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OGDEN — Thousands of Utahns are working from home because of the COVID-19 outbreak, including much of the KSL staff.
For those not used to it, concentrating while working remotely can be challenging, to say the least.
Inside her garage in Ogden, Christina Miller works on the data side of corporate events and conferences: compiling numbers, leads, opportunity costs and so on.
“My best job description is probably as a data geek,” Miller joked. “I’m a geek translator.”
Miller said she’s been geek translating from home for well over a decade. Her first piece of advice to anyone new to telecommuting is to have a routine.
“Get up, take a shower, do a morning routine,” she recommended. “Don’t wear your pajamas all day. That’s probably the most critical part of all of it is finding some new routine that works for you.”
Include breaks in your routine and when you’re going to stop working for the day. Don’t keep the laptop on the nightstand. Answering emails at 4 a.m. is a no-no.
“That’s where the routine keeps structure, so you don’t like suddenly have your whole life become work, work, work and more work,” Miller said.
Miller said having a dedicated space for work can help parents manage that work-life balance easier. Or, at least make it clearer for the rest of the family.
“You can lock the door and say, ‘Stay out and leave me alone. I’m working right now,’” Miller said.
For her, music in the background helps her focus while the TV distracts. The opposite might be true for others while some may work better with no noise at all.
“You are going to have to try it out and see what preferences you like,” she said. “But, it doesn’t take that long and you will find something that works really well.”
To help her stay on task, Miller is a believer in to-do lists. They don’t have to be anything fancy.
“I use the notepad and just write out my daily list and keep that going and see what I need to do,” she advised.
She also breaks her workday down into two-hour chunks.
“I try to focus in two-hour work spurts and so I’ll work on email for two hours, and then I’ll switch to a project for two hours and I take breaks in between those times,” Miller said. “So, that helps my brain focus for that two-hour amount of time so I’m not thinking I have to focus for an entire, eight-hour day.”
As part of that, she’ll turn off her email notifications.
“I do my email at a set time and do that very specifically so that I’m not being consumed by that bombardment of emails coming in with that pressure, ‘Oh, I’ve got to respond to that email!’” she explained. “Now, I control my workflow and what I am doing.”
“Surround yourself with things that make you feel calm.
–Christina Miller
And, a must for Miller: Make your workspace as enjoyable as possible.
“Surround yourself with things that make you feel calm. You have a lot more freedom in your office. So, that keeps me from getting overwhelmed…surrounding by things that you love and make you feel good,” Miller said. “All of that helps me be more content and stay motivated and not get distracted.”
Also, she said, be sure your home workspace is set up ergonomically so you’re not hurting yourself.
Having a decent, comfortable office chair will help you stay focused on your job and not your back pain.
