WEBVTT - Working From Home Without Going Crazy #182 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.360 Welcome to How the Money. I'm Joel and I and 0:00:02.480 --> 0:00:23.480 Matt and today we're discussing working from home without going crazy. 0:00:25.600 --> 0:00:28.720 Well Joel, speaking of going crazy, is it nuts that 0:00:28.960 --> 0:00:30.840 this is still the world we live in? So much 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:33.080 has changed, but like at the same time, I look 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:35.360 outside and I see how beautiful it is outside, like 0:00:35.400 --> 0:00:38.120 it's spring now, and there's so many things that haven't changed, 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:40.000 you know, like cherry blossoms look incredible, by the way, 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:42.640 Thank you dude, don't they It's it's our favorite like 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:44.880 three weeks of the year basically when those two trees 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:47.360 blossomed like that. But but yeah, you know, you see 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:50.000 that happen. You see nature kind of continuing on, and 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:53.000 it's it's this weird juxtaposition where like everything seems fine, 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:55.920 the world is carrying on as as as usual, but 0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:58.120 at the same time, like so much of our lives 0:00:58.240 --> 0:01:01.680 has altered significantly. You know. It's funny. It makes me 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:03.560 I don't want to get too heavy, but I feel 0:01:03.560 --> 0:01:07.400 like that's that's typically what people how people describe experiencing 0:01:07.480 --> 0:01:09.720 the death of a close loved one, Like the world 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:13.479 around you continues on as normal, and it doesn't feel 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:15.319 like it should it feels like things can stop because 0:01:15.319 --> 0:01:18.080 of something that major has happened. And I feel like 0:01:18.160 --> 0:01:19.720 that's kind of how we're all feeling to a certain 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:22.959 extent with the impact of of coronavirus and kind of 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:26.800 how it's affecting everything. And I don't know about you, man, 0:01:26.800 --> 0:01:28.319 but I feel like I'm waking up in the morning 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:32.480 and just the first thought in my mind is that 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:34.360 I just dream this or is it actually happening. And 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:36.679 it's actually happening every every morning. It takes me like 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:39.920 five seconds to realize, No, No, that's still real life. Yeah, 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:41.640 that's the world we're living in right now. So I mean, 0:01:41.640 --> 0:01:43.440 and a part of that world is working from home, 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:46.160 Like many of us are still working from home, and 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:48.200 I think many of us might even continue to work 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:50.440 from home. So you know, we're gonna talk about why 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:52.120 it's important for us to do this. We're gonna talk 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:55.320 about how we can do this effectively. And I'm excited 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:57.280 that we can give our listeners something that's a little 0:01:57.280 --> 0:01:59.360 more timely like this on a Wednesday episode, which are 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:02.680 typically a little more timeless episodes. Right, Like, it's it's 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:04.760 content that's evergreen, it's gonna be there and it's gonna 0:02:04.800 --> 0:02:07.480 be good forever. But we I think this is gonna 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:09.280 be one that will stand the test of time for sure. 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:12.000 But it's also one that I think people will be 0:02:12.040 --> 0:02:14.959 excited to hear, given what we're living through right now. Yeah, 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:17.000 there's a lot of hot takes when it comes to money, Matt. 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:19.760 That's not our show though, typically, right we're we're usually 0:02:20.000 --> 0:02:23.400 just about kind of the principles, the time tested principles 0:02:23.400 --> 0:02:25.000 of money and how people can apply that to our 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.880 their lives were solid, right exactly. But yeah, before we 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:31.440 get into kind of all the specifics of how people 0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:33.760 can implement a work from home regimen that works for 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:36.320 them right now, I wanted to ask you quickly, do 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:39.200 you think that because of the massive shift for so 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:41.400 many people to working from home, do you think that's 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:43.880 gonna lead to a real shift in the future of 0:02:43.919 --> 0:02:46.760 working from home, like our employers going to approach work 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:49.880 from home completely differently a year, two or three down 0:02:49.960 --> 0:02:53.320 the road based on kind of what's happening now. Well, yes, 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:55.960 that's the answer. And I know why you're asking me 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:57.760 this too, because we were talking about this article not 0:02:57.800 --> 0:03:00.200 too long ago. But the expert there was talking thing 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:03.040 about how this is a change that they were expecting 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:05.200 to see over maybe a decade, right Like just with 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:08.280 the with the technologies that they're expecting companies to make 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:11.400 the investments in and to transition their workforce to have 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:13.880 that ability to work from home. More and more employees 