Home Is Where...Your Work Is??

As we enter our fourth week of working from home, it is hard to miss the LinkedIn posts from people who are getting the hang of their new, albeit temporary, “normal.” As a very recent student and someone who has done extra work from an internship at home, I would like to offer some suggestions on how to be effective and get stuff done.

Your Desk

When I was younger, I loved to cook and really wanted to become a chef. To prepare myself for my future career, I watched way too much Food Network, bought cookbooks, and read the biographies of world-class chefs. Time I spent pursuing my creative passion in the kitchen did not turn out to be wasted, because some of the concepts and lessons carry over from the culinary world. Minimizing waste, adapting when you are out of an ingredient or something doesn’t go to plan are just a few examples that come to mind.

The best takeaway is the concept of “Mise en place.” This French phrase means “everything in its place,” and it refers to the way a chef likes to have their workstation set up. Knives here, butter there, pans within arm’s reach, and salt always on standby. But it is not just that everything has its place; it’s also about what is not there. A chef does not have something close by that they use once a shift, because that is taking up valuable real estate! The truffles are not kept next to the garlic, because they don't get used the same amount.

Let us consider this from a working standpoint. How do you like your mise en place, and how does your workspace currently look? Do you have multiple pens or pieces of paper scattered across its surface? Fifteen different Post-It notes all around your monitor? An inbox on your desk that leans like the famed Pisa tower? Every item on your desk takes away from your attention. People overestimate their ability to ignore external stimuli and multi-task. When your eye flits to a post-it, you lose focus.

Which is not to say that you should go fully Spartan and only have your computer on your desk, with everything tucked in a drawer. But even trivial things like a pen not in the pen cup or paper in multiple places, adds up. Do your best to maintain a semblance of order, and you will be glad you did. Five minutes now can make a significant difference later. Whether in the kitchen or the office, mise en place can help you minimize noise and maximize your proficiency.

Social Media, YouTube, and Other Time Sinks

Many of us feel the pull to check our phones when we are bored or feel like we have nothing to do, regardless of if that is the case. There are downloadable apps that you can use to limit your screen time such as Freedom or In Moment. But phone makers are also putting them in as part of the base software. iPhones have this functionality built into Settings, under the section labeled Screen Time. There you can set up several options to minimize your cell phone use. Including blocking apps from launching during work hours or limiting the amount of time allowed, and even putting your phone in a lockdown where only whitelisted apps and phone calls are available.

If you are looking for the same functionality for your PC or Mac, I would recommend FocusMe. Though the software isn’t free, packages start at $40 annually; it is quite powerful. This software, unlike browser plug-ins, works on your computer as well and can be set to prevent the launch of other software. Two of my favorite features are the Scheduler and the ability to create multiple plans. With the Scheduler tool, one can plan a weekly recurring command, such

FocusMe is easy to learn and use, once you purchase your license, download the software, input the activation key from your email, and you can create a plan in minutes. The last time I installed it on a new computer, it came pre-loaded with a few to get new users started. I would highly recommend it to anyone who works from home, whether as a student or a professional.

Your Environment

Many of us are currently working or studying from home, it can be a big challenge to get quiet time alone to work. I had this same problem when I lived in a dorm, so I woke up earlier for every day I was at Penn State. How early? 4:30 A.M. The world is still quiet and people aren’t getting up as early, especially during a lock down, so it’s the perfect time to get up and get after it. Unless you work for an international firm, you aren’t likely to be bombarded with emails or Slack notifications, which makes it easier to sit down and be very productive. If getting up before the chickens is not your favorite thing, try an hour earlier than your normal time. Find what time works for you and stick to it as well as you can.

I would be remiss if I did not address the topic of music while you work. Many people find that they like to play something while doing their work because it helps them drown out the sounds of the office or distractions in the house. If it works for you, then, by all means, turn it up and dance a bit on your way to the bathroom. From my experience, music is more suited to tasks that you have a full mastery of and you can just plug away.

Note: Using headphones in an office environment can be viewed negatively. Gauge your surroundings and note what others are doing, when in doubt, ask someone.

At home, the challenges of trying to sit down and focus are amplified so much that they have broken the dial. Because you could be doing work, but then there is the laundry that has been piling up, your kids want a snack or want to play, you want to call your grandparents and see how they are doing, the dog needs walking, and the cat is laying right on your keyboard because it is warm. This is where creativity comes into play. You will likely need to find a combination of strategies such as; waking up earlier, hiring a sitter for a few hours, asking your significant other to do alternating shifts with the kids, and doing laundry while lunch cooks. Find what works best for you and don't be afraid to try new ideas. If it does not meet your needs, there is always tomorrow.

Working from home is harder; we are missing the structure that an office provides and adding a host of distractions too. But with some planning, ingenuity, and trial and error, we can figure out how to make the best of this situation.

Please let me know if you liked this post and be sure to check back regularly for new content. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, share your strategies for being effective, whether it's working at home or the office, I may highlight the best ones in a future post.

CHALLENGE: De-clutter your desk for one week. Make a conscious effort to put everything in its place. The first few days may be a struggle depending on what you are currently used to, but if you stick with it for a full week, it will feel more natural.