You may have been working from home since the lockdown but like many Canadians, you are resigning yourself to the reality that you may be there until … well, maybe you don’t know when you’ll get back to your office. But even if you are snug at home with your family, there’s no denying that if your home and work routine feels topsy-turvy, it can be unsettling.
Georgia Swan, a Tax and Estate Planner with TD Wealth, has felt the same way. She says everything seems to take longer because she is working on a laptop and misses having a large monitor and separate keyboard. Her secure work laptop doesn’t connect with her home printer, and self-isolation has hit her hard on a personal level: She has felt fatigued from work, anxious about the pandemic and generally stressed out. She’s since made a point of establishing a better work routine, with regular breaks for exercise.
“It was a shock to me how awful I started feeling within the first few weeks of this lockdown even though I tried to keep exercising. I realized that it was just not enough movement,” she says.
If you’ve been coping with a make-shift situation, now’s the time to really make yourself a workable office where you can thrive but doesn’t disrupt your home. Here are some ideas on how to make a home office work.
Claim your space
First, ask yourself what kind of atmosphere do you need to work well. Do you need absolute quiet and no interruptions? Can you balance work, coffee, food deliveries and a dachshund on your lap, and still hit your deadlines? Be honest and don’t pretend that you can do your best work if distractions eat up your day.
You probably also want to draw a line in the carpet with your family or house mates about how to respect each other’s time and space — and who gets to control the thermostat. Parents with young children will have the hardest time of this, but try to define times when you need no interruptions: If you work in the adjacent room, it may mean the kitchen doesn’t open until noon or the washing machine doesn’t go on until 6 p.m. Making rules and sticking to them can hopefully head off hard feelings later.
Make your space professional
Depending on your home situation, you may not have a choice on where you are working but try and make the space your own and as professional as you can: It will put you in the best frame of mind to do your best work. Also, take into consideration how your office gear will influence your space. If you can’t do without several giant monitors, a large working table and sample products across the floor, plan for a space that can accommodate it.
You may have to set up your office up every day and break it down again at night but make it your own with plants and photos to make you comfortable and get rid of the clutter that can distract. Keep your accessories like power cords in a drawer so you can stow them away every night. If the buzz of the home or the construction site outside is too much, get some comfortable noise cancelling headphones.
Get the right gear
Maybe you can survive a few weeks scrunched over your coffee table but if you’re doing this for the long haul, you may need a proper desk, office chair and a stand for your computer. While laptops can do the job, you may also find a separate keyboard, mouse and monitor makes working more comfortable and helps prevent eye strain. You may also want to invest in some good lighting and a phone headset that is comfortable and sounds great — both of which can improve the quality of your video calls.
Ergonomic office chairs may be expensive but if you have an aching back at the end of the day — or just plain fatigue — it may be a good investment, along with a foot rest. Standing desk devotees can experiment with some old school texts to raise their workspace and get the blood flowing in your legs.
And check your internet service. What may have been adequate for your family before, might not be enough when multiple people in the household are trying to have simultaneous conference calls. Speak with your provider to see what the best solution for your situation is.
Set time to focus, time to relax
Let’s face it, most of us are used to focusing hard at work and relaxing at home. Not having different surroundings may mix us up. We don’t want to be tethered to our laptops at all hours but equally, we may find it hard to stay motivated when the boss isn’t across the corridor. If you’re feeling unfocused, set some mini-targets to get a portion of your particular project done. If you can’t meet them, find out what’s keeping you away from finishing that work: clear away those disruptions and you may be able to hit your deadline on time.
On the other side of five o’clock, Georgia Swan says that she finds it’s important to break up work and home time for the sake of her mental health. While it may not work or be feasible for everyone, she thinks it’s best not to work beyond dinner time or get up early before anyone else to get work done.
Track your WFH expenses
While you may be saving money on public transit and lunches, you may also have costs related to buying equipment for work. You can talk to your employer about getting those costs reimbursed.
Swan says for many of us who are employees working from home for an extended period, the increased costs of heat or hydro related to working from home may be deductible expenses. However, there are a number of conditions that must be met currently in order to qualify. Given the extraordinary impact the pandemic has had on our working lives, Swan says it may be wise to keep your receipts and wait for future clarification from the Canada Revenue Agency.
In the meantime, you may consider shifting any money you are saving by not commuting or eating out to your finances. You may be able to use that money to pay down debt, or make extra contributions to your RRSP, TFSA or your mortgage.
Ultimately, Swan says we all should take time to be kind to ourselves.