0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:17.120 are asking for that. They want more flexibility. And but 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:20.640 given the current economic crisis that that we've seen ourselves 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.400 in not just economic but first and foremost the health 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:26.920 crisis that this is that has required us to to 0:03:26.919 --> 0:03:28.720 stay at home and do our work, to not be 0:03:28.800 --> 0:03:31.919 around others. And so because of that, they're seeing a 0:03:32.080 --> 0:03:34.880 scramble right as companies are trying to make sure that 0:03:34.920 --> 0:03:37.120 they have the software, of the infrastructure, everything that they 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:39.600 need to have aligned and set up in order for 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:41.680 their employees to work from home. And it's not just 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:45.600 about having a laptop, but they're talking about how certain 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:49.120 sectors of business they require higher security when it comes 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:51.480 to you know, them logging in and getting the work done, 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:54.400 like a VPN or something exactly to the network at work. Yeah, 0:03:54.440 --> 0:03:57.640 and and so those networks, for instance, weren't typically designed 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:00.880 to handle all of their workforce being at home and 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:03.960 using that VPN. But now that's changed because it's you know, 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:06.760 it's basically a necessity at this point. And so yeah, 0:04:06.800 --> 0:04:09.200 I think a lot of businesses are making those investments. 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:12.440 And these are sort of like one time things, right, Like, 0:04:12.560 --> 0:04:14.120 if you're gonna go ahead and take the step to 0:04:14.280 --> 0:04:16.920 work towards allowing your your employees to work from home, 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:20.520 why not continue to offer that to your employees assuming 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:22.960 that they're able to get the work done. So, I mean, yeah, 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:24.839 I do think it will be something that's here to stay. 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:26.839 What are your thoughts. Yeah, I think a lot of 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:29.919 businesses were kind of reticent to test it out, and 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:31.920 now they're kind of being forced to test it out, 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:35.239 and so I think they will begin to see that 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:37.960 that working from home isn't gonna damage productivity like they 0:04:37.960 --> 0:04:39.440 maybe thought it was. I think that was one of 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:42.800 the biggest reasons one of the biggest hangups for employers was, well, 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:44.680 are my employee is still going to do the work 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:47.400 that that they're supposed to do if they're working from home, 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:50.719 or are they gonna take you know, extended lunches or 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:52.760 you know, walks to the park or whatever it may be. 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:54.920 And I think we're going to see that productivity doesn't 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:56.599 really go down when people work at home, and in fact, 0:04:56.640 --> 0:04:59.200 oftentimes it goes up. And I agree. Plus, they are 0:04:59.279 --> 0:05:01.400 making this massive and vestment right now, and because they're 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:03.480 kind of being forced to do so, I think those 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:06.400 added levels of flexibility are going to remain the biggest 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:08.760 question for me is whether people after you know, working 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.160 at home five days a week for weeks on end, 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:13.680 are going to be desperate to get back into the office, 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:16.080 and whether that's whether that's going to be the whether 0:05:16.080 --> 0:05:18.359 it's gonna be workers themselves who are saying, you know what, 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:20.320 working from home is great, Maybe one or two days 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:22.400 a week, let me back in the office. Yeah. I 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:24.640 like that camaraderie. I want the water cooler, I want 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:27.080 that creativity, the collaboration. Yeah. Well, I mean that's part 0:05:27.120 --> 0:05:29.080 of why we're calling this episode, you know, working from 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:31.800 home without going crazy, because not all of us have 0:05:31.880 --> 0:05:34.360 taken the steps necessary to ensure that we're able to 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:36.279 do that in a way that's effective, in a way 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.320 that preserves our sanity. And so if you haven't taken 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:41.360 those steps, then working from home may not work out 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:43.080 for you. So that's why we're going to talk about this, 0:05:43.120 --> 0:05:45.200 because even if your employer offers it. You need to 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:47.719 make sure that you are taking the steps yourself personally 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:50.479 to ensure that this is gonna work for you, no doubt, buddy. 