If you have a work from home (WFH) space in the Command “power” position with the right ergonomics will maximize your energy and productivity. These final tips are about the flow. By building in these practical habits, you will eliminate disruptions to your flow and create a smooth flow of your movement. The ultimate goal here is to make it easy to flow in and out of work life and home life. An important balance for your working from home experience.
1. The Commute Bag
Create a spot somewhere or get a bin or a bag. Let this spot be your “commute” bag or space. The point is to have a place where your “office” goes. Your briefcase or work backpack will do fine. I like a sturdy open top bag as pictured. Something with handles is ideal as it will come with you on your “commute” to your workzone. If you have a home office or core workstation area, this is where your commute space is or where you keep your commute bag.
Items included:
- Laptop, all components
- Power cord adapter if need for where the plugs are…
- Any “active” paperwork related to you job
- Phone, headset and charger cord (see Cordage below)
- Dayplanner or calendar, if you use one
- Glasses for reading, close up, if needed
- Any writing tools you may use regularly
- Other common tools you use daily.
At the end of your work day, you can replace you core work gear into you commute bag/space. A marker for the end of the work day. And tomorrow, you won’t be running around looking for your headset or your power cord! It’s all there waiting to serve you.
2. Cordage Creativity
Get creative with power strips and extension cords so you can can plug in easily in your core work zones. I’m sure you already have more than one phone charger cord. Set them up strategically in the core spaces where you work, so you can stay charged throughout the day. I also suggest having more then one laptop cord. Keep one at the main spot where you work the most and keep the other in your Commute bag or space.
3. Close the Day
The idea here is simply to “shut down” the office every day. Taking these shutting down motions will provide a ritual that will change up your energy to bring closure to your day and slow down your energy from productivity to rest and relaxation. Here are some steps that may be part of your Close the Day ritual:
- Review your calendar do some final decluttering of your work action list
Put your things back in your commute bag or space.- Put a shade up to cover your desk area in the living space. Or move a large plant on wheels to hide it.
- Plug in your phone, headset and other devices so they are powered up for the next work day.
- Turn off your computer
- Close your office door.
I used to have a desk in the corner of my living room. When I “closed my work day”, it included doing a bit of desk decluttering, turning off my computer, pushing my chair in and then moving a rocking chair right in front of the desk so it hid the office zone and made the room look again like only a living room.
These practical routines will create a flow to balance your work to home life, minimize disruptions and ensure you avoid Jack’s trap, because of course we know: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Embrace your new WFH world. Let me know how it’s going!