Time for a WFH update. I am approaching month 7 of primarily working from home. Never did I think that I would be working from home for a whole 7 months.
I will be honest and admit that I have gone into the office a handful of times for different things. First it was to sign things, then it was to deal with incoming mail that was a bit complicated and a couple of times I went in for zoom discoveries as my camera is better in the office as opposed to my sad laptop one at home.
Anyway, I am really writing this post to document how things are going during this strange time. I think a lot of people tend to forget how fortunate they are to be able to work from home or to be able to work in general. I know that the lockdown and COVID has been really be cruel to a lot. People have lost their jobs, taken pay-cuts and have even been forced to come into work regardless of whether or not they felt comfortable doing so.
Working from home has taught be a number of things. It has taught be me discipline, the value of self-care and breaks and the importance of a set routine.
Discipline
Back in March when things began to really shut down and we were suddenly made to work from home the dynamic was all off. I was so used to waking up at the crack of dawn, working out (half asleep) and then making the TTC trek downtown, staying late only to do the same thing again the next day. I was always tired. Working from home meant no reason to wake up so early and then come home late to avoid rush hour. It was difficult to stay motivated but I learned to develop a routine that allowed me to signal to my brain that it was time to work.
I now love it and feel most productive at home. In fact when I do go into the office everything is just off and I find I am less productive. I also spend time chit-chatting with the few people that come in.
No commute means being able to sleep more and get enough rest to be productive during the work day. I am more attentive and sharp because I am well-rested. What I miss most is getting dressed and ready for the day which is something I really did enjoy. I will still do this when I have a zoom appearance, of course.
Breaks
Another thing that I was doing wrong at work were breaks and lunches. I spent my first (nearly year) as a lawyer eating lunch at my desk trying to squeeze out every single .1 that I could for the day. I was burnt out and always tired. I was eating at my desk, always eating junk because I was constantly buying food. It was a big mess.
Working from home has taught me to value my breaks and my health and really structure my day around these breaks. I take my breaks seriously and I think this is something I will carry into the future (working from home or not). It is so important to take a break and reset throughout the day in order to get the best work product. Nothing good is produced when you are tired and exhausted.
Routine
Developing a good routine has really been the key to an optimal billable day. I have a morning routine that I always do to signal to my brain that I am ready to begin working. I hope to have a post on this soon. I also have a routine that I generally do prior to going on break which I have shared on instagram , check out my work highlight to see that. I then have a post work routine to wind down and end the day.
Routines are so important and once you develop one that works for you, working from home becomes natural.
Let me know in the comments whether you are working from home and if so, something that you have learned from this experience!
If you’d like to follow me journey and peek into my work-life and work day follow me on instagram where I share my day on stories daily!
