AdNews last year launched the WFH Diaries during the depths of the fallout from the pandemic, a way of sharing how people were spending their days.
This time we're asking for a run down on how everyone likes to start their day working from home. Some dress to impress, others slip on the t-shirt.
And everyone has their own way to carve the day into manageable chunks.
Rob Maclean, Head of Commercial & Sport Partnerships, Sales, Seven Network:
How do you start your today? My day will traditionally start with being woken by either my four-year old son or my peckish pug (it’s a flip of the coin), both searching for their first feed of the day. After a shower I’ll get dressed, and my wife and I will then divide and conquer the morning duties. My role will generally be to get the kids dressed, ready and bags packed. I find that another quick scan of the calendar for the day ahead helps me prepare and process what needs to be achieved and delivered to ensure I’m in the right head space. Then I’m out the door for a short walk to day-care to drop off the two boys, before diverting past a café on the way back to collect the coffees. The fresh air and stroll is a perfect circuit-breaker before settling in at the desk in the home office to begin the morning’s Teams meetings.
Tips for getting through the day? Making some calls whilst on a walk can tick a few boxes. And certainly, ensuring you get up and away from the desk regularly enough is an important part of being able to refocus (I should really take my own advice on this one). Collaborating with my wife – both working from home – to ensure we can cover off supervision of the kids for the hours they are at home has also been really key during this WFH period.
Distractions? For a lover of sport, and during a period of extended lock-down, the Tokyo Olympics has been an all-time distraction, in the best possible way. Keeping one (often both) eyes on the Games as part of my role has provided such enjoyment, and valuable light and shade from an otherwise sustained schedule.
Upside. Downside. Upside is definitely the ability to spend more time with the kids before they go to bed of an evening. The downside is unsurprisingly the increased difficulty to switch off or compartmentalise work from home-life, along with the challenge of trying to help young children understand why they can’t get the same level of attention they might be used too, at those times when we’re all in the house together but working.
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