How to Work from Home with Roommates
While we may be getting tired of one another, we can still work in harmony.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to force many to work from home, it is important to reestablish routines and set expectations for your new office-mates.
I started working from home on March 12, 2020 due to Coronavirus gaining traction in California. It has since been 42 working days since this transition and my roommates and I are finally finding a routine that works. I live with three of my closest friends in a four bedroom home. So while we are lucky we each have our room to retreat to, we have found working out of our rooms is incredibly isolating.
Working Together for Success
We all work for different companies in different industries, yet we all spend a majority of our days in virtual meetings or dialed in on calls. We have found that alternating who can use the common area to take calls has allowed us to change scenery and keep our brain visually stimulated. We have also found that if we are not in a call or in a virtual meeting, it is nice to work near each-other in the common area. We found the most efficient way to know who is in a meeting and when is to simply share our Outlook calendars with one another. This allows us to be extremely aware if someone cannot be interrupted. We all end work at different times, so while someone might get off pretty early, we have to be respectful and keep the house quiet for the remaining busy workers.
We also try to eat our lunches together around the same time, so we have some human interaction throughout the day which allows our brain to refresh and stay motivated. Last Friday, one roommate was in back-to-back calls all morning and we realized they had yet to get a meal so we quickly made them a lunch and brought it to their room, texting them that it was waiting for them outside of their door — not to interrupt. This simple act made their day much easier and allowed them to continue being productive. It was a nice reminder for all, that no matter how tired of each other we are getting (I mean it has been 9 weeks nonstop…); we are lucky to be quarantining with people.
Another thing we have found beneficial is to rotate who runs errands to not only protect ourselves from exposure, but to limit the exposure we bring to others as well. It also acts as much needed alone time for the one who gets to go out into the world.
We have also made some adjustments to acknowledge the environmental impact of working from home. We use a lot more electricity and sometimes it feels like the pile of dirty dishes will never end. We have started combining loads of laundry to reduce cycles, working out of one area when we can to reduce the electricity needed, and even using natural light whenever possible. We’ve also began cooking communal dinners to reduce food waste and maximize our grocery runs, which has been a very fun way to regroup at the end of a long day.
While working from home has definitely been a huge adjustment and disrupted our once beloved (or at least tolerated) routines, it is becoming our new way of life and it is up to us to adapt. I realized that in the beginning, no one asked each-other how their day at work was because we felt like we knew — since we spent the day together already. We, however, had no idea how their calls went or if their meetings went well. Simply remembering to ask my roommates how their day at work went has revitalized our conversations and allow us to vent when needed, celebrate our successes, and relate to each-other in a familiar, pre-pandemic way.
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