10 Lessons and Tips Learned from Years of Working from Home

Having worked from home for years, even before JMARK, I have some insight into the sometimes hilarious and sometimes sad happenings that can occur.

The most amusing incident of working from home occurred one time when I temporarily worked in a family room next to a bathroom. During a video conference call, my wife begins a beautiful army crawl on the floor in her PJs, heading to the bathroom, not realizing that the video frame went low enough to see her. At the time, it was a little embarrassing, but I can look back at it now and laugh.

As JMARK and other companies go remote over the next few weeks, my most important advice is to keep a positive attitude and know that some crazy and fun things are probably going to happen. So, let’s get this started:

1. Maintain a Routine

It can be challenging to be the master of your routine on a regular schedule, but when working from home, it is even harder—and more critical.

It is easy to say that you can get by without the morning routine, without breakfast or taking care of things as normal. However, there are studies that show that it is necessary to stay happy and healthy, and that the morning routine is a vital part of that. If you don’t have breakfast, you’ll have a tendency to snack on things that aren’t good for you.

While we know that it is tempting to work in your pajamas; however, it helps your mindset if you take a morning shower and get dressed as if you were going to the office—sitting in your pj’s all day actually contributes to depression. So, get up and get going!

Additionally, just because you are working from home, doesn’t mean you have to eat where you work. Take a break and eat your lunch away from your work area to refresh.

Be attuned to your needs and what makes you more productive, and adjust as needed. Exercise, eat good food, drink lots of water, take breaks, disconnect in the evening when you can, and you will be a productivity machine that no one can stop.

2. Set Boundaries with Your Family, and Yourself

Your spouse and kids might be excited for you to be home. While it is wonderful to interact with them on a break, or maybe even eat with them during lunch, it is “bad juju” (and can be a little stressful) to have your child scream bloody murder during a conference call or to have your spouse ask for a “quick honey-do.”

One thing you have to train your family on is that if you were commuting to work, you would not be at the house. This helps them realize that it is a blessing for you to be at home, and for that reason, they understand that you need space to work. You have to set guidelines with your family on what is and what is not acceptable. My family knows when I am working and understands my need for a few distractions.

Occasionally my 4-year-old might escape and pound on my office door while mom is in the bathroom, but fortunately I work for a company like JMARK and understand that things like that are going to happen.

3. Control Distractions

Home can be a chorus of distractions. Road noise, construction noise, kids, barking dogs, etc. It could be sound distractions, visual distractions, comfort distractions—hey, even hunger distractions.

A great first defense against all these is Spotify or another music listening service. Create playlists for deep thinking and strategizing, playlists for mundane and tedious work, playlists to pump you up if your energy is low, playlists for writing, playlists for email, and more. Music can be great for focusing your mind on a specific task or project and blurring out the distractions.

Just pay attention to how you are feeling and make adjustments as needed. Notice how you are sitting, how you are feeling, what you are hearing, what you are thinking about, and make adjustments to focus and get the essential things pounded out.

4. Design a Productive Workspace

We do not know how long we will need to work from home, so get your workspace sorted out as if it might be a while. By doing this, you will be more productive in both the short-term and long-term.

Everyone is different in what makes a productive workspace, but for me personally, I need a quiet space away from others; I need a large workspace, so I don’t feel cramped; I need multiple monitors; I need a mouse; and one of the top things for me is, I need a great keyboard. Your needs might be different, and that is fine. You might need a bright space, or maybe you like the darkness. You might be okay with just your laptop.

Figure out what you need and do your best to set it up from the get-go.

5. Don’t Worry About Perfection in Your Workspace

So, you have this grand vision in your mind about your perfect workspace; now, we have to look at reality. To be quite honest, the best space might be in a bathroom or a closet. It might be on the kitchen table or a hundred other weird places in your home.

Do your best to design a great workspace with what you have available. Doing this may require sacrifices from both you and your family, but keep in mind this is temporary—yet you must still set yourself up for success and productivity.

Oh, and if your company encourages video (see next point), don’t worry about what is behind you unless it is just inappropriate. I’ve had boxes, construction plastic, a half-finished bookcase, an ironing board, toys, etc.

