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Working from home used to be something many dreamed of, but now the pandemic has made it part of a waking nightmare we’re all battling. While some once hoped to work from home only sometimes, or eventually, many Americans were forced to start working from home full-time, quite suddenly, starting in March of 2020. Research finds that in early March, 31 percent of individuals switched from going into a brick-and-mortar location to working from home. Not everyone had that choice, as the same study found that over 60 percent of U.S. jobs simply cannot be performed from home. Those who leave their homes to work face obvious risks. But those working from home may be tackling a different issue: challenges to productivity.
Some professionals who once resented the commute to work and the office space may now realize the benefits of that environment. Maybe we’re not supposed to be in our little nest, near our loved ones, when trying to focus on business. But how things should be and how they are, are quite different. If you’re done resisting the change and prepared to accept the new normal of working from home, it’s time to discover how you thrive in that environment. We spoke with Watchen Nyanue, CEO of I Choose the Ladder, about how to improve the process of working from home. She’ll be putting on a virtual career summit called The Climb on September 26th that will cover matters like networking, branding, and Black women’s mental health in corporate America.
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How to separate work life from home life
Nyanue says it’s important to have a designated place where you work. Maybe that’s a corner of the living room, or a second bedroom, or the kitchen table. “Work happens at a certain place in your house and living happens in the other places.” We have tips on how to make your home office feel like a commercial one, here.
