The New ABnormal

THE NEW ABNORMAL
How to live your best life,
gain value and learn while
working from home.
1© 2020, Suzanne O'Brien. All rights reserved.

THE NEW ABNORMAL
1 It’s OK if you suck at working from
home – you’ll get better at it with time
2 Working from home is a skill – and there’s
more than one RIGHT way to do it
3 Listen to yourself, assess, adjust and try
again
4 Tools and tips are helpful – read them,
take what you like, and leave the rest
2
Let’s get some things clear
*This is a picture of a cute dog, because sometimes we all just need to smile.
© 2020, Suzanne O'Brien. All rights reserved.

• Meetings – ALL the time
• People just show up at your desk
• Social pressure – other people are working, so
you work
• Impromptu breaks
The Office:What’s Normal
The New ABNormal
3

• You have to get up every day and get to work
• Meetings – ALL the time
• People just show up at your desk
• Social pressure – other people are working, so
you work
• Impromptu breaks
The Office:What’s Normal
The New ABNormal
4
EXTERNAL
Motivators

EXTERNAL
MOTIVATORS
Forces outside of you, that
motivate you to get things done.
Allow you to operate your life on
autopilot during work hours.
Limit decision fatigue.
The New ABNormal

EXTERNAL
MOTIVATORS
Forces outside of a person, that
motivate a person to get things
done.
Allow every individual to operate
their life on autopilot during work
hours.
Limit decision fatigue.
The New ABNormal
I have to walk to get to work, walk to get
to the bathroom, walk to meetings, and
walk to go out to lunch. Emotional
distance from all the distractions at home.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCE
Everyone is working, so I should work
too.
SOCIAL PRESSURE
Everyone shows up on time, and dresses
a certain way, so I will too. The company
has lunch in the cafeteria from 12 – 1, so I
will eat because food appeared.
CORPORATE NORMS
Everyone is taking a break, so I will too.
We’ll talk about work and other, non-
work things.
PEER INTERACTION
6

Results of External Motivators
The New ABNormal
You interact with other humans, and connect on a personal
level with your colleagues.You build internal relationships up,
across, and down, that support you in getting your work done
now, and in the future.
RELATIONSHIPS AND FRIENDSHIPS
You walk a lot throughout the day, to meetings, to the office,
to lunch and even to the bathroom.You eat and take breaks
because everyone else is.You shower and get ready in the
morning because you know people are going to see you.
SELF-CARE ON AUTOPILOT
The systems and social structure around the office are set up
to ensure ongoing work, adequate breaks, and motivation
throughout the day.
JOB DONE EFFICIENTLY
7
1
2
3

External motivators drive work performance and self-care
The New ABNormal
8
ExternalMotivators
Social pressure
Corporate
norms
Geographic
distance
Peer interaction
Results
Work gets
done
Relationships
built
Self-care and
exercise

9
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE
LOSE OUR
EXTERNAL MOTIVATORS?
?

WhenYou Lose Our External Motivators
The New ABNormal
You aren’t interacting with other humans as much, and you
definitely aren’t connecting on a personal level (it may feel
weird to just randomly bring up “Love is Blind in a vidcon).You
don’t accidentally run into your boss or employee at the snack
station, and you start to lose touch with how your team is
doing.
YOU GET LONELY, AND BORED
When you finally hit your stride, you may forget to take
breaks, and eat. In an effort to make sure you’re a good
employee, you may even feel guilty taking breaks and time
away from your desk. Your commute to work has gone from
2k steps to about 5 (from the bed to your desk), and you may
opt against showering so you can sleep in.
YOU STOP EATING,WALKING
ANDTAKING BREAKS
Try as you might, the systems and social structure around the
office are no longer there, and it’s hard to stay focused and
keep on keeping on.
WORK SEEMS REALLY HARD
ALL OF A SUDDEN
10
2
3
1

WhenYou LoseYour External Motivators
The New ABNormal
You aren’t interacting with other humans as much, and you
definitely aren’t connecting on a personal level (it may feel
weird to just randomly bring up “Love is Blind in a vidcon).You
don’t accidentally run into your boss or employee at the snack
station, and you start to lose touch with how your team is
doing.
YOU GET LONELY, AND BORED
When you finally hit your stride, you may forget to take
breaks, and eat. In an effort to make sure you’re a good
employee, you may even feel guilty taking breaks and time
away from your desk. Your commute to work has gone from
2k steps to about 5 (from the bed to your desk), and you may
opt against showering so you can sleep in.
YOU STOP EATING,WALKING
ANDTAKING BREAKS
Try as you might, the systems and social structure around the
office are no longer there, and it’s hard to stay focused and
keep on keeping on.
WORK SEEMS REALLY HARD
ALL OF A SUDDEN
11
2
3
1
THIS IS ALL
SUPER
NORMAL!!!

