Today marked the end of my fourth week of working exclusively from home. Here are my takeaways from week four:

• Mental wall – I hit a mental wall midweek. I suspect it was from Zoom burnout, insufficient separation between work and home, and good ol’ cabin fever. I acknowledged it, accepted that the day would not be productive, and started over the next day.
• Knowledge sharing – I’ve been more purposeful about sharing non-coronavirus articles and podcasts with people when they’re relevant to their interests. This has sparked some engaging dialogue. It’s a great way to stay connected with people and add value to relationships.
• Focus – My most productive time used to be mornings, but I’m noticing it shifting to afternoons. I’m playing with the idea of changing when I work on specific types of things. I think that will make me more efficient and focused.
• Reflection – Some days I don’t feel as productive working from home. At someone’s suggestion, I reflected on what I’ve accomplished during the pandemic (and the few months before it). It was a good exercise. I quantified what I’d accomplished and celebrated mentally.

This fourth week of working from home was the toughest so far. My big takeaway is to be conscious of wins and celebrate them. I think doing that will keep me steady. During week five, I’ll consider what working from home will look like for another four weeks or more.

I continue to learn from this unique situation, adjust as necessary, and share my experience.