I have been working as a self-employed freelance artist and writer since 2010. So, while the news and advice regarding self-imposed isolation or ‘social-distancing’ has been slowly taking effect, I have found myself in quite a privileged position. I work from home and have over the course of the last ten years. While many artists and writers choose to work from studios or have part time jobs on top of their creative career, I was lucky enough to go full time in 2011 and have an office in my home, so isolation comes pretty naturally to my every day work life. But what if you are not used to isolation and are still expected to work effectively and efficiently from home during this time?
I have met a lot of people over the years who have responded to my working at home with comments like ‘oh you’re so lucky’ and ‘that must be so nice’… Well, on one hand – yes – of course it is nice and I am lucky, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy – which some of you might be coming to find in the next few weeks. It can be incredibly lonely and difficult to find inspiration to work in an isolated environment. Procrastination and distraction are abundant at home and can lead to you not focusing on your work and consequently working longer hours to make up for this, or feeling anxious and guilty. So, for those of you who find yourself suddenly away from the hustle and bustle of office life, here are a few things I have learned over the years that may help.
Please note: I completely understand there are many people who are not able to work from home or have jobs in the service industry, care industry and retail where this would never be an option, but for those of you who are I hope that this is helpful. Also, if you are an employer or administrator who is suddenly having to deal with finding ways for your employees or students to work remotely, don’t treat this as a one-time thing. The options you are putting in place right now would open up many of your employees and students lives in the future if they were to need to work remotely for health, mental health, disability or care issues; and you will also open up so many more job opportunities for disabled people to join your work force. Most importantly, if you are ill and can afford to take the time away from work or have work allocated sick leave – take it! Do not work from home if you are ill and can take that time to look after yourself and recover.
Anyway, all of that aside, I hope that these little tips can help any of you who are feeling a bit out of their depth with suddenly having to work from home. And for those of you who, like me, already do work from home; I hope that these things are interesting to you too. Feel free to comment below with your own work-from-home tips and tricks. I would love to hear them.
A clean environment is more important than ever right now, so keeping your home office clean is essential to keeping yourself healthy. But house work can also be a number one distraction when you work from home. You might be halfway through a spreadsheet or email when you think that the laundry needs to be done or the dishes need washing. When you do the housework you feel productive and that is instantly rewarding, but has nothing to do with your current job and takes you away from work. Why not try doing housework the evening before bed if you can? That way you will wake up to a clean house and not have any unnecessary distractions to keep you from work. If you do think of something that needs doing while you are working from home, write it down on a list and get to it after work hours are over or in your lunch break if you must.
If you are working on a repetitive task or something that does not require as much concentration and attention as other tasks, like filling in forms or printing out items; why not listen to an audio-book or podcast. You don’t have a boss telling you to take your headphones off and you can even just listen to it on full volume. If it’s a respective job that still requires precision, you can always double check your work at the end before you send it in to the office, without the distraction of music or podcasts. Keeping your day noisy can keep you feeling social even if it’s only through listening to other people talk at you. Alternatively, if the noise of your home is distracting (perhaps you have children at home, pets or noisy neighbors), why not listen to some white noise or nature sounds through your headphones (or just some music without words). The great thing about working from home is you don’t have anyone to complain about your music choices, so play something that makes you happy.
Do you have a team who tends to work together or work colleagues you just miss? Or maybe you have other friends who are working from home but they work in different sectors or different jobs entirely. Why not set up a Skype call or a social Discord server so you can actually work face-to-face or audibly? You could also set up a Whatsapp group or Facebook chat if you don’t find those too distracting. Not only does this mean you can check in on each other to make sure you are well, but you can also keep each other honest about your work. Social distancing can be difficult for those who crave social interactions each day, especially those who may be extroverted people, so keeping in touch with people can be essential. This can be especially helpful if you live alone or are an immuno-compromised individual who can’t afford even the odd isolated trip outside at the moment. There are many ways to keep in touch with people nowadays, but finding something which allows you to chat (virtually face to face) or audibly would be best as that will allow for comfortable silence while you work and not having to type responses.
If you have the space to set up an at home office, use it. Having a space that is separate to your bedroom or areas associated with rest and relaxation is always best so as to psychologically distance your work from down time. If you don’t have a spare room or home office, you can try to set up on your dining table or kitchen. Of course, if you don’t have the space for this, then try to make the space you do have clear of any distraction or association with recreation. My work computer is also my gaming computer so I make sure to clear my desktop of shortcuts to video games too. When you do take breaks, try not to play games or surf social media on your allocated work computer. Of course you can still do these things (we’re only human and it is your break), but why not try stepping away from your computer and doing these things on your phone, or turning on the TV instead, or just getting away from screens altogether and reading a book. This way you don’t associate your new ‘work’ computer with recreation and it makes it easier to step back into work mode when you return to it.
