When Working From Home is No Longer Business as Usual
Well damn. I’m going to be honest. I started to write this post yesterday but things were… dark. I could only push myself to handle the mission-critical items on my to-do list before crumbling into a ball of worry. But after a good night’s sleep, a nice email from my therapist and the realization that everyone else is going through the same worries (if not worse) more gracefully than I was, I’m fully ready to rally and write my way through this crisis.
All while offering you some insider tips on how to handle working from home during an international crisis. Which I, as a freelancer who is always confined to my home office, arrogantly thought couldn’t be that different than working from home without the crisis. Turns out, when there’s a general feeling of panic in the air, my old tricks start to fall short, so I’ve had to learn to pivot.
Get Dressed for Work, But Have Some Fun with It
“Shower and get ready for work” is at the top of nearly every work from home list. Because it works. In non-corona times this was easier, because even if I didn’t have client meetings or in-office work sessions, I could make it a point to leave the house and work at a coffee shop if I wasn’t feeling motivated to put on pants. Combine confinement with all the emotions swirling around, and that motivation becomes harder to find.
If the standard wardrobe fare isn’t calling your name, use this as an opportunity to play a bit. Wear that green lipstick you got on sale knowing full well you would never be the woman to rock green lipstick. Dust off that tiara you wore at your wedding or prom (if you attended prom in the early aughts) or those funky earrings you’re too bashful to wear to the office. If you aren’t feeling that bold because your day is packed with video calls, throw on that pair of over-the-top shoes you have hiding in the back of your closet.
Adopt a Coworker
Okay, to be fair I owned my furry officemate before corona, but back then I saw her as more of a nuisance. Now that my external stimulation options have been completely eliminated, her mood-lifting qualities overshadow the fact that she has a compelling desire to live in the middle of my keyboard. This is one area where my pre-pandemic knowledge comes in handy. If you’re officing with a cat, put a box on your desk (puzzle boxes work well, but corrugated scratcher boxes are practically magic). It’s literally the only thing that keeps mine at bay. You could, of course, shut them into a separate room but then you have to deal with the overwhelming guilt of ignoring their meows and pawing.
I realize none of this is helpful for dog, snake, bird, fish, etc. owners, but I imagine any type of living companionship is helpful during this time. I’ve seen many social posts suggesting isolation is perfect for potty training a new puppy and it’s a known fact that watching fish swim to and fro can be incredibly soothing. Just please, don’t take on a pet you won’t be able to handle or continue to love after the crisis passes.
Find Your Sound
When you can’t control your physical space, you have to find new ways to reset and game on for different tasks. One thing that has worked well for me is creating different mental spaces through what I’m listening to.
Boring administrative tasks require a stimulating podcast or audiobook. Digging deep into research to develop an intricate strategy can only be set to movie-montage-quality music with driving rhythms. The soundtrack for writing tasks varies based on the tenor of the piece, but usually consists of some blend of Dessa, Frank Sinatra, Janelle Monae, ZZ Ward, and Irish folk songs. To review, edit, and put a final polish on any given project, I have to block out the entire rest of the world, that’s where white noise comes in handy.
It can take some trial and error to find the perfect soundtrack for your work day, but I’ve found it’s the best way to game my productivity.
Interacting with Your Cohabitating Co-Workers
Many of us, even those who are used to the WFH existence are experiencing the tensions of our cohabitants now becoming coworkers. We’re all running a little hot and uncertain. Not exactly an ideal way to learn how to work alongside the people you live with. No matter how much you love your roommates, significant others, or rugrats—24 hours a day for weeks is… a lot.
Be Patient with Pushed Buttons
We all have different ways of working. And we all have different ways of dealing with stress. And we’re all dealing with an unprecedented time of stress and working differently. This means all those little quirks (e.g., messiness, loud chewing, thinking out loud) that bother us about our live-in coworkers are going to feel like deliberate button pushing. But it isn’t. They’re just trying to get through this like you are. We have to dig deep and find new levels of patience and empathy for our sanity and for theirs.
Create Respectful Boundaries
On the flip side, we can minimize button pushing by respectfully and frequently communicating what we need. My high-energy husband likes to present thoughts the moment they come to him. I used to respond with a glare and a cold, “I’m working.” This was not received well. I’ve learned to politely say, “I’m heads down for the next x hours, can we talk when I have a break?” Then he goes away. It’s magic.
On the flip side, because I typically work completely alone, I’ve always taken conference calls without headphones. My cohabiworker politely told me this wasn’t acceptable by placing headphones on my head during a virtual meeting. He did pair the message with a glass of wine (it was an after hours meetup), which made it easier to receive the feedback.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Noise Cancelling Headphones
Even when tight quarters make it hard to truly separate from your new coworkers, noise cancelling headphones can work wonders. They block out the distractions and about 80 percent of those button-pushing quirks. My cohabiworker left this message on the props I used for my first picture while I was writing this and I had no idea he had even entered my space until I saw the note.
Which leads me to a final tip for dealing with cohabiworkers, virtual coworkers and everyone else in the world right now.
Have fun with each other. It’s hard as shit to know how to act, feel, operate, live. The circumstances are no joke, but we need to find ways to keep things light if our relationships and our own mental health are going to survive this mess.
// image by Hatice Yardim