2007.06.10
A week at home
I have a work deadline to meet at the end of June, so I decided to work from home for the month. While the short-term goal is to ensure I meet the deadline, this is also a trial period of sorts where I figure out if I want to work from home on a more permanent basis or not. As the plan stands, I will return to working from the office as of the beginning of July.
So, a week ago, I hauled home my gear from work, and got right down to it. I was quickly surprised at how much more productive I am at home, but that’s not the point of this post. Rather, I want to discuss my other observations so far.
I have several friends and also coworkers that I’ve chatted to over the years about teleworking, and it seems as though experiences vary widely. The most interesting thing I’ve noticed as that teleworking seems to be a very individual thing, and it won’t work for everyone. Further, exactly how well it works depends on how well you can build it into a routine that works for you. Here’s what I do, and it seems to work for me.
1. I work the same hours I would in the office: 8:00 – 5:00.
This is actually sort of a requirement imposed on me by my employer, but it works well for me in the end, and I think the biggest reason it works for me is that the rigid structure allows me to get a routine going that is very easy to automatically fall into.
2. When I wake up in the morning, I wake up at the usual time and still shower and dress as though I’m going into the office.
My office has a very casual dress code, and so it’s easy to dress as though I’m going to work. I also get ready for the day in the exact same way that I would as if I was going to the office. About the only difference is that I don’t have the commute, so I can eat breakfast in a more leisurely fashion. This morning routine helps me get into “work mode” mentally.
3. I work in a room that I don’t use for much else.
My computers are set up in the den, which is a room I don’t often use for anything else besides work and using my home computer. As such, when I’m in the den, my brain knows that I’m “at work”, and I don’t feel the temptation to do housework or other non-work things as strongly. It also means that when I walk out of the den at 5:00, that’s the magical moment when my brain says “I’m home!” and I’m no longer at work. It’s a separate enough place that it’s “the office” to my brain.
4. I try to get outside for a walk at lunch
Because I now spend so much time in my condo, getting outdoors for a break is almost essential. Plus, the weather’s nice this time of year and there’s lots of people around on 17th Ave.
5. At 5:00, I turn off my work computer and walk away. No ifs, ands, or buts
My work computer is a completely different machine from my home computer and so I can turn off the work computer at 5:00 and not look back. This is how I avoid the overtime trap that some teleworkers complain about. If possible, I actually physically leave the condo at 5:00 to go to the gym, run errands, or even just take a short (15 minute) walk.
Overall I find that this approach and routine works well for me. If the rest of the month continues this well I’ll likely want to make it a more permanent part of my routine when I’m able.
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