Let's face it: Working from home can be exhausting." Most of our social roles happen in different places, but now the context has collapsed," says Gianpiero Petriglieri[1], an associate professor at INSEAD[2]. "Imagine if you go to a bar, and in the same bar you talk with your professors, meet your parents, or date someone; isn't it weird? That's what we're doing now. We are confined in our own space, in the context of a very anxiety-provoking crisis, and our only space for interaction is a computer window."
Professor Petriglieri[3] calls the problem "self-complexity" -- where everything happens via video calls. Everything, it seems, except variety.
All the more reason to establish routines, rituals, and boundaries[4] and create separation in your home office[5], so that your online world doesn't become a jumbled mess of insecurity and confusion. Or work days on end that seem never to end.
Working from home requires a deliberate design around your schedule -- those boundaries are essential to your long-term success. Many rituals and routines change when your home becomes your workplace.
A Strong Start
When your commute changes from 60 minutes to six steps, it's easy to fall out of a standard routine. But business is a process: Working from home is a process as well.
Kathryn Charleston[6] is a self-described "people person" whose pre-COVID routine involved traveling to meet with clients in person several days each week. "I thrive off the energy of people," she enthuses. "Living at home by myself, it's been really hard to find that interaction with people. Even though I'm in video