Make Working from Home, Work for You: Tips from the Abacus Team

We may all be working from home right now, but that scenario doesn't look the same for everybody. Some live alone or with a significant other. Some have children, roommates, or are living with family. Some in a house, some in a small apartment. Everyone has their own way that they've adjusted to this new reality during the Covid-19 pandemic. Including everyone on the Abacus team, who are all working from home across the globe right now.

We asked members of our team to share some of the things they've found help with handling working from home.  And we've turned these into a compilation of tips that may help working from home, work for you! 

• Stick to your routine. Try to stick to normal morning behaviors. 

"I've worked from home before, but my previous experience wasn't as organized and structured as the one we have at Abacus. I find the Abacus structure very helpful. What helps me is giving myself plenty of time to shower and have breakfast, so I'm completely awake and ready to start the day." - Ali (Onsite Support)

• Get dressed and ready each morning as if going to an office.

"Safe at home during this pandemic, my go-to getting ready seems to be mostly just putting on a clean pair of elastic-waist workout pants each morning, but once a week I’m putting on a pair of jeans at least to make sure they still fit!" - Sarah (Marketing)

• Meal prep. Create new healthy habits or continue existing ones by meal prepping lunches and snacks.

"When it's time to eat your lunch, eat outside (while practicing social distancing) or in a different space in your home. Afternoon snack, choose another way to be active while you’re chowing down!" - Molly (Client Support Operations)

• Dedicate specified work hours. Start your workday at a specific time and end at a specific time.

"When working from home, it's very easy to sleep in or start the workday later than normal. This hurts my productivity for the rest of the day. Getting up early and working during specified times has helped me adjust." - Matthew (Marketing)

• Find a functional work space. If you don't have an office at your home, find a quiet space or spare room where you can focus.

• Dedicate your IT systems for work.

"Even when working from home, try and keep your work computer dedicated to work, or at least to yourself. Just as I try and carve out a dedicated physical work area, it's important to have clear separations between my secure work computer and entertainment." - Jacob (Sales)

• Incorporate virtual social interaction.

"I live alone, so I try to incorporate as much social interaction as possible by Zoom conferencing with friends, having online dance parties, or calling family on the phone." - Lily (Human Resources)

• Communicate. Stay connected with your team and peers. If you have a question, picking up the phone can be more effective than an email or IM.

"I've also found that it's really important to stay connected to people via email, Teams or just picking up the phone for a quick chat.  It's easy for someone to be distant if they choose to be, but we have the tools and resources to enable them to stay connected so I encourage them to use those as often as possible. Not everyone has the same support system around or the same level of experience working from home, so making it a point to reach out to at least one person, if not a group of people, every day is a nice way to keep your sanity and effectively communicate." - Adam (Human Resources)

• Take breaks. Try to plan 1-2 short breaks so you can step away from work for a few minutes to clear your head and come back refreshed.

• Get some exercise during the day. Exercise promotes endorphins, which help combat the blues or feeling sluggish.

"I like to make sure that my kids are setup with their first school assignments for the day and then my wife and I both get to work while ping-ponging back and forth throughout the morning making sure that the kids are focused, that they're not overeating on snacks and that one of us is available while the other is on a work call or needs time to focus. Much easier said than done! We then try to get the family out for a walk in the early afternoon or play basketball on the driveway - something active for 30 minutes so that everyone gets some exercise." - Adam (Human Resources)

• Go for a walk outside (while maintaining social distancing).

"I live in an area of San Francisco with lots of parks and open natural spaces. I've been taking walks outside and enjoying these natural spaces while keeping a 6-foot social distance." - Lily (Human Resources)