APU Careers Careers & Learning

Dealing with Snow Day Distractions

snow-day-distractions-remoteBy J. Mason
Online Career Tips Editor

Having a snow day as a child means sledding, time off from school, and possibly a marathon day of cartoons. As an adult it means time away from work, delayed projects, or if you’re a remote worker it means a big white distraction. With the gentle crunch of snow in the background and the whir of your neighbors snow blowers it gets harder as the day goes on to stay focused. So what can you do to keep your head in your work and out of the fluff?

The first step should be to not break up your remote routine. If you usually wake up and eat breakfast then maintain that. It sure is tempting to jump outside in your snowsuit, but until you’ve at least broken the seal on your workday you shouldn’t be playing outside just yet; that’s what lunch breaks are for! Next you should focus on getting yourself organized.

Planning helps with being disorganized. If all your meetings are rescheduled then set aside a check-in with your boss, or block out a good chunk of time to follow up on delayed projects. For me, I like to stick to a room with no eye level windows while I work remote. This way I’m not as tempted to stare outside. Figure out what really distracts you during a snow day too.

Some people hear those words and automatically start thinking of what type of liquor to stock their house with. Others plan out a TV series marathon. The event just screams for you to be lazy and drink hot chocolate, or go outside and make a string of snow angels. For those that aren’t let off the hook when snow closes down the roads it’s important to remember what you’re supposed to be working on. Brace yourself for this one…it’s your responsibility to get your work done. If you really want to spend the day on your own terms then put in a vacation day.

Lastly, don’t deprive yourself if you do enjoy the snow. Substitute a snow break for your regular coffee break. No need to set a timer for this activity. Instead take a walk to the end of your street, make a few snow angels, or just shovel some snow. By the time you’re through with these short lived activities, unless you have a big driveway, it’ll be time to make it back indoors.

Give yourself a break and enjoy just a little bit of the snow. Stay warm out there!

Comments are closed.