Many of us, during the working week, have turned off our alarm wishing we could work from home.
In theory, working from home sounds ideal. However, when it has become a sudden reality, it presents many challenges. Children home from school want our attention while we are trying to still keep productive during a workday. This unexpected disruption to our daily lives has left many of us feeling overwhelmed and often stressed.
The following are tips to help you cope with working from home for the foreseeable future.
1. Organise a Space For Work
If you do not have a home office area and if a seperate workroom is not possible, try to carve out some space, even if it is space at the kitchen table. This will help you focus on the task at hand. It will automatically set boundaries with family.
2. Try to Keep to a Fixed Schedule
It is best, and you will be more productive if you and if you have your kids, stick to a routine; getting up, going to bed at the same time. A structured morning routine; showering, getting dressed and having breakfast as you normally would. Straying from routine could demotivate you to complete the work that needs to get done.
3. Take Advantage of the Flexibility
While it is essential to keep to your routines, that does not mean you can not take advantage of having time. You may not be spending an hour plus on a commute each day. There may be time to catch up on projects at home that have been on your to-do list for a while and seem never to have the time. There may also be time to reconnect with family or to exercise, rest and relax.
4. Give Your Kids Structure
Kids need structure, so give them some every day. For example, you could provide them with three options of how they will spend the afternoon. Leaving time open without boundaries will leave them restless and more likely to disturb you if you are trying to work. Tag-team with another adult in the household if possible. Give each other breaks from being the go-to person for little ones.
5. On-Line Babysitting
When you have to conduct meetings and have a lot to do, think about reaching out to family or friends to arrange virtual playdates for the kids. Thanks to Skype, Zoom and FaceTime, your virtual babysitters can read, play games and interact with your kids online, which will leave you to get work done.
I offer free phone consultations and would be happy to chat about ways to manage stress. If you are finding yourself getting overwhelmed, please reach out.
