I’ve read so many articles and heard so many personal stories about people who are thriving in the new work-from-home environment.  I’ll admit that there are some things that are great about it - like getting extra snuggles with our pets.

What we’re not hearing much about, though, are all the people who are truly struggling with the change in routine and lack of structure that the change has brought.

There are many reasons why you might be struggling.

• There is no clear transition to work time and back to personal time.

• You’ve stopped wearing pants to work.

• Virtual meetings are scheduled at random and inconvenient times.

• Working in bed seems like a great idea.

• You’re stressed about all kinds of things and it’s distracting.

• You’ve taken on new roles, like teacher and daycare provider.

• You’ve had to learn new technology.

• There’s no one expecting you to show up at a certain time.

As a productivity and time management consultant, I’ve been helping my clients get a better handle on the new work-from-home reality that doesn’t have a known end-date.

So, if you’re one of the ones who are struggling and feeling like there’s something wrong with you for not adapting well, know that you are not alone. 

9 tips to help you get a better handle on things

1. Try to incorporate routines from when things were working well.  If you commuted to work by car, try putting your coffee in a travel mug, getting in the car, and driving around the block.  When you arrive back home, pretend you’ve arrived at the office and go straight to your work station without doing any personal stuff on the way.

2. Shower and dress as if people will see your whole body.  This is especially important if you have to get up during a video call and forget to turn your video off.  Plus, pants=productive.

3. If you have the ability to control when virtual meetings are scheduled, book them for the end of the day when you’re not feeling at your best.  Video conferencing with more than one other person can be exhausting and it’s often difficult to do effective work afterwards.  If choosing a time isn’t an option, plan a 10-20 minute break afterwards to take a brisk walk (even just around the house) to refresh yourself.

4. Beds are for sleeping, not producing high quality work.  If you’re lounging in bed to do your work then your brain gets confused about being in the place that’s meant for sleeping.  It’s a recipe for a lethargic, difficult work-day. Set up a workstation somewhere else, even if that is at the kitchen table.

5. Set wake-up and bed-time alarms to keep a consistent sleep schedule.  The iPhone has a Bed Time feature.  But, if you are going to use your phone for this purpose, please leave it in another room or at least on the opposite side of the room.  Having the phone right at the bedside can cause difficulties with getting to sleep and staying asleep.

6. If you’re someone who needs external accountability, you can get an accountability buddy to check in with at various times during the day.  This could be a friend, family member, or coworker.

7. Use the pomodoro technique to keep you on track.  Set a timer for 25 minutes of work and then take a 5 minute break.  Repeat this 4 times and then take a 30 minute break. 

8. If you need to get personal stuff done during the day too (homeschooling, laundry), then a variation of the pomodoro technique is to do 25 minutes of work followed by 25 minutes of personal activities.

and most important…

9. Have some compassion for yourself!  Our lives have been turned upside-down and we don’t know what to expect next.  I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect that we’ll all navigate through the changes flawlessly.