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:52.600 All Right, real quick before we get into it. The 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:54.840 beer we're having on this episode is called Same As 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:58.360 It Ever Was, which is a little ironic because things 0:05:58.400 --> 0:06:00.560 are not the same. They're not the same as all was. Yeah, 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:02.520 but this is a beer from one of our favorite 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:04.720 local breweries, Monday Night Brewing. Matt. You went by there 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:06.960 the other day to pick this up, mostly to show 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:09.599 support right now, and also because their beers are delicious. Yeah, 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:12.320 they're friends of ours. They make amazing beer. But yeah, 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:14.640 do the you know, the restaurants, the breweries around here, 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:16.960 they've really been taking a beating when it comes to 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:19.080 just all the closures, and so maybe if you're out 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:21.000 running errands, you know you're out doing your your grocery 0:06:21.040 --> 0:06:23.000 run once a week. And uh, in this case, I 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:25.159 swung by the brewery they had to go, canes ready 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:27.760 to go, and I was happy to to support them. 0:06:27.800 --> 0:06:30.120 But um, yeah, Same as It Ever was kind of 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:33.279 weird a Talking Head song. These are weird times that 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.360 we're in. It's it's kind of appropriate. True. True, All right, Matt, 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:38.640 let's get onto the topic of hand working from home 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:41.520 without going crazy and uh, you know, working from home, 0:06:41.600 --> 0:06:43.760 like we said, is awesome, but a lot of us 0:06:43.839 --> 0:06:46.240 probably do feel a little bit differently about it, right 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:48.240 that maybe the first couple of days feel great, and 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:50.600 then we start to settle into a routine and maybe 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:52.520 not even a healthy routine when we're working from home, 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:55.280 and when we're forced to do so full time, then 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:58.120 it can become even harder. So we felt that this 0:06:58.200 --> 0:07:00.800 was pertinent to talk about. Uh So that people could 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:03.400 work from home and be semi productive at minimum. And 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:06.000 it's gonna feel different, for sure, but there are specific 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:08.440 ways that you can make it work and likely even 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:11.480 thrive right now, even in an environment that's completely changed, 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:13.480 a work environment that is very different than it was 0:07:13.800 --> 0:07:16.240 just a month ago. I will say too, I think 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:19.000 it's important Matt. You have been working from home for years. 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:21.440 You've practically mastered the art of working from home. I 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:22.920 think you're gonna have a lot of advice on on 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:26.880 this episode. Oh sure, I wouldn't say I've necessarily mastered it, 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:29.440 but you know, I do have a lot more experience, 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:32.560 for sure than to work from home, Ninja, dude. Over 0:07:32.600 --> 0:07:35.200 ten years I've worked from home. So but you know, 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:37.360 more folks than ever are having to work from home 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:39.680 and continue at the pace of work that they're used 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:41.640 to doing in a traditional office. And the problem is 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:44.240 that most of us don't have home offices right or 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:47.120 if we do, they're not, you know, equipped in such 0:07:47.160 --> 0:07:49.840 a way to allow for a ton of productivity. But 0:07:49.880 --> 0:07:51.760 even if you do have a suite set up at home, 0:07:52.000 --> 0:07:53.880 a lot of us have kids at home as well, 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:56.760 including us right now, Like we're recording at my dining 0:07:56.840 --> 0:07:58.920 room table, and you know, I can hear the girls 0:07:58.920 --> 0:08:00.960 in the background at don't think the mics can pick 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:03.120 it up, but they're there because they're not in school. 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:06.160 And so while like it's awesome, I love my girls, 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:08.520 I love the kid us, they are likely going to 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:12.160 distract us from the other myriad tasks we have at hand, 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:14.120 from some of that work that we do have to 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:16.560 get done. So how do we work from home and 0:08:16.560 --> 0:08:18.880 do it well? And that's what we're gonna talk about today, man, Yeah, Matt, 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:21.560 I recently heard about a couple who is in New 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:23.520 York City who both used to go into the office, 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:26.440 but now they live in literally a three square foot 0:08:26.440 --> 0:08:28.680 apartment and they're both trying to work from home and 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:31.240 live there and sleep there and eat there and go 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:33.520 to the bathroom there, you know, like it just gets awkward, 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:36.679 especially if you're doing it with your partner, uh that 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:38.960 they can get weird, especially in a small space. So 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:40.760 so it's important to figure out for for that couple 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:42.480 and for the rest of us, because we really just 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:45.000 don't know how long the coronavirus will continue to reak 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.440 havoc on our society, Like how long until the curve 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:49.760 gets spent and we're all back to at least a 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:52.960 state of you know, heightened awareness but somewhat normalcy. So 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:55.640 let's specifically talk about how individuals can work well from 0:08:55.640 --> 0:08:57.719 home and this time we we can't continue with the 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:00.320 system that hampers our ability to actually get work done 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:02.440 and that we are recording at your dining room table. 