Yes I do spend a good portion of my working life wearing pajamas(!) That is one of the great perks of working at home. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get ready for work. Try getting up at the same time as you would normally and getting washed and changed in the same ways, but with the added perks of maybe wearing casual clothes or comfy clothes instead of your usual office attire. My work uniform over the years has changed from pajamas 90% of the time to comfy leggings and loose tee shirts, so – still pajamas really – but the sort that still look enough like an outfit so I don’t get embarrassed when the postman knocks on the door!
You could find (depending on your normal commute) that you suddenly have an extra hour in your day as you are waking up in work, so use it wisely. Don’t add it into your work hours (unless you really need it), use it to take time for yourself and eat a good breakfast or do that housework mentioned in tip one, or just enjoy yourself and the day. This is currently an exceptional circumstance after all, so you deserve that extra time to decompress and get yourself psyched up to work. Social distancing does not (contrary to popular belief) mean you cannot under any circumstances go outside, it just means that if you choose to you should avoid overly populated areas or social gatherings and take care to wash your hands and avoid touching your face when out in public. The virus is not airborne, so social distancing is all about avoiding other people, not the outdoors. So, if you would like to go on a run or a walk in the park or even just do some gardening, all of this is perfectly fine to do. Sunlight in itself is healthy and fills you with much needed Vitamin D, and of course exercise will keep your body and mind healthy too, so don’t feel like you have to avoid it – just don’t go to a sweaty gym or a yoga class where someone is putting their foot in your face from a mat only a metre away.
If, however, you are living with someone who is immuno-compromised, or are yourself, or simply want to be that little bit extra cautious and not leave the house unless it is absolutely necessary (which is completely understandable), then why not try a fitness video on YouTube or an app on your phone? There are plenty of at home exercise programs you can do to feel better, from CrossFit to yoga or even just having your own private dance party to your favorite songs (no one’s watching – you blast out Blink 182 and mosh like it’s 1999! I won’t judge – mostly because I’ll be doing it too!) As for the sunlight, why not try setting up your computer by a window? Or, if you have a garden, just go out and sit outside on your lunch break. Of course, as this is Britain, we may not have sun, so if you think it’s necessary and have the funds to do so, you can always invest in a UV SAD lamp.
This is probably more essential than ever right now (and yes, I understand the irony of me saying this as I have posted these tips all over my social media), but try to avoid social media as much as you would if you had your boss breathing down your neck telling you to get off Facebook. Social media is full of negative stories, misinformation and in some cases full on panicked hysteria right now and you do not need that dragging you down. While it can also be a place for much needed social interaction and positive stories too, try to police yourself when you are on social media and maybe mute certain words or people you follow if it will benefit your mental health. If you are self-isolating or social distancing you are doing the best thing for your health and the health of the wider community right now, you do not need to be scared. If you are immuno-compromised or know someone who is, or are just consciously aware that so many of the population are, this can be a very anxious and even scary time – so try your best not to feed from the fear machine that is the internet at the moment. And, if your friends or family are posting things that are making you more anxious, feel free to tell them, or just temporarily mute them.
If you still need to go out for whatever reason, be it work, childcare, grocery shopping etc – do not let the internet make you feel guilty either. If you are taking the necessary precautions to care for yourself and those around you, you have nothing to feel guilty about. And, on that note – don’t make others feel guilty either! You do not know what each and every person’s unique situation is. There are many people who cannot afford to take time off work right now or would lose their job if they did so, it can also be a very scary time for those who have to go to work to keep their business afloat in this tough time so be forgiving. Also remember how essential the delivery people, retail staff and care staff working during this time are to keep things running.
If you live with other people, be it family members or house-mates, be sure to make them aware of your work hours. It is very easy when you work from home for people to think that you have a lot more spare time than someone in a conventional job, so offers of socializing, running errands and taking time out during the day can come thick and fast. Obviously, if you are self isolating then outside social engagements would already be a no-no, but that won’t stop anyone who lives with you from wanting a chat while you are in the middle of work, or asking you to take the rubbish out when you are in the middle of a Skype meeting. So, if you have a door to your allocated working space, try to keep it closed and make those who live with you aware of your work hours. If you don’t have a private work space, and you have to share it with others this can of course be more difficult, so maybe explain the situation to them and try working with headphones on so they can clearly see when you do not wish to be disturbed. I’m afraid I’m not in much of a position to offer advice to those who might be staying at home with children at this time, but I know there are plenty of blogs out their aimed at working parents which would be far more useful than me for things like that.
That’s all the things I can think of that might be in some way helpful right now. There are plenty of people offering tips and health advice at the moment but this one was for the people who cannot afford to stop working right now or have the ability to work from home.
If you found these helpful, please take a moment to check out this petition to include self-employed people in statutory sick pay during this time. Hopefully this will set a precedent in the future for allowing self-employed people the ability to claim sick pay in general. As such, at the moment self-employed people like myself do not get any compensation for sick days during the year and as such many of us work through illness.
Do you work from home? Do you have any things that you have found useful to keep you focused? Comment below, I would love to hear from you.
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