This week marks my, Tim Semple: Advertising Professional and LinkedInfluencer™, third week WFH* and WOW what a change. But forced circumstances create opportunities to learn and expand. What an exciting time! Naturally, with my nearly 12 years of advertising experience and indispensable authority on advertising professionalism, I thought it would be beneficial to everyone if I, Tim Semple, could jot down some helpful insights I’ve discovered since WFH.
First, let me say: It’s not easy! I know how rough it can be - Where should I set up my new home office? Should I break for lunch? How do I feed myself? Do I need pants? Let me assure you, LinkedIn colleagues, I have found 5 easy tips that will make working from home a more enjoyable experience.
Let’s start, shall we?
1. Find A Routine
All of a sudden our daily routines have completely shifted. So first things first: Find a new routine to your day! Here's what I do: Get up at a reasonable hour, shower, get dressed, make the bed and make yourself a nice cup of coffee. If you have children feed them. Take this time to read the paper or check Twitter (if you’re a digital strategist) and connect/inform yourself of the outside world. Now welcome the overwhelming feeling of existential despair and intense anxiety. That's it, soak it in. I call this The New Normal™.
Next, empty last night's leftover bourbon in your coffee.
2. Set Up A Home Office
If you’re like me, Tim Semple Advertising Professional, you’re used to working in a creatively riotous open-plan office. Well, at home you don’t have to adhere to this protocol**. Find yourself a quiet, well-lit nook in your home. If you have find a space with a closing (preferably locking) door, that's great!
Here's what I do: Make the space comfortable. Comfort is of utmost importance for productivity when WFH. Great. Now that we're comfortable, close that door, lock it if possible, and take the smuggled half-finished Early Times Bourbon bottle from our waistband and find a nice hiding place for it. I use the garbage can. Now, once again, let's quickly empty the contents into our morning coffee and drink it down. Come on, hustle - gulp gulp!
Sure, it’s okay - You’re WFH aren’t you? That’s it. Make the pain go away. Shhhhhh...
Go ahead, I’ll wait. Okay, let's start the day!
3. Have Virtual Meetings
Zoom, GoToMeeting and Google Hangouts are great virtual meeting software for real-time, face-to-face meeting to discuss open-ended, on-going business needs multiple emails won’t solve. So set up, log on and meet with your colleagues online! But now that we've swigged our spiked morning joe and most likely feeling its effects on an empty stomach, don't look directly into the virtual meeting camera. No one can know that we're self medicating because the world is ending. Business must go on!
Here's what I do: Avert our gaze by blindly pecking at the keyboard pretending to urgently reply to the-sky-is-falling-and-we-need-your-unfettered-expertise emails. If executed correctly we appear to be so busy we can’t possibly pay attention to the digital strategist. Our colleagues will appreciate our work ethic and our inflated sense of self-importance will increase because we're half-in-the-bag and its only 9:30am.
When imbibing last night's pleasures to excess its best not to engage the virtual meeting camera at all. Here's what I do: Engage the microphone only. If anyone asks why we're not on video simply say we’re having technical difficulties and we have a note out to IT.
4. Take Breaks
Whew, WFH can be a stress-inducing adjustment to be sure but let's not lose focus: These forced circumstances can also create opportunities to learn and expand! And reflection is an integral part of the learning process. So, throughout the day it's imperative to take a break and reflect on The New Normal™. Here's what I do: Go outside and take a nice walk. Get some fresh air, circulate our blood, and maybe crack a fresh bottle of rotgut. Isn't that refreshing?
But remember, fellow LinkedInners, and this is important: CDC 's recommendation is social distancing of up to 6' to any person or persons outside of your self-quarantined home. This is called Flattening The Curve and it's our only tool in fighting the deadly novel virus COVID-19.
Flatten the curve...
Jesus...COVID-19.
That’s right - The spiced sting of existential doom hasn't bit since we laced our fore-day java with funny juice. WFH? WTF! Why are we working from home again? Oh, that's right - A FUCKING DEATH BUG THAT'S RAVAGING MANKIND. We need to stay indoors at all time and never leave, NEVER. WE WILL DIE. But, wait. Wait a second: We need to leave at some point, right? The sweet, sweet brown bourbony nectar juice isn't going to buy itself and we guzzled the last of the liquor for breakfast and this terribly detached comfort will not last for much longer! THINK, MAN, THINK!
HOLY FUCK. Toilet paper...We're on our last roll...But where is the toilet paper in this fucking town? And why toilet paper, people? Really? TOILET PAPER? Like, if we had to write the series finale of United States of America we never would have come up with TP begat the End Times.
Wait - End Times. End Times?
Wait, how many people have died? QUADRUPLED IN FUCKING MONTH? Oh my God. OH MY GOD.
Don’t go outside...Can't go outside...Don’t go outside.
But life-affirming, day-starting bourbon and purpose-giving toilet paper...
5. Embrace Nothingness
Well. Here we are - The depths of our existential crisis. The bottom of our all-consuming anxiety. Fuck.
Here's what I do: I accept that I have very little control over The New Normal™ and attempt to move forward day after Groundhog Day. I wash my hands, practice social distancing and stay inside, mostly. I follow my routine, work in my makeshift home office, have my virtual meetings and take breaks to reflect on this day - Today. And if or when I feel defeated, anxious or question whether life has meaning, purpose, or value I pour a little more hooch in my mug and say "Fuck it."
Tim Semple is a mid-level advertising professional with some 12 years experience and the creator of Tim Semple's 5 Tips On Working From Home.
*Abbreviation for Working From Home or Work From Home because God knows we can’t just write Working From Home.
**Bullshit.