This article is written by Suman Chatterjee, Team LawSikho.

Wake up in the morning. Do meditation for a few minutes (an hour is too long yet). Drink a cup of green tea, and open the laptop. 

Yay! I reached the office. Guess what, the CEO is already in, and the HR manager just notified her attendance in the official LawSikho’s WhatsApp group.

That’s how we are working for the last few days. 

Coronavirus versus Team LawSikho… LawSikho still leading it by 1-0 so far. Work from Home thingy, we conquered. Nothing can stop us from doing what we do—empowering law students and legal professionals in discovering and pursuing the career of their dreams. 

We had some advantages though. As the whole world struggles to learn how to work from home, we are a step ahead because 50% of our team works remotely anyway, from their homes, round the year. Some of our longest-serving employees and departmental heads are work-from-home moms with little kids and young babies.

We had to learn how to make work-from-home work well for us, and learning this helped us to attract some fabulous talent and made our organization more diverse.

But let’s not digress from the topic. How do we really work from home? Does it hamper with our work in any way? What are we struggling with?

Let’s not give you general blah blah advice. It’s much better to learn from women who have been doing it successfully for years. These authentic and amazing stories will blow your mind. Read on, over to the work-from-home warriors of LawSikho.

How our WFH warriors do it

Some of our colleagues, who have always been working from home with us, share their WFH experience below:

Komal Shah, Co-Founder and Content Head at LawSikho, shares, “I absolutely do not have this clear division of work/family. On weekdays I can have a straight stretch from 12 to 7 (with just opening the door for the cleaner and ironing guy – after that I often don’t know they exist in the house). But on the days when the duo is at home, each of them is an army. The child saw the BBC guy’s video and instead of refraining, she got inspired and made an appearance on my video call with Mustafa yesterday. The husband is as distracting. If irritated with my long calls, he can be standing behind the camera and imitating me. The father in law isn’t even in the house but has to call me practically every day (and mostly in the middle of zoom calls) to remind me (at least 4 times) of something that needs to be done at the end of the day. It’s a really entertaining life. Bottom line is they love me and they know I love my work. So they support me as much as they can, but sometimes they are just being themselves. I’ve learnt to focus in the midst of distractions because of them.”

Shweta Rath, Senior Associate at LawSikho, said, “I focus on fixing a wake up time. I wake up by 6:30 am and maintain the same routine as I did when I used to go to the office. That means finish breakfast and be all ready in work clothes by 9:00 am.

I create a small list of tasks to be done for the day to remain motivated for the rest of the day and ensure I tick all of them before the day ends. Since we have an everyday call at 12:30 with Komal, that brings in some required discipline in terms of discussing the work that has been done until that point and the work that needs to be done after that. 

I have a proper desk with a laptop set up in the form of a desktop. I make sure that I work on the desk because working on the bed or the couch is not an option at all. Slows the pace. My desk at home looks exactly like my office work desk with all the stationary so as to give the same feel.

I use an app called app locker during certain hours where some social media apps are locked out for a particular period of time to avoid distraction. ?

Family members leave for work at 10 as well and come back for lunch at 2 ..so that’s pretty much set. In case they need me to do something, they let me know a day before so I can organise my calls accordingly. At 5, I take tea with them and ensure that I have dinner with them at 8:45 as well. Meals have to be with family which is a non-negotiable. ? My  house chores are usually kept for weekends.”

Shweta Devgan, Content Consultant and Operations Manager at LawSikho, shares, “When I joined the company, my focus was only on-target completion, so almost the first 3 months I worked at scattered hours only to ensure that the weekly target is met. 

Even though I have a separate workspace within the house, since day 1- a separate room with a desk and my reference books, no bed etc, it took me some time to fall in sync with a proper work schedule, soon realising that a certain discipline is required otherwise I will be working and also doing other stuff, feeling super exhausted at the end of the day. Currently, I follow the following pattern:

1. Make sure that the basic housework and daily chores are finished by 10.
2. Strictly follow the office timelines of work – login by 10:30 max 
3. My husband goes to work by 10:00, as a family policy we optimize our work between 10:00-6:00, focusing only on office stuff – this is the time when I am almost glued to my laptop or coordinating with teammates in Delhi, a quick lunch is a part of the process. 
4. Post 6, I focus more on coordinating and less on reviewing. My laptop shuts by then.
5. Any calls after 6:30 are accompanied with a daily session of brisk walking (my teammates are much aware ?)
6. If there is any other urgent reviewing task which requires me to open my laptop, I do it after dinner. 
7. At a personal level, I have started maintaining a google doc for tracking my daily work. It helps me keep a record and also optimise. 
8. At a team-level, it is ensured that a weekly report is sent to Harsh. 
9. As a team, we also strictly follow the rule of tracking sheets for content to make sure that the daily targets are met.

