Working From Home During Quarantine

First and foremost if you are reading this thank you, I feel for you and your family. I understand how this pandemic situation has turned our daily routines into utter chaos, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

My day job for those that don’t know is in the remodeling space, we do windows, kitchens & bath rooms. Coming into a strangers home with a mask. Hand sanitizer and a UV sanitizing wand is new norm but the job has been relatively the same. It’s the conversations I’ve had with these families that I’d like to share with you today.

Here are 10 tips to make working from home more efficient and enjoyable.

1. Routine. It may seem as a no brainer to some, but for others having trouble working from home, this can be the difference between actually getting the work done or not. Don’t have to be a robot but structure your day a little to work smarter not harder. Check out “The 4 Hr Workweek” by Tim Ferriss

2. Set Daily Tasks/Goals. I’d recommend setting daily goals for whenever you work but especially while working from home. Distractions are all around when you are home; the laundry, dishes, TV, etc. Having goals that are in place for the day will help you stay on task.

3. Get Out. Practice social distancing while getting out of the house. Chances are there is an entire ecosystem in your backyard no matter the appearance, exploring your nearest neighbors can be enjoyable and has been proven to reduce depression. Take a walk, for me it’s a bike ride or grabbing my skateboard for a ride around the block.

4. Stretch. Get the blood flowing, muscles limber, you can stretch while you’re on a call. Louise Dickens has 15 quick stretches to do while in the office

5. Be Thankful. I’ve talked to a few families in the recent and this tip has come directly from them. Understanding that others have lost their jobs it’s imperative to be thankful for what you do have. Things could be worse. Wake up with purpose and take on the day.

6. Vent. Not to take away from number five at all but one thing I learned while selling Cutco knives in college was the 5 minute rule. You are welcome to vent to your partner/ coworker for 5 minutes anything past that you’re just soaking the energy out of the both of you. Life happens get the anger out and back to being proactive.

7. Accountability/Support. I’m a huge believer of team work makes the dream work. Having a partner in your corner works wonders. An accountability partner is a person who coaches another person in terms of helping the other person keep a commitment.  Currently Justin over at Ugly is my partner. Posted Brotha!

8. Dress The Part. I’m guilty of wearing pj’s below the waist and button ups about the waist line on a zoom call for sure! Haha. But there’s something about looking good before you work that I believe gives your day a little extra in the ordinary. When you feel good you do good.

9. Be Present. If you take anything from these tips I’d say this is the most important. It goes without saying that time sure does fly and whether things adjust in a few weeks or a few months, being present with your actions can really be impactful. Enjoy life and enjoy the time you have with others always

10. Stay Organized/ Clean. I don’t mean get distracted with the dishes, laundry and all that but clean your work area a bit. I’m all about efficiency and a minute spent planning/ organizing can save you hours on the back end.
    

11. Bonus. When you are out running errands please don’t wear gloves, they are quite useless, a mask and washing your hands is fine enough. I carry a UV wand to sterilize my mask daily. If you happen to see gloves on the flood pick them up and throw them away.
    

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Crushing Cans (and Habits)

It was the same walk I take every day back to my car.

5 things you see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you can taste ...

Smell is always the hardest one for me. Not because I don't have a nose, but because there are certain smells in San Francisco you DON'T want to focus on when walking down an alley. I once heard someone say, "San Francisco is the only place where dogs look out for human (expletive) when they go for a walk instead of the other way around."

5-4-3-2-1. This is a common technique for coping with anxiety, depression, trauma triggers, etc. I use it almost every day.

Get up early, go to the gym, read regularly, put words through a filter in your mind before speaking

On this particular day, I heard a man crushing a can on a sidewalk with his foot and a tear came to my eye. In an instant, I was taken back in time to a memory of my grandpa. Among his many great attributes, he recycled regularly. He somehow made crushing cans fun; an activity myself and all of his grandchildren enjoyed. For me, it was the sound it made, the accomplishment of saving space in a large plastic bag and the possibility that I might see money on the other side. Some easy change could get us a lotto ticket, a piece of candy or a tall can for my super hero.

Our brains are amazing. They are bio-mechanical computers, processing loads of information, like feelings and emotions constantly. The epi-center of what makes us human! But you are not your brain, so learn how it works and learn how to use it. Use its capabilities to develop good triggers and crush healthy habits. Get up early, go to the gym, read regularly, put words through a filter in your mind before speaking, practice gratitude and optimisim, pray, meditate, and excel in all areas of your life.

Here are 3 tips: 

1) Use the 5-4-3-2-1 method mentioned above.

I can't take credit for this one, but I am a witness to its power. This simple method helps you practice being hyper-focused on a regular basis. Battling anxiety? Become hyper-focused on healthy thoughts. Battling exhaustion? Become hyper-focused on closing all of those "open-doors" in your mind that never get closed throughout the day, the ones that keep you awake at night. Stressing about hitting your sales quota? Become hyper-focused on the ONE thing you need to do this minute that will make you 1% more successful, more prepared or more optimistic.

2) CUE --> CRAVING --> RESPONSE --> REWARD.

In Atomic Habits by James Clear, he explains understanding habits and how they work in this way. My challenge to you is to write down one habit you want to break and one habit you want to make. For the habit you're going to break, start backwards, and visualize each part of the process above. When you work back and figure out what the cue is (a smell, a sight, something you hear, feel, taste or think), then you know where and what to work on. When establishing a new habit, create a visual or audio cue, develop a craving over time, take action with a response, then reward yourself (it can be phsyical or mental).

3)  Perform "surgery" on your thoughts

. Have you ever noticed yourself getting worked up over nothing or experiencing an intense mood swing out of no where? Or the opposite. Ever been in a public place surrounded by strangers and you find yourself smiling for no reason? It's easy to think "that's just how I am" or that this happens randomly. But 99% of the time, there is some kind of cue. It could have started seconds, minutes, days or even weeks before the moment you find yourself in. The next time this happens, step out of your body and out of time for a minute. Picture the thought as if it is an object in front of you. Put your hand out and grab it. Now open it up. What do you find? What story comes to mind? Why is there an emotion attached to it? Is it something in your past, or something you think will be in your future?

If it's a positive thought, then tear it in half and give a piece to the next person you see, no matter what.

If it's a negative thought, then place it on the ground, bring your knee to your chest and crush it like a can under your foot.