It is almost the end of 2022, and we have successfully managed to make remote work a necessity as opposed to a luxury across a range of different industries. And whilst, this change in work ethic has allowed a lot of people to embrace their passions and spend time with loved ones. There is no denying the fact that it has also left people feeling a little lonely, discouraged and unmotivated (at times).
I said at times. Please don’t come for me.
I love working in my hoodie as much as the next person. But having spoken to my share of extroverted introverts, I quickly realized that I wasn’t the only one experiencing WFH fatigue.
So I did what I do best and hopped onto my favourite search engine for answers. Only to be flooded with feedback that did not resonate with someone who enjoys WFH but also has chaotic ADHD energy that requires structure but changes in her day-to-day routine in order to maintain her sanity.
So I compiled a list of ‘tips’ that have been tried and tested by yours truly, in hopes that it will serve as inspiration for you to find a WFH routine customized to help you maintain your sanity.
Create a routine and then switch it up from time to time
Create a consistent morning routine that allows you to wake up prior to your Teams or Slack channel blowing up on your phone. This will help you stay grounded and set you up for the day. Once you establish a morning routine that works for you. Work on adding some variety to your 9-5 to avoid stagnancy (i.e. listen to podcasts between meetings, read a few pages of your favourite book, do a. 15-minute yoga session to release pent-up tension).
Work in outfits that make you feel productive
Look. Some of us feel more productive in hoodies. Some of us feel more productive with a bra on underneath our hoodies.
No two snowflakes are the same.
Therefore, it is safe to assume that some of us might feel more productive with a loose shirt and some makeup, whilst others may feel more productive in a blazer.
Each to their own.
The key here is to get the heck out of bed and not work in the same items of clothing that you went to sleep in last night.
Have something on in the background
I know some people work better in silence. But I am not one of them. And having worked in the office for 5-ish years prior to my pivot to WFH. I enjoyed the background noise of humans breathing and conversing. It helped me focus for longer.
So when COVID hit, I noted that a good podcast or YouTube video (consisting of white or brown noise) was a decent-ish replacement for the silence that came with working by myself.
Use the Pomodoro technique
There will be moments/days when your attention span will not match your workload. But those work deadlines will wait for no one. So in order to still get sh*t done, give the Pomodoro technique a crack.
Find other WFH buddies and build a support network
Reach out to coworkers and schedule ‘water cooler breaks’ of 30 mins or so via Teams, where people can hop on with no agenda and chat with each other while working on their tasks for the day. While the thought of having to hop on a Teams call with no set agenda, I have found that these sessions often created a sense of cohesion and acted as a team bonding activity for fellow employees.
Use the flexibility to your advantage
Realize that not everyone gets to WFH and that to a lot of people this is a privilege. So make the most of it. Take the flexibility that comes with WFH and use it to build on your creative side hustles and nourish your mind. Realize that instead of having to commute for two hours on the train, you are now able to use those two hours to learn something new.
It took me a while to be appreciative of the fact that while WFH came with its cons, it also came with some insane pros. And in a day it truly did provide me with a sense of freedom, when I learned how to leverage it to my advantage.
Strategic Chaos 