Working from Home while Developing a New Routine
Adults on the spectrum working from home
Across the world, most employees are working from home as a means of social distancing; a very important key step in managing the outbreak of COVID-19. For the employees that are on the autism spectrum, this change in routine can be especially challenging and difficult. Here are some steps and some tips you can use to make your new work routine easier for you:
Organize your workspace:
Try to setup a workspace that work for you and to your advantage. It’s very tempting to lay in bed or in front of the TV with your laptop but try to avoid that because that will make it harder for you to focus during the day and harder for you to relax at night.
Considering your sensory needs is very important; the noise level, type of lighting and seating will help you concentrate and focus.
Pick a place at your house that allows for easy access to any paperwork, tools or other objects that you might need without making a mess or getting confused.
If remembering your new setup is hard for you, try to use trays and bins with clear labels (using text, color-coding, and/or visual cues)
Also, if your work includes frequent emails, consider setting up your inbox with subfolders and color-coded tags for each sender and you can organize the computer documents and files in the same way.
Manage your time:
Just because your usual workday routine cannot happen right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a routine at all.
Start by defining all the tasks you need to complete and when they are due.
If it’s needed, you can contact your supervisor to make sure and have feedback on what is the most important thing you have to work on.
Breakdown bigger tasks down into steps and schedule them into your days and try to leave extra time slots open just in case you get behind on a task so you can have time to finish it without rushing. If you do all this, you will have a plan in place for when things don’t go as planned.
Also, a written schedule or having a visual routine is a good strategy for time management. There are apps that you can use, a daily planner, or a simple checklist to write down all the tasks you need to complete for the day. People with autism like to use visual cues to organize information, for example color-coding by task type or days of the week or using pictures alongside a written schedule, like shading your “break” times in blue or include a picture of a phone next to any scheduled conference calls. There is also a more flexible approach, such as breaking the project down by setting a goal for the end of each day. Then list the steps you’ll need to do to reach that goal.
Communicate with your co-workers
It’s good that we have a very advance technology that allows teams to work together across countries and continents while making it possible for projects to continue despite the circumstances that are happening by COVID-19. Your co-workers may use a platform or app meant for remote work, like Basecamp, where team members post all the announcements, schedules, files and to-do lists. Team meetings could take place over a video or web conference platform such as Zoom or Skype.
If you are having trouble navigating these platforms, try and contact your supervisor or a co-worker and ask if they can help you and walk you through how to use the most important functions.
Because in-person contact is not possible right now, you might see an increase in emails, phone calls and video conferences. Try to leave time to respond all these in your daily schedule. Some of these communication methods may be more difficult for you, so don’t be afraid to double-check your understanding following one-to-one emails or phone calls, especially if you were given instructions.
During the meetings, try taking notes, writing questions or if you would like even ask permission to record. If during a call you agree or are assigned to do a task, you can write them down as a list of action items. After, you can reach out to the meeting leader, your coworker or supervisor with your list to clarify and conform your work.
Stay well and safe:
Working from home is as much about personal wellness as it is about productivity. Try to keep the parts of your day that don’t have to change, like the time you wake up and go to bed, the clothes you wear and mealtimes. Use these as points that can give you a sense of normality as you fill in the gaps with your new routine.
For people with autism, work can be socially draining, so home becomes to them a place of needing alone time so, working from home could mean too much isolation. If you think about social distancing, you can find ways to stay connected to other people after your day is over; play video games, invite coworkers to a long-distance movie night via Netflix Party or take a walk while staying at least six feet apart.
Make sure to take breaks during the workday for your body and mind; eat regular meals, get up regularly to stretch or take a short walk, and give your eyes a chance to get away from the screen.
As you develop your new routine, check in with yourself regularly asking: Are you meeting your goals? Are you getting healthy amounts of sleep, food and exercise? Are you keeping in touch with other people? Are your mood and anxiety level manageable? Keep the big picture in mind; that your wellness is key to successfully working from home, and that your new routine is a good and positive thing because you are helping to keep yourself and others safe.
We hope these new routines makes working from home easier and better for you through this difficult time. Stay positive & safe!