Has it been two weeks already? We are lucky that bazaar has always been fairly work-from-home (WFH) ready for a while. We’re a digital company even though we publish a print magazine; our website contains that content and lots more native content and we are all over the internets with our social media presence.
We were up and running the next day after the country-wide vacation was enacted and it took us another couple of days to iron out most of our technical issues. This is the first time that the entire content team is managing operations from the comfort and safety of their own homes and it has been an interesting experience.
And while we did anticipate and account for most of the possibilities, we were still struck by the realization that WFH can be challenging for lots of reasons.
The fridge is way too close
At the office we need to make a conscious decision to climb a flight of stairs to get to the kitchen and have a snack. At home, the kitchen is closer, and if we decided to move our chair next to the fridge no one would stop us, not that we have ever done or even thought about doing that. The snacks are also much louder at home. The chocolate chip cookies keep whispering sweet nothings to us and calling us to come enjoy their company.
The solution We’re smart adults, so we have stocked up on healthy-ish snacks like baby carrots, cucumbers and apples. We are keeping a bottle of water next to our desk so we stay hydrated and don’t use it as an excuse to visit the evil kitchen every 30 minutes. And we are experimenting with delicious recipes to reward ourselves with satisfying meals instead of mindless eating.
The little beings are distracting
Whether you are dealing with your children or your furry playmates, they can be quite distracting. They are either super cute, which to be fair, they can’t really help it. It is those big adorable eyes and playful giggles that get us every time. Or, they might be getting up to no good and destroying your home sweet home.
The solution Sorry folks, resistance is futile! You can’t beat them, but you can totally join them and give them more attention in a way that only slightly affects your productivity. There are exceptional circumstances and even if your baby or you pet is unable to tell you, they must have noticed the change in routine. Give them extra cuddles and physical assurance that everything is ok. Let them sit in your lap or sit on the floor next to them. We will get our work done, but we will also take care of our loved ones.
Micromanaging family members
It might be that your husband has taken a new and surprising interest in your kitchen activities or that your wife is telling you that you are shaving all wrong. Or your mom is making you stop working every hour to wash your hands (although in all honesty, moms are always like that so this isn’t exactly new). The lack of physical space for a lot of us is making it harder to work. Feeling stressed, scared or uncertain sometimes makes people try harder to control the things they have access to, and in this case that means you!
The solution This is the perfect time to practice gratitude and acceptance, doled with a spoonful of tough love. Accept that your family members care about you and are worried about you. Be grateful for their care. Here comes the hard part, tell them (very nicely and politely) to give you enough space to finish your work, but also promise (and follow through on it) to talk to them about the things they are worried about later. It is a great exercise in communication, and who knows,you might end up closer and happier after all this is over and done with.
The couch and Netflix are calling
You only have one place to sit at work and that is on your office chair and in front of your own desk. You can’t just go seat hopping all day long willy nilly. At home, your options are only limited by your design aesthetic and decorating budget. At the very least, you have two very enticing options: your bed and the living room couch. But we all know what happens if you try working from either of these. Your brain will either want to nap or just do whatever you do on the couch.
The solution Chain yourself to your chair. Just kidding (maybe?)! Temptations are part of life so let’s just deal with that. Think of your new workspace as your office. You wouldn’t go sit on someone else’s chair would you? So during working hours nothing else is your chair except the one you chose to work on. Practice makes perfect.
Your new coworker is annoying
Someone else living with you might also be working from home and hogging the dining room table or your home office. They leave their dirty coffee mugs all over their desk and insist on keeping the room temperature so cold that your teeth are now permanently chattering. It might be that you are that annoying person by doing all of your video conference calls at the highest volume, whatever it is, sharing space is always hard especially at the beginning.
The solution Communication is key. But don’t be aggressive or rude. Politely assert your issues and explain why it is that frustrating. Remember this is new for everyone. It might be easier if you can manage to establish ground rules and offer your own concessions or compromises. For example everyone must use their headphones so the room stays quiet and everyday someone different is in charge of washing up. Again, be patient, we can work through this, we just need to give each other the space to find what works for us.
Deadlines are hard!
But deadlines were always hard, even before this pandemic. You buckled down and did it anyways because you’re pretty used to the office setting. But somehow, you find yourself constantly distracted by the need to check twitter, and you’re fascinated by all the different lockdowns happening all across the planet, and how wildlife is much happier for the quieter skies. A part of you might also think that deadlines are now futile. Why bother submitting that report when the world is literally at a standstill? It can wait.
The solution To start you off, we’ve got an amazing guide on how to work from home and to meet your deadlines. But for realsies, take any day as a normal work day. Write your to-do list, and power through it. If the situation at home is challenging in terms of distractions, be flexible with yourself, and instead create pockets of time to hunker down and get your work done. Maybe you will work best while everyone’s fast asleep, or you prefer locking yourself in one room in the house to work. Have a balcony? Set up your workstation outdoors and let the sun be the ultimate motivator to get your assignment done on time. We love apps like Trello, Slack and even more basic ones like the reminder function on your smartphone.
Rallying your team is challenging from a distance.
The reality is, whether you’re managing a team or your own time, not being in the same room as others when you’re supposed to collaborate is hard. Team morale is also at play here, as everyone you work with is probably worried sick about a loved one somewhere. So rallying the troops to get things done, as they say, becomes all the more difficult.
The solution Remember to laugh with your team. Share some funny jokes, videos, and really make sure to let them know that you’re all in this together. When it comes to our content team, we always try to send each other a funny joke or meme in our office group chat on WhatsApp, it really helps us snap out of all of the doom and gloom online. If someone on your team needs the day to be offline for some much needed self-care, so be it. That should also always be the case outside of pandemic days, too.
What else is distracting you? Let us know by emailing us at info@bazaar.town or DMing us on Instagram. Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash.