12
External motivators disappear, and you might feel a little lost,
untethered, or just not sure of how to navigate the new ABnormal.
This is an amazing opportunity for self discovery, improved
productivity, and MORE spare time.
WORKING FROM HOME

13
WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO HELPYOU
FIGURE OUTYOUR
NEW NORMAL
?

14
Internal motivators are your innate tendencies, strengths and
abilities. Internal motivators get ignored everyday, because external
motivators are so strong.The new ABnormal is a perfect time for
self discovery, improved productivity, and MORE spare time.
INTERNAL MOTIVATORS

INTERNAL
MOTIVATORS
Forces that are innate to you, that
motivate you to get things done.
Allow you to leverage your
strengths, and become EVEN more
productive, attuned to your
passions and a better coworker.
Need to be discovered, but over
time can limit decision fatigue.
The New ABNormal
15

EXAMPLES OF
INTERNAL MOTIVATORS
1 Hunger
2 Likes and dislikes
3 Your productive peak
4
Finishing work so you can do
something else (homeschool your kids,
cook an amazing dinner, pursue a new
hobby)
16*This is the same picture of a cute dog, because sometimes we all just need to smile.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL
The New ABNormal
17
EXTERNAL
• Automatic (you show up every
morning)
• Autopilot (you sit at your desk, you
work)
• They happen TO you (meetings,
lunch gets delivered)
• Just appear (friends suggesting a
coffee break)

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL
The New ABNormal
18
EXTERNAL
• Automatic (you show up every
morning)
• Autopilot (you sit at your desk, you
work)
• They happen TO you (meetings,
lunch gets delivered)
• Just appear (friends suggesting a
coffee break)
INTERNAL
• You’ve likely never even thought
about them
• Require self-awareness
• Take time, thought and attention to
discover
• Need supplementation, once you
figure out what you’re missing
VS.

19
WHAT AREYOUR
INTERNAL MOTIVATORS
?

TAKE 5 MINUTES AND THINK ABOUT
The New ABNormal
02
WHAT PART OFYOUR ROLE DOYOU LOVE/NOT LOVE?
The parts of your work that you are most passionate about can be drivers. Deciding how to plan your day and
use your time mindfully and strategically, can help you feel less drained at the end of the day. Work you love is
probably easier to get done when you’re nearing the end of the day and your energy levels are waning. Scheduling
this for end of day gives you something to look forward to.
01
WHEN ISYOUR PRODUCTIVE PEAK?
When are you most productive? When can you hit the ground running? When are you naturally most focused?
Block out time for your most thought-provoking, focus-required work.
03
WHEN DOYOU GET HUNGRY?TIRED? UNFOCUSED?
When do you naturally get hungry? Block those times out on your calendar. When are you naturally tired or
unfocused? These are times you want to consciously bring in external motivators (1:1 meetings, accountability
partners, scheduled breaks for coffee or tea).
04
WHENYOU FINISH WORK,WHAT DOYOU GETTO DO?
What is the one thing that you can look forward to? If your social life has some gaps now, how do you fill them?
Now’s the time to get through that watchlist, call your grandma or your old college roommate (it’s been awhile!)
and take care of that project around the house. You can also start a new hobby or try a new recipe. Give
yourself something to look forward to at the end of the day. 20

21
IT’S FIVE MINUTES
DO IT NOW!
NOW’S THE TIME!
5

IT ONLY TAKES 5 MINUTES – DO IT NOW!
The New ABNormal
02
WHAT PART OFYOUR ROLE DOYOU LOVE/NOT LOVE?
The parts of your work that you are most passionate about can be drivers. Deciding how to plan your day and
use your time mindfully and strategically, can help you feel less drained at the end of the day.
01
WHEN ISYOUR PRODUCTIVE PEAK?
When are you most productive? When can you hit the ground running? When are you naturally most focused?
Block out time for your most thought-provoking, focus-required work.
03
WHEN DOYOU GET HUNGRY?TIRED? UNFOCUSED?
When do you naturally get hungry? Block those times out on your calendar. When are you naturally tired or
unfocused? These are times you want to consciously bring in external motivators (1:1 meetings, accountability
partners, scheduled breaks for coffee or tea).
04
WHENYOU FINISH WORK,WHAT DOYOU GETTO DO?
What is the one thing that you can look forward to? If your social life has some gaps now, how do you fill them?
Now’s the time to get through that watchlist, call your grandma or your old college roommate (it’s been awhile!)
and take care of that project around the house. You can also start a new hobby or try a new recipe. Give
yourself something to look forward to at the end of the day. 22

23
WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE ARE GAPS?
?

24
Identify new external motivators to support your productivity and
motivation for work that you don’t love, and times of day that are
harder to focus.
LEVERAGE EXTERNAL MOTIVATORS

25
One person does not have all the motivation to maximize their
own success.That’s 100% normal, and it’s ok.The key is to
strategically leverage external motivators for your own support.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE

3
Common challenges
when external
motivators disappear
26

CALENDAR
INTRUSION
SHIFTING MOTIVATIONS SCENARIO 1
27
When you work from home, meetings
start appearing on your calendar at 7:30
AM or 6PM…you’re scheduled all the
way through lunch.
Family and friends are texting and calling
– you’re home, so you must not be
working, right?

