Are you a lone ranger – someone who works from home for a good cause? Do you sometimes struggle to get things done? You’re not alone. Government statistics show that 41% of workers now work from home at least part of the time. Working from home brings great benefits but also big challenges. Who do you share your ups and downs, your wins and your losses, with, if you work alone or if your team mates are scattered over the ether? But never fear, Melissa Noble from the Academy of Wide-hearted Living has a programme just for you. Here, she tells all.
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It’s 3:21pm. Lola the dog seems somewhat surprised that we’re heading out into the garden. Again. It’s been one of those days. I’m ‘meant’ to be writing a blog. But there’s no actual deadline. The sky is very blue. The trees are shimmying in the breeze. It’s warm. But not too warm. Getting down to work is proving tricky.
I’ve tried writing outside but the distraction of bumble-bees and my inability to get comfy means that hasn’t worked either. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m channelling Goldilocks. If I just keep moving I’ll find somewhere that’s ‘just right’, and the words will flow.
I’m not relaxed and I’m not motivated. It’s a weird in-betweeny kind of feeling; a cocktail of frustration and ennui. Unsurprisingly, the date balls, peppermint tea, apples and crisps that have all found there way to my desk since lunch have not actually helped me get into flow either. Which is not great, as there are about 732 other things I’m also ‘meant’ to be doing this month. I can’t just kick-back and ride this out as a go-slow day. I haven’t got time for that.
Also, I know that failing to get on with it, will leave me fidgeting all evening. Part of me wanting to crack on with writing. Part of me wanting to honour my own boundaries – to maintain a clear distinction between ‘work-time’ and ‘me-time’ (not as romantic as it sounds. ‘Me-time’ includes everything from picking up dog poo to de-bind-weeding the garden; as well as the more fun stuff of life).
I know I’m not alone in this. This ‘new normal’ of working-from-home has it’s ups and downs for most. On the plus side, a recent survey, from the Office for National Statistics shows that workers save an average of 56 mins each day they don’t commute, and that some people use this time for more rest, exercise or other wellbeing-boosting activities. I love the fact that I can get up early and bank a couple of hours before heading off to Yogalates. (Yes, that really is a thing).
However, as Vasundhara Sawhney writes in the Harvard Business Review: “The downsides of prolonged working from home — monotony, social isolation, burnout— can’t be ignored. Studies show that what remote workers gain in efficiency and productivity, they lose in harder-to-measure benefits such as creativity, innovation, teamwork, trust, and empathy.”
My own small-scale survey highlighted more specific challenges. I asked respondents to indicate what, if anything, they found difficult about working from home. They noted:
- Lack of a sounding-board;
- Managing boundaries;
- Procrastination;
- Low motivation for self-care;
- Switching off and,
- Loneliness.
It’s quite a list. And it got me thinking….
There has to be a better way.
How can we bring in the good stuff we get from co-working – without giving up the flexibility and other benefits we enjoy through working from home? Especially as we head towards Autumn. Feeling isolated in June is one thing. It can feel very different in November. Multiply that by 10 for February.
And that’s why I’ve created the Lone Rangers: Online community for wide-hearted lone workers.
Why ‘Lone Rangers’? I feel the name brings out the quiet heroics of people working on their own.
What’s on offer: a range of online get-togethers to help you feel more connected: a monthly gathering, co-working sessions and an online community platform for sharing resources and connecting, and much more besides. Creativity sits at the heart of the project. All of the sessions will include a little activity to boost creativity and wellbeing.
Are you in? If you’d like to build connections with others who work from home, please: register your interest.
Our first gathering is on Monday 8th September at 1pm. Co-working sessions begin on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th September. It would be great to see you there!
Want to find out more?
Contact me, Melissa Noble, a trained coach and facilitator, here.
Photo Credit: @dean-drobot