Working from home? 6 tips to find your flow

My mother used to tell me a story about the war in India. People were told to blow out their candles and stay away from windows in complete darkness after 6 pm or they’d get attacked. Candles in the home gave direction to the enemy. In today’s pandemic, the enemy is an unseen virus. Instead of blowing out candles we have been told to stop in-person interactions. We stay away – not from windows, but from each other.

Since COVID-19 media coverage began to explode, I have been following along keenly. It’s not every day we wake up to a pandemic. Billions of people are living through a global crisis. This is history in the making. Admittedly, it’s also the first time I’ve heard of self-isolation. 

I’m not a doctor, but it seems like a good idea to slow down the spread of the virus for the good of our communities. Monica, the head of Point Blank’s HR team, has been very proactive in ensuring we do our part. Like many others, we have been working from home. I’ve worked from home before, but this situation feels like I have to stay home because of the danger. 

Thanks to John Hopkins University, we can get live updates through their COVID-19 map, compliments of the Centre for Systems Science and Engineering. We can track whether our social distancing and self-isolation methods actually ‘flatten the curve’: slowing the spread from the comfort of your own home. 

There are pros and cons to working from home. For me it’s been a good test to see if I can hold myself accountable. I’ve noticed six things that have made a huge difference as the days have passed. 

1. Get dressed as if you are going to work.
2. Keep your home routine similar to your office routine.
3. Secure a work space somewhere within the home that affords some privacy. 
4. Let your roommates know not to disturb you.
5. Add in a few minutes of movement, i.e. stretching. 
6. Reaching out your office manager for any needs, i.e. a working table.

I started out in my pajamas last Friday (bad idea), and I felt grungy by the end. Something had to change. Breakfast is really important to me at work so I’ve been trying to make sure I eat in the morning at home. Can anyone say no to avocado toast?

I needed a table, so I chose the dining room as a workspace. In hindsight, it wasn’t the best spot because people were in and out of the kitchen and I was easily distracted. I started making changes and immediately, I found dressing with the intent to work affected my mindset positively. The work space I’d made for myself was not helpful so I needed to adjust.

By setting up a specific spot to work and letting folks know to give me space, I have increased my productivity. The restlessness definitely kicked in on day two and I had to get up and move around. I practice yoga, so I settled into a yin-informed stretch for a few minutes – I’ll take it!

Point Blank is known for its collaborative approach so we have internal Zoom meetings throughout the day. Zoom is a video chat platform like Skype for business, but better. I’ve found my attention was focused just by wearing a pop of colour or even a light touch of ‘insert jewellery, bold lips here.’

I added a plant to the table, and a picture I really like has been borrowed off one of the walls for now. I’m working more efficiently and I’m happy I have been mindful about my approach to working from home. I’ve included a bottle of hand sanitizer as a necessity. 

How are you adjusting to working from home? Hit us up on social media and let us know!