It's A Mind Game

Despite us all be thrust into the work-from-home workforce, this is not a new concept. Several years ago, a new term -- "Pajama Executive," was borne of the movement towards working remotely and/or from home. The name came from the fact that as a WFH person, you could literally roll out of bed, walk a few feet to your desk, turn on the computer and start working for the day. An appealing idea for sure, and those that were given the chance, took it.

As WFH became more prominent, the conversation turned to productivity. Recently, we've shared statistics about how people working from home actually tend to work more hours than if they were going to an office every day. Good news for managers and for workers, as it seems that productivity in a WFH environment can be even better than the office.

"Can be" are the important words. This is where it becomes a mind game. Those of us who have done this for any amount of time know that the best practice in a WFH lifestyle is to treat a designated portion of the home like your office, if for no other reason than to provide some degree of separation. The focus is on three things:

1. Separate space. Having a space in your home designated for work gives you more of a feeling that you're going to work, and this helps your mindset 2. Consistent routine/hours. Just like if you were going to the office you would have consistent hours. Follow those same hours in your WFH environment. This ensures your productivity for work, but also protects your family time and home time from work creeping in. 3. Preparation. Despite the allure to be a Pajama Executive, the recommendation from veterans of this type of workforce is don't do it. You wouldn't go to the office in your pajamas. Get up, go through whatever morning routine you would go through for going to the office, including dressing for the office, then go to your designated workspace.

If you want to maximize your productivity and increase your effectiveness while under a stay at home order, those three simple suggestions can really have a big impact. If you are new to WFH and you have learned some things that you think might help others, we'd love to hear from you. Email me here.