A lot of people feel shy turning on their video because they are embarrassed about dumb things behind them that no one cares about or possibly that their clothes or hair don’t look perfect. Don’t seek perfection; everyone understands you are working from home. And lastly, embrace a good hat!

6. Embrace Video

Video done right is so awesome. It helps you to connect with your coworkers; it helps you to not talk over each other as you can see each person’s facial expressions, but most of all, it enables you to connect on a much deeper level. Don’t be afraid of video conferencing.

On the JMARK marketing team, video conferencing has produced so many laughs I can’t even begin to count the number of times. Video brings levity to the meetings, increased productivity, and it helps the meeting facilitator understand the needs of the group so they can make the best possible meeting.

Get over your idea of perfection and embrace video, because it genuinely will make your meetings more productive, and a deeper connection to your team and coworkers. You can always turn off the video during the call if the need arises (like your spouse crawling behind you trying not to be seen).

7. Understand the Laws of the Conference Call

1. Mute yourself when you are not talking.
2. Mute yourself when you are not talking.
3. Mute yourself when you are not talking.

Get the point? 🙂 The weird random ghost noises, dogs barking, cows mooing, babies screaming, trains tooting, or even your occasional mistimed toot (yeah, you know what I mean J), can be seriously distracting to anyone talking.

Mics can pick up some weird noises that sometimes you can’t even hear; it is better just to mute and let everyone be at peace and be able to focus on whoever is talking. Also, you might be a fan of using the mic on the computer, but make sure others can hear you well or if you need to call into the meeting.

8. Stay Connected with Coworkers

There are times when you find yourself pounding away at projects, and when every meeting for days-on-end is serious and focused (as they should be).

Still, when working remotely, you don’t have the opportunity to eat with your coworkers or catch people as they walk by, or have a casual conversation. After a while, it can wear on you, and there are times you might just need to call a coworker and catch-up with how things are going for them, exchange some chats, and just take a break and connect on a personal level.

In the end, it might just lift your spirits and make you more productive and happier. Also keep in mind of how busy their world might be. Refer to their work calendar and schedule meetings with them if needed.

9. Pay Attention to How You Communicate

Working from home, along with what is happening in the world, can create a lot of stress. It is essential to pay attention to how you are communicating with others.

Using video forces you to self-realize the expressions you are putting on, and those expressions can affect the tone of your voice in a bad or good way. Also, pay attention to the tools in which others communicate. Some people may like chat, some like email, some like a phone call, etc.

While you need to pay attention to your company’s preferred communication methods, you also have to realize that many are under stress and sometimes fall back to their go-to; it is the little things that make people’s day.

Also, keep active on company communication venues such as Workplace by Facebook, Microsoft Teams, or whatever you use, so you can share in the experiences of your coworkers and feel a part of the family and community that your work brings into your life.

A note on chat messages, it is important to recognize that while chat is quick and great, just because your chat app indicates someone is online, doesn’t mean they are sitting at their computer or even available to chat.

10. Make a Promise to Yourself to Pump It Out

JMARK CEO Tom Douglas once said in a company rally that we have to commit to ourselves that we will be successful despite others. I love this, as it does not permit one to have any excuses, and to produce results.

In this time of high stress, high distractions, and mountains of work to do, it can be easy to become complacent and feel that your work does not matter, or that the goals are impossible to reach, so why try. This kind of thinking is more than false; it is damaging to your psyche, your team, your clients, and the culture of your company.

During this time, commit yourself to putting away all excuses and pumping out work that will help your clients, your coworkers, your communities, and your future!

While this is a challenging time, this is also an exciting opportunity for motivated businesses. As you work together as teams and coworkers to weather this storm, you are going to be able to accomplish so much. Working from home can be wildly productive, and if you make the best of this opportunity, you can continue changing the lives of clients and the success of your business for the better.

For the last few years, JMARK has had nearly half of its workforce working remotely from home. If you need further insight into how to set your company and your employees up for success in a work-from-home environment, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] or via the Contact Us page on this website.