I personally feel that setting fixed targets with fixed roles and timelines, regular follow-ups through meetings and having as much record on paper as possible makes a lot of difference in ensuring accountability. 

If a routine sets in place, a work-from-home structure can generate optimum output especially for introverts, it at times also has the advantage of cutting down upon externalities such as random socialisation, office gossip etc and helps one in maintaining a decent work- personal life balance.”

Abha Saxena, Finance Manager at Lawsikho says, “Doing work from home is not at all an easy task. I have two kids with 8 years age difference. One needs to focus on her studies and constantly needs my attention, and the younger one is just learning new things every day. Handling my work and house with this is not easy but I do it every day because for me everything is important and I can’t avoid anything.

I always make sure that no-one suffers because of me.

My day starts at 6.00 am and ends at around 12.00 am.

Firstly I complete all my household work and get my younger daughter ready with all work like bathing, breakfast and all daily chores for her. Because once I start my work then I can’t focus on her. I always make sure that I keep all necessities important for her around me. 

I always make a list of tasks I need to complete for the day.  I always make sure to finish all tasks on that very day but at times because of any additional work if I am unable to complete my tasks then I start my next day early.

After office hours I spend time with my daughter for her studies, meanwhile, I keep cooking and also get occupied in some of the other household jobs. 

(The best part here is that I have a maid for all household work. Because my husband does not want me to be spider man handling everything. My husband and elder daughter they both are my support system. My husband is also my mentor)

In my opinion, all WFH people need self-discipline, dedication, and motivation. Because in an office you can get motivated by your colleague but WFH you have to manage all 3 on your own. 

Team’s trust in WFH and top management’s trust in WFH employees is very important. They rely on us that we will do our work with full dedication and they showing full faith in us is important and this motivates me a lot and keeps me going.

At times WFH  feels bad, especially when some celebration is happening at the office and I can’t be a part of it.”

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Sammanika Rawat, Career Coach and Head of Placements at LawSikho, says, “Since most of my work is done on my phone/social media apps/calls etc., work from home is more suitable for me as I get space to make calls.

I stay with my grandparents, but I work in my first-floor room. It’s difficult for them to climb up and I don’t step down before 1.30. So all the family commitments are handled during breakfast time (1.30-2) or during lunch hours (4.30-5.15). My parents are into govt services, so they don’t get to interrupt before dinner. So basically, when I am working from home, my family presumes that I am not at home at all. They only get to see me and interact post 8-8.30 

The heavy rains and endless notifications keep me motivated and disciplined because I don’t get any choice otherwise. ?”

Prachi Shah, Senior Associate at LawSikho, says, “1) Every morning, before beginning my work, I write down my tasks for the day. It’s a habit I picked up in my previous organization. I have my daily planner with me at all times, to ensure that I write everything down and don’t forget anything. Normally, I prefer to allot time for each particular task within which I try to get it done, so I know by midday, how the rest of my day will look like. I like to be in control of my day and this process makes it easier for me to do so. Our regularly scheduled calls at 12:30 with Komal also enable me to structure the day better and it helps a lot in setting targets for the day or the week.

2) I like schedules and routines. I take my lunch break and tea break at specific times, so I know how much I’m supposed to finish before lunch, and then again before the evening tea break. It helps me stay organised and consequently motivated to achieve my set targets on time, so there is no unnecessary delay. When I’m working, I strictly try to keep my phone away from me (and that often leads to not checking groups or texts on time) but keeping my phone away, helps me a lot in avoiding unnecessary distractions and the need to keep unlocking my phone every 5 minutes and randomly scrolling out of habit. On days which are a bit intense, I take a 5-minute break every few hours and listen to songs that I’m currently obsessed with. It helps me get through the next few hours.

