How to Actually Get Work Done at Home | Rasmus Hougaard & Jacqueline Carter

1. Adopt Mindfulness Practice

Adopt a mindfulness practice to learn to let go of distractions, stay focused on intentions, and enhance performance, well-being, resilience, and innovation.

2. Train Your Mind Daily

Regularly practice meditation, even for 5-10 minutes, to train the mind to let go of worry, fear, and anxiety, and return to the breath, building mental agility for daily focus.

3. Prioritize Self-Care

Prioritize self-care, like getting enough sleep and exercise, as it’s essential to put your own ‘oxygen mask on first’ to be able to care for yourself and others effectively.

4. Discipline as Self-Protection

View discipline as an advanced form of self-protection, a caring way to ensure you get necessary tasks done and attend to things, rather than a harsh drill sergeant.

5. Cultivate Self-Awareness

Cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness by taking moments to pause and tune into your mind, helping you discern what’s helpful or unhelpful and make better choices.

6. Care for Others

Focus on making others happy and caring for them, as research shows it significantly increases your own happiness and is the best way to practice self-compassion (wise selfishness).

7. Prioritize Emotional Connection

While physical distance is necessary, prioritize emotional connection by intentionally reaching out to others (e.g., video calls with family, checking on neighbors) to combat isolation.

8. Set Clear Intentions

Set intentions for your day and for each meeting, focusing on how you want to show up and support others; if you fail, remember your intentions were good, allowing for self-compassion.

9. Engage in Physical Activity

Engage in physical activity daily, as movement is key for both physical and mental health, even in suboptimal circumstances like working from home.

10. Limit Unhelpful Media

Be even more diligent about not checking news or social media (like Twitter) that isn’t positive, as it can create more anxiety, fear, and worry, hindering performance.

11. Titrate News Consumption

Titrate your news consumption to avoid being compulsive; find trusted sources and consume news in a focused chunk (e.g., one hour a day) rather than frequent, short checks that cause anxiety.

12. Turn Off Notifications

Switch off all notifications on your phone, Outlook, and every digital device to prevent distractions and allow you to get work done.

13. Avoid Multitasking

Avoid multitasking, which is detrimental to performance and well-being, especially when working from home where more distractions are present.

14. Structure Work/Breaks

Structure your work and break times, for example, using a Pomodoro timer (45 mins work, 15 mins break), to ensure breaks are intentional and prevent constant wandering in and out of work.

15. Welcome Productive Breaks

Welcome positive ‘distractions’ at home, like doing laundry or cooking lunch, as they can provide necessary brain breaks and be more conducive to effectiveness than constant work.

16. Create Dedicated Home Spaces

Be creative about configuring your home to have separate, fit-for-purpose spaces for working, exercising, or meditating, even if it’s just a corner or closet.

17. Separate Work/Family Space

Try to physically and mentally separate your workspace from family space, even if it means working in a closet or a specific corner, to create clear boundaries.

18. Set Clear Family Boundaries

Sit down with your family to discuss and set clear expectations and boundaries about when and where work happens, and when you are available, to manage confusion and conflict.

19. Establish Family Routines

Establish a disciplined and structured routine for the whole family, including when adults are available for work and when they are not, to manage expectations and minimize conflict.

20. Practice Partner Kindness

Practice kindness and have more check-ins with your partner, especially during challenging times, to maintain harmony and support each other through difficulties.

21. Connect with Colleagues

Use the shared experience of working from home with family to build connection with colleagues by being open about your home life (e.g., kids appearing on calls), fostering empathy and human connection.

22. Start Meetings with Silence

Start virtual meetings with a moment of silence (even one minute) to allow everyone to collectively arrive, fostering presence and a sense of community.

23. Disciplined Meeting Management

Be disciplined about managing virtual meetings by having a clear owner, structure, and strong guidelines (e.g., no other devices on) to ensure focus and productivity.

24. Use Video in Virtual Calls

Always use video during virtual collaboration if possible, as it provides more visual data about how communication is being received compared to audio-only calls.

25. Frequent Meeting Check-ins

In virtual meetings, take more breaks and check in frequently (e.g., ‘Is this landing well?’) to gauge understanding and engagement, as visual cues are limited.

26. Leverage Virtual Social Spaces

Leverage technology to create virtual ‘open space’ like coffee breaks or office hours, allowing for unstructured social connection and enhanced team cohesion.

27. Use Interactive Tech Features

Leverage interactive features of virtual platforms (e.g., breakout groups, whiteboards) to encourage interaction and make virtual meetings more engaging than in-person ones.

28. Foster Psychological Safety

Leaders should create a culture of psychological safety by giving permission for people to ask questions or raise concerns, and celebrating those who do, to foster open communication.

29. Ask Clarifying Questions

Junior employees should ask clarifying questions with curiosity in virtual meetings (e.g., ‘Would it make sense to check in?’) to ensure relevance and contribute to productivity without being confrontational.

30. Remember You’re Not Alone

Remind yourself that you are not alone in your suffering and anxiety, as the entire planet is experiencing similar challenges, fostering a sense of shared humanity.

31. Connect with Neighbors

Look for creative ways to connect with neighbors, such as leaving notes or offering help, to foster community and combat loneliness.

32. Maintain Sense of Humor

Try to maintain a sense of humor when you can, as laughing can help settle the brain and provide a helpful perspective during difficult times.

33. Practice Daily Gratitude

Close your day with a gratitude exercise, reflecting on one good thing that happened, to end the day positively despite challenges.

34. Use Focus-Enhancing Background Noise

Use background music or white noise if it helps you focus and be more present, but if you find yourself singing along, it’s likely a distraction and should be avoided.

35. Focus on What You Control

In moments of crisis, focus on what you can control and do your best to let go of things you can’t, using mindfulness practice to manage the present moment.