minute before you have to log in which will leave you in a grumpy mood because you have just opened your eyes and Karen has broadcasted her task list for the day. Your co-workers will IM you a lot more because everyone is feeling weird about not seeing each other. Lunch will probably be on your desk because you wasted too much time on a Buzzfeed quiz. You will have day pajamas and night pajamas.

The change will bring you down especially because you cannot leave your house right now and, believe it or not, working from home means a lot more work and a lot lesser breaks than working in an office. I went through the rollercoaster and this is what has worked for me -

1) Please change out of your pajamas

This will give your brain the illusion that you are getting ready for the day, it will put you in work mode. You don’t have to wear pants but don’t wear clothes that are comfortable enough to nap in. I know this because I actually have slept off more than once so trust me on this.

2) Put an alarm to take breaks

A very effective time/productivity management technique is the Pomodoro technique - our brains are not wired to constantly be in an all-time 100% focus mode, so taking breaks is extremely essential. When we work from home we are in our comfort zones and do not have the need to “leave office” so we don’t realize for how long we have not moved. Take your coffee breaks, call your friend or take a walk around the house as a substitute for the times we leave our office desks.

3) Use calls instead of messages to communicate

Most of us are not used to working from home which means messages are not going to be clear because people communicate differently. So if you get a Slack notification from Karen and want to clarify - CALL. Calling will help make things efficient and save back-and-forth. It substitutes the human interaction that we miss whether we realize that or not.

4) Set a timer on your social media apps

This will help with distractions because once we start scrolling it can be hard to stop - especially when no one is watching. This will also reduce some screen time, being confined to our homes we probably are spending way too many hours on Netflix. Use it after work too so that you aren’t up all night because lack of movement will leave you awake for longer than usual.

5) Stay active even if you don’t feel like

So many of us are used to running errands and working out every day and the sudden change in our lives can throw us into a downward spiral. It is still safe to go out and take walks, make sure you are following all rules to stay hygienic. Being physically active keeps our minds active too and will increase productivity. Staying home all day and not getting enough vitamin D can affect our mental health, so make sure you are movin’ n groovin’. These are three Instagram accounts I follow that have been helpful with home workouts - Kayla Itsines, Sweat and Emily Ricketts.

6) Set tasks and tick them off

If you don’t already do this, start on it. It will make you feel accomplished and you can reward yourself with a break or a cookie. This also helps you stay on track with your work even though we may lose track of what day it is. Do it for non-work tasks too so that you give yourself a routine for the day - schedule online therapy, check your pantry for meal prep, and plan a Netflix evening with friends.

7) Do not work on your bed

If you have space, give your home office a dedicated corner. Add a little decor to it since you will be spending a lot of your time there - perhaps a coaster, a bobblehead or a plant that is still alive? I like to light a scented candle - it gives me a minute to breathe, collect myself and focus on the day ahead. It can be a simple thing but it will create a “space” for work even though it is at home which will help keep your life as close to as the order you were used to.

Give yourself time, your mind and body adapts faster than you think.

Now let’s not forget the good stuff - you can work with your pets, you can dance around after accomplishing tasks, you can continue playing all your embarrassing music loudly and you can eat pasta for breakfast without any judgment and you have extra time to do things you love! It’ll take you about two weeks and you will settle in the new routine, just don’t constantly remind yourself about it and the lifestyle change will sink in naturally. We are all in this together and WE GOT THIS.

x Chi