3) I like sitting and working at my dining table. It is a peaceful place and no one really disturbs me whilst I’m in my living room. Working in my bedroom makes me feel less motivated. Separating workspace and recreational space makes it easier for me to be in the zone throughout the day. I go to my bedroom only to rest or take a break or during any calls. 

4) My family is completely on the same page as me. They don’t distract or disturb until I reach out to them first. Usually, the house is empty by 11 am. My mom and I prefer to eat lunch together and that’s where we catch up on everything. Usually, I take a tea break with her in the evening, so she never interrupts my work time in between. In case there is something I need to do, I’m already aware of it at the beginning of the day, so my schedule is planned accordingly. Other than that, my family is super understanding and never really come in the way during my working hours.”

Anu Dadhich, Support Associate at LawSikho, says, “My life is exactly like mothers who have small kids & still managing to work from home. It’s been very difficult to work along with 2 year old kid.

I still remember I shared my CV with one of my brother in law for work-from-home profile without applying second thought that whether I will be able to work after having a break of 2 and a half years. All of a sudden, I received a call from Priyanka & I said, “Yes, I am looking for a job,” and within 5 days I got a confirmation letter.

Now, I was totally lost in thought a day before I joined about how I will be able to work now with a small kid, even though I have the full support of my in-laws at home. 

The first month was not easy for me in both the ways personally as well as professionally, because this is my first job in my 10 years career which is WFH. Still, I face some issues at a personal level because of my child as he does not allow me to close the door & work, I can’t even make calls in front of him. My best timings are 3 to 6 when he sleeps in the afternoon.

I start my work at 9.30 am every day as my son gets up by 10.30 am. Morning, I help my mother in law cook as my husband leaves by 8.45 am for the office. Once I start my work, I am totally into it, I hardly take any break in a day except lunch & evening tea break. Timing-wise, I am a bit punctual so if working hrs are 9.30 am to 6.30 pm, I will give my 100 per cent to finish everything by that time. After 7.00 pm, I start cooking & spend time with my kid as I don’t give attention to him the entire day. During official hours, I don’t take care of household work, it’s been taken care of by my mother in law, so that way I am blessed.

I always ensure to make a list of daily tasks which I need to complete before the day ends. On a daily basis, I keep a track of all pending activities in my excel & before leaving I share my daily activities list with my line manager.

Luckily, I have got a very good line manager who understands my situation very well & I have got a profile in such a manner which is possible along with the child. As & when I need 2 hrs time in between for personal reason, she allows me to take that.

The only thing which I feel that one has to be very honest & dedicated towards the work in the case of work from home because your seniors can’t keep watch all the time on you which is possible in the case of corporates.”

Nimisha Dixit, Support Associate (Consultant) at LawSikho, says, “Initially when I started to work from home, I faced a few challenges. The first thing on my mind was who will help me if I face any difficulty in my work. But later, I realised that this challenge of mine has become my strength as I tried to learn and grasp as much as I can, whatever came across in the process. It gave me good learning and confidence to work and now I am aware of the process of the operations team and can handle a lot of the work independently.

My day starts at 5.30 am. Being a mother of two girls, my day is pretty much packed. I have a set routine which I follow every day. I am a workaholic, so I learnt how to manage time for all the things in a way that nothing should be missed on my list. At 7.00 am, my first daughter leaves for her school, after which I go to Gym. My intensive morning aerobics workout for an hour gives me full-on energy for the whole day. By 8.45 am, I drop off my second daughter to school and husband leaves for his office after which I take 15-mins breather. I have a morning cook who takes care of lunch and breakfast.

By 9.15 am, I am ready and I always make sure that even if I am doing WFH, I am dressed in professional attire as for me being well dressed is a boost for keeping me energetic. 

I have my daily schedule and list of work to be handled every day. First, I finish my part of the work on which other teammates are dependent. I have an Operations list where I keep checking on daily pending tasks and try to finish everything before I log off.

The motivating factor for me is my own attitude towards work and it keeps me disciplined and accountable to others. I always give my 100% in whatever I do, I have a mindset to do the work with perfection and maintain timelines which I always try to maintain in my work. This attitude keeps me self -disciplined.

