Page 7 - Aerotech News and Review, April 3, 2020

The do’s and dont’s of working from home

by Stuart Ibberson hallway to ask a coworker a question. When
editor working from home, you will pick up the phone,
email or instant message. You need to move
Many Americans are working from home for around to keep the blood flow moving! Take
the first time, and wondering (1) if it’s all it’s regular breaks — go stand on the back porch
cracked up to be, and (2) how do I make this and enjoy the garden. Stand on the balcony and
work? enjoy the view for a few minutes.
And … there’s the additional pressure of the
current situation in the United States and the 6. When working, don’t get distracted! Throw-
world. ing a load of laundry in the machine is okay.
As someone who has been working from Spending 30 minutes ironing and folding is not.
home for the past 15 years, I can tell you it can Letting the dog out and enjoying the sunshine
be a very productive and enjoyable experience; for a few minutes is okay. Cutting the grass for
but it can also be very frustrating and sometimes an hour is not. Throwing dinner in the crockpot
depressing. It definitely requires preparation, dis- is okay. Spending two hours making marinara
cipline and a special set of coping skills. from scratch is not.
First some background. I’ve been editor of 7. Work your hours, then stop! It can be too
Aerotech News for over 20 years. For the last easy to get wrapped up in something you are
15 of those years, I’ve worked out of my home
office in a small city in southeast Alabama. My working on and keep working on it. Maintain
network of colleagues extends from our corpo- the boundaries between work and home — even
rate headquarters in Lancaster, Calif., to em- though, at the moment, ‘work’ and ‘home’ are
ployees in Arizona, Montana, Nevada and Utah, the same place! Just as you have to avoid ‘home’
many of whom — you guessed it — also work bleeding into work, you have to avoid ‘work’
from home. bleeding into home! And if you are an hourly
I started working from home when my now- employee, check with your boss as to how they
ex’s job transferred us to Alabama. I had some want you to clock in and track your hours.
time to plan for the transition, unlike many folks 8. Turn off your email! This relates to Number
in the current situation who have had telecom- Seven — when you are done working, turn off,
muting arrangements thrust upon them with little
advance notice. And this may not be your pref- log-out or close your work email, especially if
erence — at all! So what to do? A group of us you are using your home computer while work-
at Aerotech were bandying around the pros and ing from home. It can be so tempting, while
cons of working at home, in a bid to assist some Photograph by Stuart Ibberson checking something personal, to just ‘look’ at
of our co-workers who have moved out of the My ‘home office’ in Alabama. your work email. You then run the risk of getting
main office in order to maintain ‘social distance’ ‘sucked’ into work again! If you actively work
from other staff. We thought it would be nice to the years. in the late afternoon every day, it may be a sign as part of a team, let them know that you are dis-
share some of our accumulated ‘wisdom’ and Maintain human connection: The first thing I of depression and poor mental health. Get up connecting for the day, or for whatever period of
experience with you who have joined our ranks missed when I started working from home was and get dressed, call someone, or go for a quick time you need to step away. This will help to es-
as telecommuters — like it or not. social interaction — actually getting to talk to walk around your yard. Remember to take care tablish boundaries for your personal time — and
As you start this new ‘life experience,’ some a real human, face-to-face. There were times I of yourselves mentally as well as physically.” if your whole team will do the same, it can actu-
of you will be trying to work while surrounded would take a five-minute walk to the corner gas
by family and small children now out of school; station to buy a soda (knowing I had a case in Ground Rules ally help build a culture of respect within your
and some of you will be working in a home the fridge), just so I could talk to another person. It is important to set some ground rules, and organization for work/ personal life balance.
where you are the only person there (thank good- to maintain a schedule. 9. Cell phone use: Many employers have a ‘no
ness I have a dog who has become very adept at 1. If you are working alone, turn on the radio cell phone’ policy in the workplace. However,
conversation!) or television (preferably in another room). Make 1. Set a schedule. Do the usual things you that phone may now be the only way they have
sure it’s loud enough that you can tell there are would in the morning — setting the alarm, to contact you about work-related matters. Just
One of the first things to remember is that your people talking, but not so loud that you hear waking and getting up, getting ready for work, be aware of your phone usage! No — I don’t
commute to work just got shorter. A lot shorter! everything being said and become distracted. I grabbing breakfast. Then ‘head to work;’ even mean track who you talked to and for how long.
