If you're in the northeast, like I am, you've probably had to work from home once a week for the past few weeks. Thanks, climate change!
For those of you whose job depends on being physically present, enjoy your snow day with reckless abandon.
But for those who need to work remotely while their friends day-drink and tumble into snowbanks, here are a few tips for staying focused and getting work done.
1. Wake Up At Your Usual Time
This helps your body recognize that it's a weekday so you can stick to your routine a little better. Personally, I could never follow the advice to
wake up at the same time every day, since I love to sleep in on the weekends. So on a snow day, I compromise: I sleep in for the amount of time that I would have spent commuting, but I eat breakfast, shower, and start working at my usual time.
2. Wear Appropriate Clothing
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| I find I'm surprisingly productive in my fleece unicorn onesie. No joke. |
When you get dressed for the day, wear whatever will make you feel most productive. Usually changing into your normal work attire is a good choice. Some people need to wear shoes in order to feel "on." Or maybe you need to compensate by dressing in a 3-piece suit. Generally, it's a good idea to change out of the PJs you wore to bed.
3. Claim Your Workspace
It's important to distinguish between work space and non-work space. If you usually sit at a desk at the office, sit at a desk or table at home. Again, when you recreate your physical routine of working, you'll work more effectively.
Conversely, if you usually lounge on the couch to unwind from work, don't work from your couch. Your subconscious will be very confused.
4. Block Out Distractions
Literally, there are
free tools you can use to block distracting websites for a specific amount of time. In the morning, carve out blocks of time when you need to be productive, and make sure to block Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or whatever other internet black hole sucks up your time.
5. Don't Have a Working Lunch -- Have a Cooking Lunch
If you usually eat at your desk or grab a bite at the office cafeteria, take advantage of your snow day and try something a little different. Cook a warm meal, maybe something you don't usually have time to cook at the end of the day. Crock pot meals, stews, gumbos, stir fries, or casseroles are a nice alternative than the usual sandwich, right? And since you're already home with all your ingredients (you stocked up before the storm, right?) and cookware, you have no excuse not to cook.
I find that cooking a meal injects a much-needed change of pace into a work-from-home day. Give your brain a chance to shift gears, and you'll be fresher when you return to your desk.
If you need to work during your lunch, try cooking while listening to an industry podcast or webinar. If you have a lot of email to catch up on, you can use
an app to read it aloud for you while you're chopping vegetables.
6. Keep In Touch
If all else fails, hold yourself accountable to your coworkers. Check in with your team via email to review priorities and tasks for the day. Have a meeting via conference call -- or video conference if you're feeling fancy.
One tactic is to email your supervisor in the morning with your plan of action for the day, and indicate that you'll notify them at the end of the day if something didn't get done. That puts pressure on you to keep on task or else admit that you mismanaged your time.
7. Take An Afternoon Snow Break
When you hit your afternoon slump around 3pm, lace up your winter boots and take a snow break. The chilly air will perk you up, and a walk around the block -- or a quick snowball fight -- will get your blood pumping again. After a couple minutes, you'll be cured of stiff legs and cabin fever, eager to warm up with a mug of cocoa -- which you should promptly brew.
Enjoy your snow day, everyone!
