Before joining Blue Zones Project in The Dalles, Oregon, I spent 25 years working with international advertising and brand agencies in Europe and in the US. As a dual Swedish-US citizen, with family on both continents, I’ve moved back and forth a few times, typically spending at least a month each year in “the other” country. During those times, I’ve always worked remotely managing large scale projects and teams. Working across multiple time zones, I’ve had to keep very fluid work hours, including evenings, mornings and weekends. For better or worse, I’ve never been very good at separating my private from my professional life.

One caveat—my wife and I are empty nesters since about two years ago, which of course makes working from home a lot easier than if you have to keep your kids occupied non-stop. Regardless, here we go...

 

Morning routines are important to me. I get up an hour before my wife, and start by writing down three things I’m grateful for. Research has shown that conscious gratitude helps boost our health and well-being. I check email, and read the news. When we’re both awake we meditate together, have a cup of tea  and talk about the day’s schedule, then take a dip in our outside hot tub.

 

House chores can overwhelm us when we first start working at home. The neglected dishes, the piles of laundry. Time blocking helps—schedule a focused hour at the desk, then take a 10-minute break to put in a load of laundry. Return for another focused hour. Completing time blocks can be more satisfying than trying to complete tasks, as the time to complete tasks can be difficult to predict.

 

I try to start work at the same time every morning. Keeping to a regular schedule and time blocking helps productivity and can make you feel more accomplished, even on the days when it seems you hardly got anything done. (Don’t worry, we all have those days…)

 

I love to take short breaks, especially outside, and alternate desk work with yard work. The only trick is to make sure there are small projects that can be done in spurts, and keep time blocking in mind so you get back to the desk once you are refreshed.

 

While most work-from-home (WFH) advice highlights the importance of having a set work place, I have found that I like the ability to move around for variety. Depending on the light, time of day, and my mood I will work in different spots. In our house we have three desk areas though sometimes you might also find me at the dinner table, in the kitchen, or on the couch.

 

For me, lots of daylight and looking up to something pleasant is really important. I always position my desk by a window, and the changing weather and light patterns give me many little moments of delight during the workday.

 

When collaborating in dispersed teams, make sure team members feel (and are) included in the workflow. I often go a bit overboard in pre-checking things with my colleagues—sending out a draft document to get input from team members, for example. In team communication, I find it important to choose the channel best suited to the occasion. If something has the potential to be misunderstood, emotional or controversial, it’s probably best to call rather than emailing. The tone of voice tells so much more than the written word ever can. When teams can’t collaborate in person, setting clear expectations with colleagues and managers also takes on added importance.

 

We all know how devastating it can be to have our main computer give up its spirit, along with all the work of the last few months— typically all unsaved! Working from home has made me far more committed to saving regularly to a backup computer.

A strong connection is key with today’s collaboration and meeting software like Skype, Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting, etc. If your wifi is intermittent or weak it may be time to also make sure you can have a dedicated Ethernet connection.

Don’t skimp on chargers, docking stations and other technology accessories. I have duplicates of all those so I don’t have to carry them around too much. I also use a set of Bluetooth earphones regularly. It allows me to move around while on the phone, with the added benefit of being able to mute and get to some of those house chores during longer phone conferences.

 

Don’t leave it to the last minute. Make sure to check your technology and software a few minutes before the meeting to avoid the oh-so-familiar meeting delay that comes from technology glitches.

 

Experiment with the best times for undisturbed work focus. I find that the early morning and late evening are the times where I can focus the best on work without disturbances. The periods when I’ve worked with the US from Europe, my work day has typically been in two segments, about 6-9 am (9pm - midnight US) processing what happened in the US the day before, and then again 6-10 pm (9am – 1pm US) starting the day with my US colleagues. The split schedule works well for me, as it leaves the day to spend with the family.

 

If you have additional tips that help you maintain productivity without sacrificing your personal time while working from home, share them in the comments!