Working From Home Now? 7 Questions to Tackle This Challenge

Most of us are working from home now. We do it out of solidarity, staying isolated to protect our loved ones, neighbors and colleagues. We all have a role to play, so we all will be able to solve the serious health crisis we are facing.

While we fight with uncertainty and some anxiety about the future, we also need to make sure that our new environment is as optimal as possible.

Home office can be quite challenging when you are not used to it! Here are seven relevant topics with a couple of questions each you can answer yourself to tackle these challenges.

1️. My Mindset

What do I think about working from home? How do I feel about it? What chances and opportunities do I see? What might be challenging for me? How will I practice compassion with myself, when I am not 100% as productive as I used to be in this new situation?

Your possible answer could involve thoughts like this:

‍My biggest challenge for working from home might be staying focused due to all the possible activities I could easily do at home like housework. That's why I'll... I also think... Overall I feel...

2️. My Work

How can I be creative about my tasks and processes? How can I shake things up and transfer the analog world into the virtual world? How can I be even more intentional about my daily and weekly priorities?

Your answer could begin with:

‍I am used to consult my clients in person. Due to this new situation, I'll ask at least two of them if they are willing to try my services via video call. Furthermore,...

3️. My Workplace

Where do I work? Which place in my home allows a healthy seating position? Which environment and setting can I mentally connect with my work, so it'll help me get into work mode?

Your thought process might start with:

‍I'll dedicate the small table in the living room to be my new desk. In order for this to work, I'll move it to...

4️. My Routine

What morning routine gives me the most energy? How do I organize my breaks? How do I plan lunch? How does my shut down ritual look like?

You might answer:

‍Since my commute to work is omitted, I'll find another way to mentally transition from private to work mode - a quick review of my three daily priorities to kick off my work phase might help me with that. I'll also...

5️. My Communication

How can I make sure to know the expectations of my boss / colleagues / clients concerning the given tasks and our individual communication behaviors? How can I enhance virtual water cooler chats? How can I be more proactive in my communication style?

Your thoughts on that could start with:

‍I commit to calling at least one of my teammates every day to check in on their work and well-being. I'll also ask every member of my team what their preferred communication tool is apart from our slack channel and when they are most likely available. Moreover,...

6️. My Focus

How do I visually show my partner / roommate / children that I am in my work mode? Which shared rules can we give each other to stay focused?

Maybe you come up with something like that:

‍I'll suggest my partner a rule for focusing on work: Whenever we wear our over-ear headphones - instead of our in-ear headphones - we are in deep working mode, during which we'd like to be interrupted in emergencies only. Another agreement could be...