Working from home? ‘You’re not on vacation’

An expert has recommendations to keep your mind and body in top shape

Whether you’re new to working from home in the wake of the coronavirus COVID-19 or a telecommuting veteran, you might be overlooking methods to increase productivity while outside from the office.

You’ll likely discover on your own that designating a work

space, minimizing distractions and keeping in close communication with coworkers are all helpful.

Perhaps less obvious is the role diet and exercise can play in your efficiency, and the importance of mentally preparing yourself for the experience.

“The easiest way to get the brain chemistry you need for focus is to give yourself at least 30 minutes of exercise,” said Peter Shankman, author of the book “Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain.”

What Shankman suggests are not run-of-themill best telecommuting practices such as responding promptly to phone calls and emails, turning off the TV and putting on pants. If you haven’t figured those out already, your workfrom-home arrangement probably isn’t off to a very good start.

“You’re not on vacation,” Shankman said.

Rather, his ideas are more like brain hacks designed to convince your mind it’s time for work — even when the setting might suggest otherwise.

“One of the first things you need to understand is productivity by its very nature is chemical,” Shankman said. “Your brain is the thing that decides whether you’re going to be productive, or if you’re going to look out the window at the shiny airplane flying by.”

Workout, eat well

Now that you have no place to be, it might be tempting to roll out of bed, have your cup of coffee and immediately begin the workday.

If you’re having trouble keeping the attention on your work though, consider instead beginning the morning with exercise.

“No matter where in the world I am or what time it is or how late my flight got in, I will not start a morning without a workout,” said Shankman, who estimates 85% of his work is performed outside of an office.

There’s science behind his reasoning. Exercising releases the chemical dopamine in your brain, which is known to improve concentration.

“If you’re not producing enough dopamine, you’re going to lose focus,” Shankman said.

“I’m not saying you have to go out and run a marathon every morning,” he said. “It could be something as simple as a walk around the neighborhood.”

Studies show eating healthy can boost concentration as well, so Shankman suggests getting plenty of protein, fruits and vegetables. “The more crap you eat, the more distractable you’ll be.”

Plan ahead

Distractions are inevitable, even in an office environment. What becomes critical at home is having systems in place to easily get refocused.

Before going to sleep at night, Shankman suggests writing down a schedule for the entire next day. That way, when you do encounter a diversion, you know exactly how much time you have before your next commitment.

“Having that in front of you, seeing it, visualizing it is going to keep you much more on track because even if you get distracted at 10:46, you know at 11 a.m. you have a call, a meeting, whatever,” Shankman said.

Even planning the seemingly mundane, like lunch, will keep you honest about how much time you’re spending on each task.

“There’s nothing wrong with saying break is from 12:00 to 2:00, but you know that at 3 p.m. you have to do something else,” Shankman said.

The work mindset

No, you don’t need to dress in a suit and tie to sit at your kitchen table with a laptop and legal pad. However, practicing basic hygiene and choosing an outfit you would wear out in public play a role in getting your brain ready for work.

“Set your alarm, get up at the same time, take a shower, get dressed,” said Shankman.

“I’ve worn a T-shirt and jeans for 20 years,” he said. “The only time I wear a button-down shirt is when I’m speaking in public. But I will not work in my pajamas or underwear without showering. You have to get into that mindset, and it’s as much physical as it is mental.”

And, yes, creating a dedicated space to do your job is vital. While some people might be able to relax on the sofa with the TV blaring in the background and still get the job done, the majority will not find the environment conducive to doing quality work.

Ideally, the area where you work will be used exclusively for that until you’re able to go back to the office.

“The brain processes home as the place where you watch Netflix, where you order a pizza,” the author said. “Designate a spot in your home that will be your office. It is no longer part of your home. Remove anything from that area that is home-based.”

Then there’s kids

Shankman wears many hats. He’s an entrepreneur, a corporate keynote speaker, a futurist for a midsize marketing firm in Delaware, Epic Marketing, as well as a former journalist credited with founding Help a Reporter Out in 2007 and America Online’s newsroom during the ‘90s.

He’s also father to his 6-year-old daughter, Jessa.

What makes working from home unusual amid the coronavirus pandemic is most parents will be surrounded by their children.

“One of the things I’m finding is she and I work together,” Shankman said. “Her work could be watching an educational video or doing a worksheet, but in a lot of ways, she feels like she’s sort of doing what daddy does.”

Shankman notes there are worksheets available for grades kindergarten through 12. And for older kids who may be more selfsufficient but need structure, again, a schedule can help.

“Here’s the time that we’re going to work,” he said. “Here’s the time we’re going go out for our afternoon walk. Here’s what we’re going do for lunch, when we’re going take a bath.

“Children of any age and even adults need regularity.”

Find your style

For Shankman, who’s diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, these are less suggestions than they are a code.

“All the rules that I have put into place in my life over the past 20 years have been designed to make sure I don’t go off the rails,” Shankman said. “I don’t have the sort of life that lends itself to sitting in an office, at a desk, so I make sure I’m productive no matter where I am.”

But tips that are proven successful for one person aren’t necessarily best for everybody. Perhaps the only truly universal recommendation is not to be frustrated while trying to adjust to this new norm.

“Go easy on yourself,” said Shankman. “You’ll find the ways that work for you.

“Your health and your mental health is so ridiculously important right now. One of the things we learned after 9/11 is when your anxiety rises, your productivity goes straight down, so make sure you’re taking time to take care of yourself and just breathe.”

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