Think of how much money you are saving on never realized how quiet my house was until I though your commute just got a lot shorter. I’m saying always answer when the boss calls
gas (and car maintenance). No more driving on sat trying to work with only the sound of my Maintaining a schedule will (1) make it easier (preferably on the first or second ring!) Always
the freeway, no more dealing with ‘crazy driv- computer keyboard. to work from home, and (2) make it a lot easier answer co-workers (you can probably get to
ers,’ no more waiting in line to get a coffee on 2. If you have people at home (which many to transition back to working in the office when
the way to work and hoping they hurry up so of you will under the current circumstances), set the crisis has passed. them on the third or fourth ring, LOL). And
you’re not late. boundaries. Let them know that from this time 2. Get dressed. Sure — you may not have to when making or receiving a ‘social welfare’ call,
I can wake up, pour a cup of coffee, turn to that time you will be ‘at work,’ and will not ‘dress up’ the way you would when going into try and keep it to two minutes or less. Use the
around and I’m at work! be able to ‘entertain’ them. the office — but the temptation is there to stay “do not disturb” function on your personal cell
Remember though, if you go to grab a cup 3. If you are used to working in the office and in your PJs all day. This is not only not good phone, and set exceptions for certain individuals
of coffee and the pot is empty you only have would normally ask a co-worker a question in for your mental health, it can also affect your who can be designated to reach you in the event
yourself to blame. person — pick up the phone and call them. It productivity. So by all means, leave the suit and of a true emergency. Also, remember that many
Along those same lines, if you forgot to take can seem too easy to email them at first, but by tie on the hangar and wear jeans and a t-shirt; but cell phone carriers are now offering unlimited
something out of the freezer last night for dinner, calling you will (1) have some human interaction do NOT wear PJs all day! high-speed data during the current crisis. The
you can do it right now! and (2) probably get the answer to your question 3. Maintain your schedule. It can be easy to internet has been slow in spots this past week, so
If you forgot to do laundry last night and have a lot quicker. become distracted by (1) children or other loved
no work clothes to wear — it doesn’t matter. 4. If you find yourself getting lonely (and be- ones at home, (2) pets wanting attention, and (3) if your home internet connection bogs down, try
Casual Friday is very formal when compared lieve me, it can happen) especially when you housework — among others. That’s not to say using your phone’s Wi-Fi hotspot if there is no
to ‘work from home’ wear. Mind you may be first start working from home, pick up the phone you can’t throw a load of laundry in while on additional cost on your personal cell phone bill.
tempted to just wear your PJs ‘to work,’ and and call someone. A two-minute phone call can a quick break — freeing up more time in the
we’ll address why that’s a bad idea later on. make all the difference in feeling connected to evening or on the weekend. I’m lucky in that I’ll be honest — working from home in nor-
And … you can never forget to bring your the wider world. This is especially important respect, in that the business I am in has set mal circumstances is not for everyone, and it
lunch to work again — and that will save you now, with social distancing and self-isolation — deadlines, and if I don’t meet them then all hell can be easy to fall into a rut, both mentally and
money eating out. we are in danger of becoming lonely and studies breaks loose. Set yourself daily and weekly ‘to physically. And in these unusual times, it can be
If you are in a position to do so, I would rec- have shown that loneliness is detrimental to our do’ lists and do everything you can to accom- even more stressful.
ommend taking that not-used gas money, and health. plish them. But with some planning, and a few simple
not-used lunch money and setting it aside for a 4. Take your lunch break! Do NOT eat at
future treat. I’m betting you’ll be surprised how As a friend of mine, and fellow ‘work from your desk. When working from home, there is steps, you can make it work. And the biggest
much you spend on gas and eating out. homer’ said, “Working in your PJs is awesome the temptation to grab something for lunch and thing to remember for those working from home
And if you’re not in a position to ‘save’ that starting off, but remember, if you live alone, and sit at your computer and continue working. Your for the first time is that this will pass. And when
money — use it wisely. have no one else around, it can become too easy body, your brain and your eyes NEED a break! that time does come, think of all the audio books
to get into a rut of never really taking care of 5. Move around! Again — when working in you will have time to catch up on, while travel-
But now for a few things I’ve learned over yourself. If you find yourself still in your PJs the office, you would normally walk down the ing to and from work!

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