While society may be slowly opening up around the country, there is still uncertainty about the future and what exactly life will be like in the coming months. Swan says everyone should feel empowered to do whatever keeps them sane, which may include redefining what makes a great employee in a WFH environment: “It might be having animals around you or being outside and breathing fresh air or reading a book or watching soap operas,” she says. “Whatever it is, just be kind to yourself.”
DON SUTTON
MONEYTALK LIFE
ILLUSTRATION
DANESH MOHIUDDIN
DISCLAIMER: The information contained herein has been provided by TD Wealth and is for information purposes only. The information has been drawn from sources believed to be reliable. Graphs and charts are used for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect future values or future performance of any investment. The information does not provide financial, legal, tax or investment advice. Particular investment, tax, or trading strategies should be evaluated relative to each individual's objectives and risk tolerance.
TD Wealth represents the products and services offered by TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., TD Waterhouse Private Investment Counsel Inc., TD Wealth Private Banking (offered by The Toronto-Dominion Bank) and TD Wealth Private Trust (offered by The Canada Trust Company).
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
MENTIONS JURIDIQUES : Les renseignements aux présentes ont été fournis par Gestion de patrimoine TD aux fins d’information seulement. Les renseignements proviennent de sources jugées fiables. Les graphiques et les tableaux sont utilisés à des fins d’illustration et ne reflètent pas des valeurs ou des rendements futurs. Ces renseignements ne fournissent pas de conseils financiers, juridiques, fiscaux ou de placement. Les stratégies fiscales, de placement ou de négociation devraient être étudiées en fonction des objectifs et de la tolérance au risque de chacun. Gestion de patrimoine TD représente les produits et services offerts par TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., Gestion privée TD Waterhouse Inc., Services bancaires privés, Gestion de patrimoine TD (offerts par La Banque Toronto-Dominion) et Services fiduciaires, Gestion de patrimoine TD (offerts par La Société Canada Trust). Toutes les marques de commerce appartiennent à leurs propriétaires respectifs.
ᴹᴰ Le logo TD et les autres marques de commerce sont la propriété de La Banque Toronto-Dominion.
免責聲明:本文內之陳述由道明財富 (TD Wealth) 提供,僅供資料說明之用。本文根據相信為可靠的資料匯編而成。圖表僅供解說之用,並不反映任何投資的未來 價值或未來回報。本文資料並不旨在提供財務、法律、稅務或投資建議,衡量個別投資、交易或稅務策略時,應考慮個別人士的目標和風險承受能力。道明財富、道明銀行 (The Toronto-Dominion Bank) 與其聯屬及相關實體對任何資料錯漏或導致的損失或傷害概不負責。道明財富是代表由道明宏達理財加拿大有限公司 (TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.)、道明宏達理財私人全權託管投資有限公司 (TD Waterhouse Private Investment Counsel Inc.) 以及透過道明銀行提供之道明財富 私人銀行 (TD Wealth Private Banking) 和透過加拿大信託公司 (The Canada Trust Company) 提供之道明財富私人信託 (TD Wealth Private Trust) 所提供的 產品與服務。TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. - Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund。
所有商標分別為其擁有機構之產權。
® 道明 (TD) 標誌和其他商標是道明銀行的產權。
此中文譯本僅供參考之用,一切以英文原文為準。
免责声明:本文内之陈述由道明财富 (TD Wealth) 提供,仅供资料说明之用。本文根据相信为可靠的资料汇编而成。图表仅供解说之用,并不反映任何投资的未来 价值或未来回报。本文资料并不旨在提供财务、法律、税务或投资建议,衡量个别投资、交易或税务策略时,应考虑个别人士的目标和风险承受能力。道明财富、道明 银行 (The Toronto-Dominion Bank) 与其联属机构及相关实体对本文中任何资料错漏或导致的损失或伤害概不负责。道明财富是代表由道明宏达理财加拿大有限公司 (TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.)、道明宏达理财私人全权托管投资有限公司 (TD Waterhouse Private Investment Counsel Inc.)、以及透过道明银行提供之道明财富私人 银行 (TD Wealth Private Banking) 和透过加拿大信托公司 (The Canada Trust Company) 提供之道明财富私人信托 (TD Wealth Private Trust) 所提供的产品与 服务。TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. — Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund。
所有商标分别为其拥有机构之产权。
® 道明 (TD) 标志和其他商标是道明银行的产权。
此中文译本仅供参考之用,一切以英文原文为准。