Our Top 10 WFH Tips
How we learned to balance everything without going totally nuts over the past few months.
Working from home has been the new normal for Havas Creative North America since April. While the world is slowly reopening, our homes are still functioning as an office, daycare, gym, restaurant (one where you don’t need a mask), movie theater, and so much more — making the work-from-home component a bit challenging.
How do you focus on building a campaign strategy when your kid is pulling on your shirt sleeve to get your attention — for the 45th time today? How do you stay on schedule when the days all blend together?
Like you, we didn’t plan for this, but our team has learned to embrace the insanity and take this whole lockdown thing one day at a time. And like any good agency, we love to knowledge-share as part of our mission to continuously improve and evolve as a team.
So from our homebound team to you, here are a few ways we’ve learned to stay (somewhat) sane while working from home:
- Be open with coworkers and clients.
We all get it — the kids are stuck in the house, too. If you give a heads-up that there might be a background scream or crash at some point during a conference call, everyone will understand (and you’ll feel less anxious).
2. Get outside.
Stepping outside even for a little bit can really help you remember to take a deep breath, refocus, and maybe even get in some quick exercise. Try to get outside for at least a half-hour every day, even if you’re just doing laps around the block or sitting outside with the dog.
3. Create designated work areas.
The line between work and home has grown so blurry, it sometimes feels like it doesn’t exist. Setting up a designated work area allows you to redraw that line in bright red permanent marker (or whatever your favorite color is). Recreating your workspace at home can also enhance your concentration by getting you in the “work zone,” the same as if you were in the office. Plus, having a designated work spot gives you a place to define as “yours” and helps set boundaries — which are necessary if you have distractions around (like roommates, kids, or dogs).
4. Change your scenery.
It’s certainly helpful to have a designated work spot, but sometimes mixing it up can help you stay sharp, too. Try the couch, the dining room, and even your deck or front porch. Consciously changing locations during the day forces you to take a short break and stretch your legs.
5. Set limits on “office” snacking.
Being at home makes it too easy to slip into bad snacking habits — like snacking all day. Try starting each day with a small bucket with your favorite snacks and treats for the day, and don’t refill it again until the next morning.
6. Pajamas rule.
Working from home is a great excuse to wear cozy PJs or sweats all day. After all, it’s a lot easier to be productive when you’re comfortable. But remember: It’s okay to have daytime pajamas. They should just be different from your nighttime pajamas.
7. Set up a schedule for your kiddos…
Working from home is extra hard when you’ve added “teacher” or “summer camp counselor” to your role of responsibilities. Just like having a set routine is helpful to work productivity, having some sort of schedule in place can help your kiddos, too.
For school, having a set schedule mimics the daily school schedule and maintains a sense of consistency — plus, no excuse for forgetting to do schoolwork. And once school ends and long summer camp-less days take their place, having a set schedule of activities, TV/screen time, outdoor time and more will keep the kiddos entertained and minimize the number of times you hear the universally dreaded “Mom, I’m booooooored.”
8. …and establish a routine for yourself, too.
Our original work routines have been out the window since work from home began, but that doesn’t mean it’s total anarchy. Try to keep as much of your original routine as possible, from waking up at the same time to making that perfect cup o’ joe. It also helps to get dressed first thing — now whether that‘s into real clothes or your daytime jammies, that’s up to you.
9. Speaking of routine and getting outside, consider “commuting.”
Now that you’re not driving to the office, there’s some extra time in your morning — yes, you might actually have free time in the morning. What on earth do you do with that?? Maybe curl up in your favorite chair to really enjoy that coffee for a few minutes, do a mini yoga sesh, cuddle the dog. Or better yet, throw on some clothes and leave the house — but instead of hopping in your car, hop on your bicycle or take a walk. You’ll love your new commute and you’ll walk into your “office” with a clear head, ready to tackle the day.
10. Leverage ALL THE TECHNOLOGY to collaborate and communicate.
It’s almost too easy to hit “send” on a Slack message and move on with your day without taking the time to chat. But email and Slack threads simply aren’t a great replacement for face-to-face discussion. What do we do instead? Create an agency environment as much as possible via technology. For us, that means moving open work sessions and brainstorms from conference room walls to digital whiteboards and collaborative XD files. It means hitting that Slack call button or hopping on Zoom with *gasp* video turned on.
It’s okay if you haven’t showered in days or are still wearing those yoga pants from Monday — or was it Saturday? — video will keep you more connected with your team and help you feel like you’re still together.
