Lessons Learned While Working from Home
After a year of working remotely, we have all learned new ways to adapt
The first day of your first job after university is both exciting and nerve-wrecking.
After graduating from Saint Louis University for International Business and Marketing in 2019, I landed this job shortly after and went into the new 2020 year as a project coordinator for Standpoint. With almost 5 months finally adjusting to the new role, I was meeting all my deadlines, forming new connections, and then, a statewide mandate was issued for a stay-at-home lockdown.
Wait, work from home?
Honestly, I didn’t know what quite to expect because I had never worked from home before. I was excited about my new role and was looking forward to returning and gaining more experience. Initially, I was more worried about what our communication would look like. One of the most noticeable things I learned starting remotely was that I had to learn more tasks on my own. Sometimes I think I understand something, but when I actually start the task, I end up with more questions than answers. I feel like now I am at the stage where it might take longer, but I understand how the flow of my team works better. However, any worry or doubts I experienced became reassured when we started having weekly virtual meetings with my colleagues, and a sense of normalcy was established again. Nothing really changed other than the fact that I was at home now, and I quickly realized I was able to accomplish the same tasks and if not, even more efficiently. The meetings helped with breaking the ice and allowed for more informal conversations to get to know each other better. I felt I had a better scope of expectations especially when we set to-do lists for each other.
4 Tips for Working from Home
With most of 2020 being remote, I also learned a few things too. I would say keeping an open mind is very important. My experience was good due to the support of all my great colleagues and always checking in to make sure things were good. A few tips and advice for someone starting a new role that’s remote:
1. Self-Management is key.
Working from home you need self-discipline, and it involves a lot of determination, optimism, and organizing yourself in a way where you can efficiently work. Setting a schedule and sticking to it (most of the time) helps. It will give you a clear guideline of when to work, and when to call it a day. It's important to support a good work-life balance. And if you share a space with someone you live with, setting aside space where you can both work can decrease distractions and help motivation. And lastly, make sure to feed yourself. Sometimes you might get so caught up in work and being in the comfortability of your own home, you forget you can take breaks! Take a sip of your coffee, eat a full and hearty meal, and maybe even do some stretches! Your mind and body will appreciate you.
2. Communication Skills are essential.
If you don’t understand something, ask questions. Because of the lack of in-person social interactions, you can’t go and talk to your colleagues right around the corner anymore. Constant communication is necessary and forming new connections is important. Letting everyone know your availability, what time scope you need to complete tasks, or prioritizing what is important is helpful. Scheduling calls and meetings to clarify everything will help make sure everyone is on the same page and also makes things easier for yourself and your colleagues. Don’t hesitate to ask for what you need!
3. Adaptability and openness to change are important.
Do what you can in your situation and think logically. Frustrations and stress can happen, use your own judgment to make the right calls. Sometimes it's just about taking a new initiative, learn a new skill, or even trying new things.
4. Lastly, take advantage of your situation and don’t be too hard on yourself.
Staying positive will help your motivation. Set realistic and measurable goals and focus on how to properly take care of your mental health as well.
Get a breath of fresh air, take short breaks, or even eat snacks from time to time will help prevent yourself from burning out.
Above everything else, just do what works best for you. There's no “right way” to successfully work at home. Sometimes the answer is simple, or you might need to simply change-up your routine. Once you find out what type of work patterns work best, and how to manage your stress in a healthy way, you honestly have a good routine set up.
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