WORK-FROM-HOME TIPS
From me, a ten-year veteran.
All the usual ones apply:
- put on real clothes!
- dedicate a space for work to the best of your ability. Be strict about this, both with yourself and your family members.
- keep regular hours. Start time, lunch break, end-of-day.
From me, a ten-year veteran.
All the usual ones apply:
- put on real clothes!
- dedicate a space for work to the best of your ability. Be strict about this, both with yourself and your family members.
- keep regular hours. Start time, lunch break, end-of-day.
Additionally,
- “Commute.” I would put on my shoes and go for a half-hour-to-an-hour walk between breakfast and the start of my workday. (I have for some reason stopped doing this, but I was a lot happier when I was doing it.)
Make a mental break between home mode and work mode.
- “Commute.” I would put on my shoes and go for a half-hour-to-an-hour walk between breakfast and the start of my workday. (I have for some reason stopped doing this, but I was a lot happier when I was doing it.)
Make a mental break between home mode and work mode.
- To the best of your ability, make your work area a place you *want to be.* Lamps, framed art, plants are all good touches. If you are lucky, have a spot with a nice window.
- I sometimes have Internet Discipline. “I can poke at Twitter when I am done this small sub-task.”
- I sometimes have Internet Discipline. “I can poke at Twitter when I am done this small sub-task.”
- Don’t goof off until the work is done. Make work your daily priority. Resist temptation to say, “I only have 4 hours of work to do, I can play in the bouncy castle all morning.” Work first, then bouncy castle.
- this one I learned from kick-ass animator/illustrator @DeasIllos: leave something small to accomplish the next morning.
Instead of doing a touchdown dance on your day’s work, leave a half-hour task for the next morning. Tomorrow, start the day with an easy win.
Instead of doing a touchdown dance on your day’s work, leave a half-hour task for the next morning. Tomorrow, start the day with an easy win.
- No, SERIOUSLY: stick to a rigid schedule. Lunch break, back to work, end-of-day.
How do I know this is beneficial?
Because I am NOT doing it right now, and I miss it.
YMMV, but give it a try for a week.
It HURTS to leave pages unfinished at EOD, but I can learn to adapt.
How do I know this is beneficial?
Because I am NOT doing it right now, and I miss it.
YMMV, but give it a try for a week.
It HURTS to leave pages unfinished at EOD, but I can learn to adapt.
- Exercise!!!
Maybe you are already an exercise person. I am not. Back when yoga studios were open, i had a 2x/week routine. (Routines are very beneficial for me.)
Now, I intend to do more (responsible) walks outside. Thank goodness for longer springtime daylight hours.
Maybe you are already an exercise person. I am not. Back when yoga studios were open, i had a 2x/week routine. (Routines are very beneficial for me.)
Now, I intend to do more (responsible) walks outside. Thank goodness for longer springtime daylight hours.
- Give yourself something to look at (regularly) that is further away than your monitor. This could be spying on people walking down the sidewalk. I have a hummingbird feeder outside.
It’s good for your eyes to NOT be focusing at one distance for the entire day.
It’s good for your eyes to NOT be focusing at one distance for the entire day.
- Podcasts! If you have a job that allows, fill your day with podcasts. I need them while I’m drawing.
I prefer the genre of “goofballs talking bullshit,” because it most closely resembles my real-life social experiences.
Giant Bomb, Hey Riddle Riddle, Pistol Shrimps Radio, etc.
I prefer the genre of “goofballs talking bullshit,” because it most closely resembles my real-life social experiences.
Giant Bomb, Hey Riddle Riddle, Pistol Shrimps Radio, etc.
- Drink lots of water.
It doesn’t have to come from a bottle or a water cooler - if you’re scared of tap water for some reason, look into your local facts.
Side benefit: if you have to pee all the time, take the opportunity to stretch and get your blood moving.
It doesn’t have to come from a bottle or a water cooler - if you’re scared of tap water for some reason, look into your local facts.
Side benefit: if you have to pee all the time, take the opportunity to stretch and get your blood moving.
- Have a beer. OR WHATEVER.
You’re at home. Take advantage of it!
Obvs, be smart! Be responsible. You’re an adult, make wise choices. Know your own temperament and body.
But also: humans have been administering alcohol to themselves for millennia to “take the edge off.”
You’re at home. Take advantage of it!
Obvs, be smart! Be responsible. You’re an adult, make wise choices. Know your own temperament and body.
But also: humans have been administering alcohol to themselves for millennia to “take the edge off.”
^ - ha ha, ummm, related to above: know that alcohol isn’t exactly going to make your body more resilient in the face of coronavirus (so to speak), so like I said: be smart, manage your own risk-taking, but now is definitely not the time for binge-drinking. IANYD.
- Here’s a tough one / expensive one / long-term one:
Have a computer dedicated to the work you need to do. Use it ONLY for work. NEVER UPDATE IT (except for security patches).
A reliable workhorse of a computer is so valuable when you don’t have an IT team.
Have a computer dedicated to the work you need to do. Use it ONLY for work. NEVER UPDATE IT (except for security patches).
A reliable workhorse of a computer is so valuable when you don’t have an IT team.
[ Obvs, this is not a prescriptive list for WFH success. These ideas work for me, and I only follow most of them half the time. You're a thinking, feeling human: consider this a grab-bag of things to try if you haven't considered them already. ]
