Yes, This Impacted Me Too

Ever since social distancing was enacted and many folks started working from home, I have been asked every day: “This really hasn’t impacted you, has it?” Implying that because I have worked from home for some time that nothing changed.

My world has changed. Without question. Sure, I already worked at home. I have all the equipment I need. My office is comfortable and tweaked to meet my demands. But work isn’t all keyboards and monitors.

First, even the physical connections and tools for work have changed. There are far more people at home sharing the same internet connections, and more people sharing the corporate remote connection tunnels. This creates traffic jams and impacts productivity. To manage the traffic, many have been requested to stop using video during conference calls, and other conveniences like GIPHYS in collaboration tools have been disabled. Visually seeing people is a key way to connect, and I greatly miss this! It seems lonelier when it’s just disembodied voices. I also miss the humor that GIPHYS bring to lighten the mood and connect on a “real” level with people. The result is slower, less connected work on a daily basis.

Additionally, the distractions are greater. My husband is home and that creates more noise in the house. Far more people are walking around in the neighborhood and that causes my dogs to bark more, which interrupts more of my conference calls and deep thought. My mom and dad, who live next door, are watching my niece and nephew more. While I love seeing them and love being “Aunt Cortney”, when they play outside or try to wave through the window, that’s further distraction. Sometimes that’s an amazing break and sometimes it just upsets my furbabies! While it doesn’t impact me, others are also trying to be parents and teachers while also working. I'm truly grateful I'm not trying to juggle working, parenting, and teaching at the same time - bless you parents!

There are other distractions that are more mental. Every day I’m bombarded with the latest news. I’m trying to stay informed with closures and rule changes. I’m trying to check in on my friends and family, both remaining social and caring for their health. I’m so thankful that everyone in my family is healthy right now. But so many others are also sick or balancing sick families while trying to still work. I’m trying to find toilet paper, which we use more of since we’re all at home. I have to plan days in advance for grocery shopping and getting creative on how we get the goods we really need.

My days all run together. I can’t get out of the house to see my friends and family. I feel disconnected. The things I did before while working from home to be social, I can’t do any more. My getaways to help recharge my batteries, such as sports and concerts, are all canceled. There is no solid way to differentiate one day from the next. They all look the same and grow in isolation.

I’m not complaining. I’m truly not. I am very blessed to still be employed, to be able to work from home, to have my spouse do the same, to be healthy, and to be putting food on the table. My only point is that it is different. And there are emotions tied to it being different. There is loneliness, concern, frustration, depression, anxiety, and so many more. And I’m one of the lucky ones! Many others already working at home are dealing with so much more.

Understand that today, like any other day, there are constraints in peoples’ lives that impact their mental and physical state. They may not show their cards, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have struggles. Working from home before does not mean someone is not experiencing issues now.

Realize that everyone, truly everyone, has been impacted by current events. Don’t assume you know anyone’s situation. Let’s all be kind. Allow people to feel their feelings. Support one another. We’ll get through this together.

For all those new to working at home – we’re here to help.

For all my existing work at home peeps – it’s ok to need help too.

Stop drawing the line

I hear about so many people that want to "draw the line" between business and personal. They won't friend coworkers on Facebook. They don't hang out with coworkers after hours. They try not to share too much personal stuff in the office.

I have news for you - You ARE a person. And as a result, you cannot shut off the personal stuff!

More importantly, you shouldn't.

I am friends with someone on Facebook that I know from work. We've never met face-to-face. A few weeks ago he was posting about a family emergency. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. But, our paths crossed at work again the next week and we were able to chat about it. I could let him know I cared, and he appreciated it. It wasn't faceless work, it was two people that support each other in all things life.

When you are in the office, it's easy to catch up on the casual stuff at the water cooler or walking down the hallway. It's convenient for someone to show you their phone with the latest pic of their kid doing whatever it is they are into now. When you get to know people as more than machine parts building the work widget, somehow building that work widget becomes easier. That's because we aren't machines!

When you are differently located, it's hard to get connected to those casual encounters. By being disconnected from them, you become disconnected from work, which may result in less productivity, less engagement, and less quality. That sense of belonging is a strong driver and must be supplemented.

So for me, I don't draw a line that says coworkers must stay in this box, and non-coworkers in that box. It's one big box. I don't turn on/off like a robot. I am not emotionless like a robot.

My work life is richer because I know (and care) about the people I work with. Allowing them into my personal space doesn't intrude on my life, it makes my work better, and therefore makes my non-work better.

I'm not saying you need to suddenly friend 50,000 people are share your innermost secrets. But consider taking down the wall a little.

Get a backup plan

Random "hiccups" can happen whether you are at home or at work. The power can go out. The internet could go bump. Your phone could get cut off. All of these issues will prevent you from working as you usually do. In the office, everyone is there, so everyone knows. Being universally down is somehow more acceptable than being down at home. When you are at home, you are expected to be connected and never have these mishaps. So what happens when you do?

