With many of our families, friends and colleagues having to quickly transition to “work from home” environments, we feel fortunate that remote work is a core value at Guru. So we tapped into the expertise of our crew to provide a few tips for those of you who are new to working and living in the same space.
TIP #1: SHIFT WORKS HOURS TO ACCOMMODATE FAMILY NEEDS.
School closings have employees across the country working with kids at home. Consider working earlier in the morning and/or later in the evening to allow you to be present during the day. Many Guru employees have found that this helps ease children’s anxiety and keep their young minds engaged.
TIP #2: DESIGNATE A SPACE SPECIFICALLY FOR WORK.
Laptops are a blessing and curse because they allow you to take work everywhere (i.e the dining room table, couch, bedroom, etc.). Try to dedicate a singular space for work so as to not co-mingle work into every area of your home – which is especially important if you are unable to leave the house.
TIP #3: SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES FOR PERSONAL TIME.
Having clear guidelines for when you are planning to work and when you need to call it a day will help maintain work-life balance. Just because you are working at home, does not mean that your entire life at home needs to become work.
TIP #4: BE CREATIVE ABOUT WHEN YOUR 8 HOURS OCCUR.
With many families juggling work and parenting as a result of school closings, allow yourself to break out of the time-clock mindset. When possible, consider adjusting when your work gets completed – and know that it may happen in segments. Short of deadline-specific tasks, many daily responsibilities can be done at either 6 a.m. or 8 p.m. without negative implications.
TIP #5: BREAK UP YOUR DAY AND GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.
Make an effort to carve out time to get outside during the day – even just a quick walk around the block. Fresh air and a bit of exercise can help keep you (and any kiddos at home) from going stir crazy!
TIP #6: DEVELOP A ROUTINE AND STICK TO A SCHEDULE.
While flexibility will continue to be imperative in all aspects of life in the near future, routines can help to provide a sense of calm during this period of uncertainty. By setting a regular schedule, you are also more likely to enforce boundaries to prevent working around-the-clock.
TIP #7: GET DRESSED AS IF YOU WERE GOING TO AN OFFICE.
While we all love our pajamas, it is helpful to dress like you would if you were going into a workplace environment. And if you normally have to dress a bit fancier for your job, find joy in being able to wear your jeans and sneakers!
TIP#8: SET AN INTENTION TO MAINTAIN SELF-FOCUSED RITUALS.
Self-care is as important as ever, so be sure you are taking time to get outside, exercise, and eat a real meal!
While none of us can know what comes next as COVID-19 news continues to develop, we take comfort in a practice we often invoke here at Guru: build the bridge as we walk it. We are quickly learning and adapting together. Please comment below with additional recommendations and resources around developing a healthy and successful remote work environment.
We are all in this together!
