How to Stay Productive While Dealing With Big Changes at Home
A major change at home, like a move or a renovation, can affect your work in the days leading up to the peak of the change. Decisions, appointments, and packing will all interfere with your…
A major change at home, like a move or a renovation, can affect your work in the days leading up to the peak of the change. Decisions, appointments, and packing will all interfere with your work. Changes in how you and your family live can affect you, especially when you work from home.
In addition to taking practical steps to manage your household issues, it is also very important to keep your main work on track. This means making time for your key work and managing your household issues around that. You will not be able to work as normal, but you must find a way to keep your key work on track while managing around your other commitments.
Identify What Is Actually Disrupting Your Work
The unseen surprises of work are most visible during loud building work or property inspections. But often, many unnoticed decisions come up, such as what to keep and what to leave behind, transferring utilities, booking deliveries, etc. So note these, plan them, and set time frames. This will make you aware of how much time these will take and will help you plan your work around them.
It’s also a good idea to list all household tasks and assign a date and time to each. This will allow you to see clearly which days of the move are going to be the busier ones and allow you to schedule your work accordingly. Remember, though, you can distinguish between a task that needs to be done and a decision you can put off.
Build a Workday Around Your Current Reality
Next, organize your actual work to fit within these remaining productive hours. Use your most productive hours to do your most important work. Move administrative work to times when you have more time.
Don’t overfill your daily schedule, as unexpected situations and events will come up. If you expect a contractor to arrive, leave room for possible delays. Group errands around the same time of day to minimize travel time between locations. Plan and organize what you can ahead of time, and avoid items that will require future decisions. Use this planning in advance to create some flexibility around upcoming busy weeks of work.
Reduce the Household Workload Before It Takes Over
Assign household responsibilities so others can handle as much of your home relocation as possible, letting you focus on the most important parts of your work. Who can collect supplies and make appointments for access? Who can pack, and do you need to decide what to keep or confirm any dates for viewings?
When relocating, consider full-service moving companies to handle the main labor. Although the moving company handles the core task on the day of the move, you can outsource several associated tasks and services to reduce your workload and make your relocation as smooth as possible. When comparing quotes, consider key services like packing, moving your goods, and optional unpacking at the destination.
Even with full-service moving companies that pack and move for you, you’ll still need to organize many things yourself to get ready to relocate. Be sure to keep work equipment, ID, important documents, etc. accessible throughout the relocation period and also organize internet setup to be connected at your new home before you arrive. Give the movers and/or people helping you relocate clear written and verbal instructions on what you want done with respect to organization and setup.
Keep a Functional Workspace Through the Transition
For temporary use until you settle into your new home, a good workspace depends on having the right tools, space to work, and quiet. This can be a room in your current home, an office at a local library, or a space offered by your employer. Access to high-speed internet is essential; the temporary workspace must have reliable internet to sure you can hold meetings and submit work on time.
Be sure to check the internet connection at your new home before moving in. If installation is delayed, find an alternative workspace to keep your online work running smoothly. After settling into your new home, make sure you can start working from your new workspace quickly, before you unpack the rest of your household goods and start decorating.
Communicate Changes Before They Affect Deadlines
Let your workmates know about planned absences before the dates you need. Discuss a revised completion date for any work you have committed to, and make sure everyone is aware of any changes. Explain work in simple terms. There is no need to go into detail regarding personal circumstances.
Apply the same clear communication principles to the household, and specify which members can enter your workspace and when. Create a routine that shows household members when you will be unavailable to address move-related problems. Treat these matters the same way you would any other remote worker, and hold a brief meeting to discuss and agree on specific dates for household-move matters.
Rebuild Your Routine Gradually
Once the immediate disruption has passed, you can put more structure back into your life. Although your commute and workspace may have changed, and you may be working from home with family members around, try to establish regular start and end times for your day, as well as time to take breaks. Attempt to plan out your short-term work in advance in order to organize your time effectively to complete all required work to a high standard.
Use the previous issues to monitor how you’re doing and to identify any changes which you may need to make to maintain your previous way of working. By ensuring you have enough time to complete your key work, manage your household affairs, and get sufficient rest, you can return to your full work schedule once your transition to your new home is complete.
