So we are well used to working from home here at @WorkJuggle. We all work remotely while balancing work and family life. We have some great tips on how to work from home which normally are really helpful.
But these are not normal times.
Normally when you work from home our top tip is not to confuse it with cheap childcare. That it doesn’t work to combine the two. But in these radically different times we thought it would be helpful to create some new tips. Here is the list;
How to Work from Home During the Coronavirus
1. Lower your expectations. Normally when you work from home you can be super productive. No commute, no interruptions at your desk.. With kids at home for the next few weeks that all goes out the window (apart from the commute bit).
Do not get frustrated if you are not as productive as normal. If you have a partner try and take it in turns to work/ mind the kids. Otherwise stay close to them as they do their school work and you do your work. It might be helpful to split up the work into short sprints. An hour with the kids and then an hour working intensely while they do their school work/ nap.
2. Raise your expectations. For most of us the next two weeks will be free of the back to back meetings that most of us dread. Remember all that stuff you said you could get done if only you didn’t have to go to meetings? Now is the time to do it.
3. Have a Plan B and a Plan C. Last week while the Taoiseach made his announcement there were issues on the mobile network. If you have a landline now may be the time to dust it off. Similarly the broadband might be under pressure over the next couple of weeks. (Apparently in Italy it was not so much people working from home but kids playing marathon games of Fortnite!). So sync the files you need offline and be prepared to work on your desktop only if it comes to it.
4. Be kind to yourself. That means regular movement breaks and if possible a quick walk around the garden for fresh air. Personally have decided no coffee over the next couple of weeks as think it would just make me anxious.
5. Stay off the phone. It is not your friend. Put it on airplane mode and decide when you are going to turn it on for news updates (not whatsapp madness). Call people instead of texting. As social isolation becomes the new normal it will be nice to talk.
Best of luck everyone and remember the famous quote by Sun Tzu in “The Art of War”
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”
midst all the planning, shopping and constant hand washing there is also an opportunity for reflection. All this time at home is a real opportunity to think about life, career and family.
Over the course of the next few days over on our Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/workjuggle/) we will be sharing exercises we use as part of our workshops and leadership courses. The exercises focus on how to assess your values, how to identify your ideal job and how to map out what might be holding you back from gaining traction.
Normally we don’t share them for free! But these are not normal times. So for the next few days we will be sharing the exercises and happy to email the PDFs to anyway who sends us a DM over Instagram or a message here.
We are all in this together and this is a very small thing but hopefully some good will come out of it.