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:05.360 But very soon, very very soon, we're going to hopefully 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:09.200 next week, move down into your Airbnb apartment, the apartment 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:11.160 you were reating short term, and that's going to be 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:14.120 kind of our new podcast recording space, and that's where 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:16.680 we're gonna work from when when we're creating content for 0:09:16.720 --> 0:09:18.960 our podcast. That's gonna be huge, right. And I think 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:21.560 if somebody does have a suite set up like that 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:23.640 where they do have this other space maybe that they're 0:09:23.679 --> 0:09:27.239 they were using for something else, hopefully they can repurpose 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:29.360 it and use it to work from home, you know, 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:30.880 during this time. I think it's gonna be a big 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:33.160 help to us as we try to get things done. Yeah, 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:35.880 this is a little podcast, uh personal information, right, But 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:37.640 like you know, you and I we've we've mentioned how 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:39.400 we've kind of come to a crossroads and we're looking 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:41.040 to take the podcast kind of to the next level. 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:42.720 And so part of that, we're going out on a 0:09:42.760 --> 0:09:45.240 limb a little bit and we're going to occupy that 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:47.760 basement space where we can have a full time recording 0:09:47.800 --> 0:09:50.079 set up where the sound will be better. Instead of 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:53.200 in my echoe dining room, We're gonna have an actual 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:56.120 acoustically treated space. Man. I'm so looking forward to that. 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:58.480 I'm still looking forward to the future of the podcast, 0:09:58.520 --> 0:10:01.360 creating more content and just you know, having a space 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:03.440 where when you're able to have a space, you can 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:05.440 take it a little more seriously, I think, and up 0:10:05.520 --> 0:10:07.200 until now, this has been something that you and I 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:09.280 have sort of done on the side, uh, sort of 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:11.200 been a labor of love, and we're looking forward to 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:13.120 kind of growing up into our like our our big 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:16.400 boy podcast bridges what I'm saying, Yeah, exactly, yeah, and 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.800 and so yeah, we're taking this advice personally as we 0:10:19.880 --> 0:10:21.719 kind of go through some of these things. So while 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:23.640 we're still getting set up, we do think that being 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:25.240 down there is going to help us avoid some of 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:28.000 these distractions, and it's going to help us create better work. 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:30.040 And I know that's what we're all kind of looking for. 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:32.640 How do we still manage to turn out good work 0:10:32.720 --> 0:10:36.120 in a time like this where things feel a lot different, 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:38.560 and in particular, our work at home spaces might feel 0:10:38.559 --> 0:10:40.719 like they're hampering us from that ability to Yeah, and 0:10:40.720 --> 0:10:43.040 this is also important because you know, while we're at home, 0:10:43.040 --> 0:10:45.480 we just have a new set of distractions to tempt 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:47.920 us from doing our work while at home, right, Like, 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:50.959 just aside from technology, I'm just thinking about the fridge, 0:10:51.760 --> 0:10:53.439 like the TV, Like a lot of us have TVs 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:55.599 in our places, and even and not even just like 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:57.120 the fun things that you kind of want to do 0:10:57.240 --> 0:11:00.320 like eat or watch TV. But sometimes folks are like 0:11:00.640 --> 0:11:02.600 you see something that needs to be fixed because you're 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:04.640 at home way more often and you're like, oh, that's 0:11:04.640 --> 0:11:06.520 a chore I need to do, and it's easy to 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:09.360 get pulled off into all these little things that are 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:12.080 are calling for our attention. And so hopefully through some 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:14.080 of these tips and strategies that we're gonna talk about 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:16.840 later in this episode, you yourself will be able to 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:19.840 become a better worker, a more efficient worker, and one 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:22.360 who can focus on tasks and knock them out while 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:23.920 you're sitting at home. Yeah, and while you're on the 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:26.360 clock put down the laundry. It's you know, that can wait, 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:29.640 because I think it is just it's it's more tantalizing 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:32.080 to try to get some chores done while we're you know, 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:35.200 quote unquote supposed to be working when we're working from home. 