CALENDAR
INTRUSION
28
When you work from home, meetings
start appearing on your calendar at 7:30
AM or 6PM…you’re scheduled all the
way through lunch.
Family and friends are texting and calling
– you’re home, so you must not be
working, right?
Creating external boundaries:
• Suggest a new corporate standard, meetings are
50 minutes and 25 minutes long, to allow for
breaks, and mental recovery.
• Update your own calendar, block out time for
lunch, and at least 2, 25 min breaks per day
• Add some additional time blocks into your
calendar for you to catch up on personal texts
and family time. Set a timer for your kids so they
know when they can expect to spend time with
you.

CAN’T FOCUS
29
When you work from home, you have a
hard time focusing in the afternoons.
You’ve been at this project for an hour
and made very little progress.
Leverage external motivators
• Set up 1:1 meetings instead of thought provoking
project work for the afternoons.
• Schedule a daily walking break or “virtual coffee”
with a colleague, and give your brain a chance to
recover from all the hard work you’ve been
doing.
• Ask a colleague for help, set a smaller goal and
agree that you’ll both focus for 25 min on your
projects, and then check in.

CAN’T FOCUS
30
When you work from home, you have a
hard time focusing in the afternoons.
You’ve been at this project for an hour
and made very little progress.
doing.
• Ask a colleague for help - set a smaller goal and

THE SNOOZE
BUTTON
31
When you work from home, it’s hard to
get out of bed and get started in the
morning.
Or maybe you have difficulty coming back
to work after lunch…and watch a little
more Netflix than you’d originally
planned.
Or maybe it’s hard to stop at the end of
the day.
doing.
• Ask a colleague for help, set a smaller goal and

THE SNOOZE
BUTTON
32
When you work from home, it’s hard to
get out of bed and get started in the
morning.
Or maybe you have difficulty coming back
to work after lunch…and watch a little
more Netflix than you’d originally
planned.
Or maybe it’s hard to stop at the end of
the day.
• Set up calls and meetings first thing in the
morning, or after lunch, to make sure you get
back to your desk.
• Establish a “morning commute” and ”evening
commute” routine, to mark the beginning and
end of your day, remove yourself from your
physical space, and get some movement in.Take a
10 minute walk around the block, call a friend and
agree to “commute” together, so you have an
accountability partner.

IDEAS FROM THE CAREER CONFIDENCE COMMUNITY
THE NEW ABNORMAL
33
Thanks so much to all who joined the Career Happy Hour and for all of your suggestions! I am 100% certain I’ve missed some. Feel free to
email me and I’ll add to this list.
• Minimize stay at home anxiety: for an afternoon pickup, try tea instead of coffee (read more about the impact of L-Theanine on
anxiety)
• Change scenery: when you’re getting bored and restless, try moving to a new room or different chair. Just because you’re working
from home doesn’t mean you have to be at your desk all day.
• Schedule a team meeting first thing in the morning and set goals with your teammates for the day.
• VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR! Use Zoom or your video conferencing platform and get your team and friends together.
• FITNESS: lots of options to get your fitness game on
• Peloton is offering a free 90 day trial
• Barre has a free trial
• Chris Freytag: membership site + free 10-min workout videos https://www.gethealthyutv.com/
• Fitness Blender

IDEAS FROM THE CAREER CONFIDENCE COMMUNITY
THE NEW ABNORMAL
34
Continued…
• MEDITATION
• Apps: Headspace, Calm and Whil
• Justin Michael Williams suggests a Gratitude Walk, 10 minutes outside, focusing on what you’re grateful for (mind, body, spirit,
and the world around you)
• FRIENDSHIPS
• Netflix watch party
• Virtual happy hour and virtual lunches
• Marco Polo
• Ask your friends for help in staying focused during the day if their texts are disruptive to you meeting your goals
• ACCOUNTABILITY (thanks to Sylvia for sharing her daily practice in detail!)
• GAMs from JJVirgin. Having an Accountability Partner / Buddy helps to solidify this as a habit.
• We text each other every night between 9-10pm to confirm that we’ve done them and that we’ve walked / exercised at
least 10 min that day. We don’t share the details of the GAMs, just to encourage each other to do them. The nice
thing about this habit is that, throughout the day, I look for Miracles.
• G = Gratitude; 3 things you’re grateful for - ideally done in the morning
• A = Appreciation; someone you appreciate and tell them why.
• M = Miracle; 3 unexpected nice things that happened that day – ideally done in the evening. Ie: Someone told me that I
had a nice smile – or – a friend texted me saying that I was “industrious”.

THANKYOU
LET’S STAY INTOUCH
SUZANNE O’BRIEN
Sign up for workplace wisdom and career advice at
www.thesuzanneobrien.com
35
Feel free to share this with friends, colleagues,
peers, managers – the more we can all support
each other, the better!

The New ABnormal

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