You have a much bigger responsibility to be prepared when you are at home. You need to be able to get a hold of your coworkers to let them know what is going on, and you need to find a way to work.

The easiest thing to do to prepare is to create your contact list. You should have the email addresses and phone numbers of your key contacts stored offline. This could be on paper, on your cell phone, on your personal PC, or whatever works for you. But consider all the options. If you lose power, you lose personal devices as well.

When you let people know you're situation, you have to let them know what you are doing about it. All of this will depend on your role and what you need to accomplish for the day. This can vary, so understanding all of your options under any situation is important.

• If you have power, but no internet, you may be able to work offline. If you have heads down work, you have materials locally you can work on, or your work is mostly by phone. You may be able to get by somewhat disconnected for a bit.
• If you have no power, working offline is going to be hard. Your battery will eventually die. You need to find another location to work such as a family member, physical office, or coffee shop.
• If you have both connections, but experience technical difficulties with your work connection only, you may have alternative connection options. Check to see if your company has a web mail client or an email app that will give you some means to connect.

If you are not prepared, it may cost you. You could lose face with your leader and peers, and you may even be out a vacation day because not working is not acceptable. 

Work away from home

Most of us 'at home' workers have a luxury we very often forget - We are not actually tethered to our workspace! For most, we are lucky enough to have laptops or virtual machines that allow our work to be portable. We also have IP phones or cell phones that also enable our calls to be from anywhere. And yet, here we are with our imaginary ball and chain: the home desk.

Working at home can become tiring after a while. Same routine, day after day, no unique interactions and nothing to break up the day. It can cause cabin fever. But that's a prison we built for ourselves and a sentence we can break free from.

If you have the luxury of mobile technology, then you should experiment with being mobile. Take full advantage of your situation.

Do you enjoy a good mocha-cappa-latte-whatever? Why not work from Starbuck's on their wi-fi once a week! You can get your high priced coffee fix while getting out of the house. This break in routine can be just what the doctor ordered to keep your at-home situation fresh.

Is it the first day above freezing and the sun is out? Try working outside from your porch, or even just from another room that takes in all of the sunshine. Sunshine is a surefire cure for cabin fever. It will warm up your disposition and your routine. On those truly awesome days, find some work you can do offline and go work from the park. Being out in the world makes us feel like we're part of something bigger and not isolated hermits in our homes.

Is there something out of town you are passionate about? Did anyone say HOCKEY? We often don't take part in the events we have to travel for because we need to take time off to do so. But if you can work from anywhere, you can travel in the evening, work during the day, and go play that night. Get up and work the next day and then come home. You didn't lose a minute of vaca, you did something you really enjoy, and you got out of the house.

Think about the possibilities... As long as you can stay connected and focus on your work appropriately, location has become a matter of little consequence. You're limited only by your willingness to get out and the wi-fi at your destination.

It is very important though that your employer supports this cause. Some are old school and won't. Their loss, because eventually they will lose you. Be sure that you candidly discuss the options first and get support. And be sure that you have the connectivity you need - cell service, download speeds, enough quiet to still focus. It's not an excuse to not work. You should work even more, frankly. And lastly, be willing and able to offer up PTO time if it doesn't work out and you have to abandon work.

So what are you waiting for? Get out of the house!

Walk Away

Everyone talks about a work/life balance. That's not new. But when you work at home, work is life and life is work. Where does one stop and the other start?

People will say that work from home is more productive because people work longer hours. Well, they do. But that's not why it is, or should be, more productive. Just like your office counterpart, you need a break. Burning the work candle at both ends only does one thing - it burns you out.

That's why it is even more important, when working from home, to define boundaries and walk away. There has to be a division for you to be off the clock.

Below are some tips to help build the barrier between work and non-work. Even if you didn't do some of these while you were an office dweller, you need to start now. Your non-work life depends on it.

• Define a space for work that you can walk away from. This should not be your kitchen table, your bed, your sofa, or anywhere else you'd find yourself regularly visiting when you're off the clock.
• Take your lunch break. Use it to do a load of laundry, walk the dog, actually eat something healthy (for a change), work out, run an errand, etc. The point is to take a break from work. This should be a minimum of 30 minutes to allow your brain time to regroup.
• Define your office hours. They may be slightly longer than a traditional 8-5 because you can afford it, but set them and stand by them. When the quitting time bell rings, Fred Flintstone your way out of the office and never look back.
• Resist the temptation to check back in. Unless there is a special occasion, don't run back to your office to check on work just because you can. Use that time for something else. Read a really awesome Leading from Afar blog if you can't find anything else to do.
• Unplug entirely. For at least a few minutes, after you log off for the day, go acoustic. No computer, tablet, phone, TV, radio, or whatever your vice. Just chill, disconnected for a few minutes, to let your entire body move on from work.
• Keep your work and non-work technologies separate. If you use the same devices for both, it's easy and tempting while playing Candy Crush or updating Facebook to do some work too. Remove the temptation all together. 

Work at home has given you the gift of time and money. It's a shame to let it all go to waste because you never stop working.