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:37.200 But yeah, I think there are ways that can make 0:11:37.240 --> 0:11:40.560 it less painful and just a more joyful experience to 0:11:40.559 --> 0:11:42.240 work from home, Matt. So, so let's get into some 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:44.520 of those practical steps so we can take right after 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:54.640 the break. All right, Joe, we're back from the break, 0:11:54.720 --> 0:11:56.360 and you know, later in the show, we're gonna talk 0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:58.280 about some specific steps we can take, some things we 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:01.920 can do that apply more to families and especially if 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:03.800 you have kids at home. But for now, let's talk 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:07.040 about some important physical steps that everyone can take in 0:12:07.120 --> 0:12:09.800 order to enjoy working from home more and to also 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:13.000 be more productive. We kind of tease to this there 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:14.880 right before the break, but we would recommend to try 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:18.440 and dedicate a separate space for your work. This is crucial, 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:20.360 right If you are going to be able to make 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.040 this work for a meaningful length of time, you can't 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:26.560 be working from your bed constantly. Maybe maybe once or twice, 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:28.880 but if you're constantly working from your bed, I don't 0:12:28.880 --> 0:12:31.160 think that that's gonna work out for you. Delineating a 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:33.640 space between your living area and your work area will 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:36.360 help you to focus when you have blurred lines that 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:39.320 can just make it much harder to concentrate. If you live, 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:42.120 you know, maybe in a smaller space. It might even 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:44.520 be a tiny desk with like a taped outline to 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:47.079 remind you that this space right here, this has meant 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:49.959 solely for work. In the space outside of that tape line, well, 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:52.200 that's you know, that's your regular life, that's your personal life, 0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:54.720 that's your your family life. I'm thinking about that couple 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:56.719 you mentioned ae up in New York, like and I 0:12:56.720 --> 0:12:59.040 imagine like two little corners in their apartment. You know 0:12:59.240 --> 0:13:03.040 that that's tape off, like whatever it takes create you know, 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:05.520 if it's not a physical separation of space, like a 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:08.400 mental separation between the space that you do life in 0:13:08.520 --> 0:13:10.640 and the space that you are doing work in. Yeah, 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:12.720 and and think about that too, Matt. If you're doing 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:15.600 work and there's somebody else there too, whether it's kids, 0:13:15.600 --> 0:13:18.880 your partner, If you have a physical delineated space, even 0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:21.280 if it's just marked by tape or pillows or whatever 0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:23.719 it takes to kind of say this is my workspace, 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.080 that can really help your partner or your kids know 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:28.880 when they can approach you, to when when it's appropriate 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:30.880 for them to ask you a question or jump in. 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:33.320 I mean, obviously young kids, we know that they're going 0:13:33.360 --> 0:13:35.559 to break any any barrier we set up. But the 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:38.440 more we can do to kind of create a physical barrier, 0:13:38.600 --> 0:13:40.400 it helps us mentally, and I think it helps with 0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:43.400 those around us and what their expectations are. Man, I'm 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:45.080 such a stickler for this, and I feel like that 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:48.400 we often underestimate the power that a space can have 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:50.760 and how we perceive things. You know, I've got a 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:52.880 question for you. Do you ever read in bed, like 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:54.600 read a book or anything like that, And yeah, that's 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.679 actually typically where I read. Do you really so you're 0:13:57.720 --> 0:13:59.839 like the complete opposite of me. I literally fell asleep 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:02.000 ast night listening to an audio book and I'm like, crap, 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:03.880 I need to rewind it and catch the rest of it. 