Working From Home - The New Normal
Working from home as WHOLE new meaning right now. I am fortunate enough to have worked from home for almost the past two years, & my husband does it here & there, but never both at the same time, WITHOUT daycare. This can be a recipe for frustration, exhaustion if we’re not careful. Here are my best tips for surviving working from home & navigating the new normal.
All bets are off. You’ve got to go into things knowing this is true. You may be working in the wee hours of the morning, from bed, with your toddler on the iPad - things will not look “normal” by any means so adjust your mindset.
Set an alarm. It would be WAY too easy to not set an alarm & just roll out of bed whenever to start the day. But keeping your routine as intact as possible (see point above…) will help lessen the stress that comes from a chaotic-filled day. My morning routine is so important to how I manage my time, even now!
Take 5. Believe me, I know how easy it is to just keep trucking through & the next thing you know it’s 5pm. But your body & your brain need a break. Get up, take a walk, play a game with the kiddos - everyone needs a quick breather for mental clarity & focus! Download free at home workouts to give you some ideas.
Find your sacred space. Not to say this space won’t be invaded by kids, pets, or spouses, but at least have the spot designated. If you have an office, use it! If you aren’t able to separate yourself, find a few spots in the day you can have the kids occupied & you can work.
Give yourself grace. This kind of goes along with the first point, but know that nothing is going to be perfect in this scenario. Your kids won’t be perfect, meetings will have to get juggled & moved, & something might be forgotten. These are uncharted times so do the best you can & give yourself & everyone else grace.
This too shall pass. It’s tough, there’s no doubt about it. But set daily goals & take each day at a time. You have to get work done & keep the kids on track - there’s a lot going on. You can do hard things!