Another challenge faced for WFM is to gain trust among the team. I too faced it initially but soon I gained the trust of my managers and team members by delivering the work as expected, by being communicative and supportive and now it has become my motivating factor. As now I know,  team members, managers trust on me, it gives me motivation and I enjoy my work with dedication and try to be as much productive as much I can.

Also, one important thing I have seen in Lawsikho is even after doing WFM, I have always felt that it’s a big and strong team and be in the office or at home .. all the members are always concerned and supportive. Always being appreciated for good work by my manager, this is really a big motivational factor to be accountable for my own work and give the best as expected from me.

Speaking of distractions, I have no distractions till 2.00 pm. My first daughter comes at 2.00 pm but she hardly bothers me and I take a quick meal break for 10 mins. I need no breaks till 3.30 pm, then at 3.30 pm, I go to pick my second daughter and finally get back to work by 4.10 pm. 

Even after that, my daughters don’t bother me much as both are quite independent and manage well. Just that I am around in between to check something wrong is not cooking between both … all the rest is taken care of by them.

By 6.20 pm, I try to finish all my work on the list by that time and log off by 6.30. I take a tea break after 6.30 pm and drop off my daughter for their respective classes and do the remaining household chores. 

WFM eliminates daily commutes and increases productivity by restoring energy wasted in travel.

Maintaining everyday to-do list, my manager’s trust  and support, and time to time meetings and guidance keeps me motivated and disciplined to deliver as expected and prove to be accountable in my work.”

Priyanka Karwa, Senior Operations Manager at LawSikho, says, “My life is very different than others who shared their experience. One hyperactive kid and second has started understanding that this is my mom and started making faces when she sees me grab my attention. So it’s now a challenge for next year. To avoid her I have started going to my husband’s clinic in the afternoon from 2-6 so that I can work in a silent environment from past one month. 

I have my fix schedule I don’t do any household chores after 10:30 whatever be the situation, for me my work is important. I will just be on the system and take three 15-15 mins to break till 8:00 pm. I have my lunch always when I speak to any of the team members so that time is saved. Nowadays I take my breakfast at 11:00 am when we start meeting so that my time is saved. Every minute is important for me as I don’t know in the next minute what is waiting for me. Sometimes if by any chance I take little more breaks because of kids I ensure I sit till late and complete my task. Every day, I start my day with days planning as what is minimum I need to complete, I have weekly targets for myself and also few fixed days of the month where I know what I need to work on. 

Self-discipline and motivation is the key to work. Being in this company for more than 4.5 years, I think more of LawSikho than my kids and family and eventually complaints that I should shift to LawSikho office leaving everything here. Siya from last 3 months has got a habit of saying every week once that let me call Abhyuday and say, please meri mummy ko chutti dedo, she doesn’t have time for me.

The key to WFH is just Self Discipline. If you have that you can manage anything from anywhere.”

Seeing all these messages makes me agree with Vanshika Kapoor, our internship coordinator, that all you need is a good internet connection and a functional plan to work with.

To end this letter, I would like to quote… 

Abhyuday Agarwal, Co-Founder and COO at LawSikho:

“Please don’t treat this work-from-home break as the only time to socialize, for going out (even locally) and living the life that you always dreamt of, no matter how much the temptation is. You are seeing incredible preventive actions and not very high numbers being reported for a reason.

If you just realized that you wanted a life of working from home, socialization and travel so much, please survive this phase and then build a life and career that allows you to achieve this long-term.”

I couldn’t agree more. And yes, if you want our help in achieving permanent work from home opportunities in your career, we can guide you on how to do that.

Let us know by hitting a reply to this email. We would like to hear back from you.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow.

P. S. Indian doctors have been reported to be successful in treating Coronavirus cases with a combination of these drugs: Lopinavir, Retonovir, Oseltamivir along with Chlorphenamine. 

BTW a 103-years-young Chinese grandma has made a full recovery from Covid-19 after being treated for six days in Wuhan, China. (If she can, you can too. Just stay safe though.)

The days of Coronavirus will hopefully be over soon.

P. P. S. Till 31st March 2020, you can enrol in your favourite course at its current pricing. From 1st April, the fees of all LawSikho courses are due to increase by 20-50% without further delay. Do note that we have enrolment for ALL courses available on our portal for the next few days, so that anyone who wants to enrol at the current pricing may do so. Enrol in a course right now >>>

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