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:06.120 So I hate reading in bed, and I like, I 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:07.960 don't ever listen to anything. I don't read anything in 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:10.560 bed because for me, I've identified that when I get 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:12.480 in bed, I just want to fall asleep. I don't 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:13.959 want there to every be a time when I lay 0:14:13.960 --> 0:14:15.880 in bed. And what that signals to my mind is 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:17.360 that all right, it's time to fire up, it's time 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:19.360 to get creatives, time to start thinking about ways to 0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:23.120 you know, save money, things like that. Instead I wanted 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:25.120 to be thinking like, okay, it's time to go to bed. 0:14:25.480 --> 0:14:28.280 And so because of that, I like, I seriously refused 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.360 to read in bed, because I've trained myself that when 0:14:31.400 --> 0:14:33.440 I get in bed, like I fall asleep fast. And 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:34.640 to me, at least, I feel like that has a 0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:37.120 lot to do with having that separate space, Like if 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:38.760 I want to read and I go sit in my chair, 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:41.200 Like I've got this chair, that's that's Daddy's chair. That's 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:42.360 where I sit, That's where I get a lot of 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:44.320 my reading done. That's where I like to read. I 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:46.600 feel like I need to make a change. Well, I'm 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:48.560 I'm old school. I feel like that's a very traditional thing, 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:50.400 you know, like, hey, she reads in bed all the 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:52.840 time and she sleeps fine. But I feel like that, 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:55.200 you know, literally, after falling asleep last night listening to 0:14:55.240 --> 0:14:57.360 an audio book, I probably I just know it's probably 0:14:57.360 --> 0:14:59.800 not ideal. If I'm reading a physical book, I feel 0:14:59.800 --> 0:15:01.880 like you a little bit different. I'm a little more 0:15:01.920 --> 0:15:04.920 mentally active actively doing it. But but yeah, it's just 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:07.040 definitely not a good place for an audiobook. I found 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:09.840 that out, uh Matt. For folks looking to take other 0:15:09.920 --> 0:15:13.360 physical steps in order to work from home without going crazy, well, 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:16.680 it's important to close your email for specific stretches of 0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:19.040 the day. With so many of us not in the office, 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:21.920 email slack text messages, they're likely to be an even 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:24.480 more constant trip than they typically are. So in order 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:27.920 to create these stretches of deeper work, turning off notifications 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:31.160 and closing those applications whenever possible is going to help 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:33.520 your mental ability to focus on the work you need 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:35.200 to get done. It's gonna help you turn out better 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:37.520 work at the same time, right So, and a specific 0:15:37.520 --> 0:15:40.040 thing to mention if you're actually closing your email or 0:15:40.360 --> 0:15:42.720 not checking things for a part of the day, talk 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:45.320 to your boss about communication expectations ahead of time and 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:48.240 let them know that being constantly responsive isn't good for 0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:49.800 how much work you're gonna be able to get done. 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:52.240 And everyone's kind of trying to find a new normal 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:54.520 right now what their work from home schedule is going 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:57.360 to look like. So being communicative back and forth with 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:00.640 your boss about how that's going to look for you 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:02.920 and how you're going to be most productive. This is 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:05.240 the exact time to have that conversation. Seriously, I could 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:06.840 not think of a better time to kind of like 0:16:06.920 --> 0:16:09.640 switch up the expectations a little bit. And then right 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:13.280 now it's COVID nineteen season. You know, let's talk about 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:16.320 sound distractions as well, Like, even if you're able to 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:19.040 create a separate space that you call your office, like, 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:21.800 you still might have some audible distractions that are keeping 0:16:21.840 --> 0:16:23.720 you from that efficient or that deep work. I hope 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:25.880 you're not talking about our podcast, because that's never a distraction, 0:16:25.920 --> 0:16:28.200 that's always just something people should have on the background, right. 0:16:28.240 --> 0:16:30.680 You know, I actually wonder if if our podcast listening 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:33.400 has gone down because people aren't commuting, because you can't 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:35.360 really listen to a podcast while you work, right, because 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:36.960 that engages like the side of your brain that has 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:39.040 to do with words, Like there's a visual side and 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:41.360 then there's like the word side. Maybe people fall asleep 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.040 listening to us like I do audio books. Hey, if so, 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:47.520 that's fine as long as you can stay subscribed. But 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:50.880 there are different noises and sounds, and you know, those 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:53.400 can be incredibly distracting, especially if you're not used to 0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:55.560 them because you're in a new environment because you're working 0:16:55.840 --> 0:16:58.880 at home. And so here's the thing. The solution, it's simple. 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:00.400 All you need to do is get some of those 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:02.760 cheap ear plugs. I'm talking about the kind of like 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:05.560 little foam cling, cylindrical shaped earplugs you can get like 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:07.560