Here is something shocking that I’ve learned of late, I like pants. Whether jeans, chinos, cords, whatever, just real pants.
I know in the early days of the pandemic and working remotely it was fun to wear the same three sweatpants on rotation, but because of this I never truly felt “in the zone,” in “flow,” or accurately playing the part of the professional I know myself to be. Never mind the memory echoing in my head of a former boss once telling the team at an agency I used to work for that he and his kids called sweatpants “fart pants.”
So there I was, and there we all were, working from home and caught in a viciously, comfortable cycle of… yes… Fart Pants.
Since Then…
Since then, however, we’ve all grown. We now know more than we did, whether it’s about how to live amidst this pandemic world, or how be productive (and maybe more productive) working remotely. Whether it’s the importance of wearing our masks in public, or wearing real pants at home, here are 3 ways we can work better in our remote world.
1. WFH and Working Remotely are not the Same
Whether out of the home, in a remote space, or back at your office, where you work matters.
As time has dragged on, we have also learned that these can also be very different from each other. Home can be fun, but if you’re like me, that fun ended after a month at least. I’ve never believed totally in separating work and life, I believe in doing work that fits your life. However, for the same reason I don’t eat a mutli-course Thanksgiving feast in bed, I now know that separating work and home spaces plays an important role in productivity and mental health.
Having a defined space, and one preferably out of the home is very important to ensuring that balance between the energy you devote to sections of your life, whether work, home, family and friends, or you and your own personal well-being and productivity. For a limited time, and both in response to the pandemic and our 5th anniversary, CoMotion has some great offers on to help you do exactly this. And check out our COVID-19 info page to learn about all we’re doing to keep members safe in the space.
2. If You Must WFH, Be Deliberate
If you must work from home, whether it is 100% or occasionally (as we likely all need to), be deliberate about where.
This global circumstance we are in looks as though it will continue on for a little while more, so if you haven’t done so yet, carve out explicit places where you work. What I mean is, have a specific spot or spot(s) where you do your work, and strive to make them separate from where you do other things, like eat, binge-watch, relax, or sleep (really, DO NOT do work in your bed, resist it’s siren song at all costs, your sleep will thank you).
Granted it may be a challenge to always do this (I’m certainly guilty of all three), but if you can’t work remotely out of the home, being explicitly mindful of where you do work remotely in the home helps to make sure you maintain a balance of productivity and health.
3. No Fart Pants
I mean, it is 2020, and sweatpants exist that are more expensive than most clothes I own. That said, as much as possible, start your day with a pattern akin to going out to work, which includes putting on real pants.
I like suits, and with the exception of my own physically-distanced wedding in July, I haven’t worn a suit since March. However, within the first month of working remotely I learned the big difference between WFH and working better remotely, and it is dressing and conducting your own “prepping ritual” in a way that at least makes you ready to work.
Now, this doesn’t mean a suit, and often for me, it doesn’t even mean a collar, but it does mean that if I were to jump on a call, or if I am going into CoMotion to work, I feel comfortable knowing that I still represent the professional I know myself to be.
…
So there’s at least three, and certainly not be all and end all, ways to work better remotely. If you have other tips, feel free to comment and share, whether here or on our and your own social posts for even more to see.
And if you’re interested in working remotely with us at CoMotion, start here!
Ryan Moran
Partner and CoFounder
