For a lot of us (myself included), working from home is a new concept thanks to COVID-19. The first few days were an extreme challenge! First with working out all the technical connectivity issues, but most importantly, finding a new rhythm that worked under my current circumstances (i.e. being home with my husband, toddler and two dogs). It’s hard to concentrate and be productive when you have so many distractions vying for attention – some which are easier to ignore than others. Although I’m still getting accustomed to this new way of working, I discovered a few things that have helped me feel a bit more in control of my work days and a lot more productive!
- Get dressed for work: One of the perks of working from home is being able to dress more casually than if I were going to the office. However, after a few days of sporting my PJ’s all day, I realized that even if I only changed my PJs to everyday wear, it was all I needed to shift my brain to work mode. Simple things like taking a few minutes to fix my hair, brush my teeth, changing my clothes and fixing my bed put me in the right frame of mind to get to work.
- Create a dedicated workspace: Having a designated area in your home for working exclusively is super helpful in keeping you on task. It doesn’t have to be its own room, (for example: I’m currently using my dining room as my work area because I can spread my paperwork out more easily than my usual home office setup), but it should be as free from distractions as possible.If it’s an area with at least some natural light, even better!
- Establish a routine: I am a creature of habit and nothing throws me off balance like not having a daily routine. Being that I’m working from home with a toddler, my routine is more of a guideline than a concrete schedule to allow room for flexibility when things don’t go according to plan. I also try to implement these productivity hacks to maximize the times of day when I am most efficient.
- Take frequent breaks: If you’re a mom, chances are you’re also quarantining at home with your children. In this unique environment when everyone’s home, I find I am most productive when I can work uninterrupted for 15-20 minutes spurts followed by a 10-15 minute break and so on. This allows me to focus on one task at a time and allows me to be available to my family throughout the day as needed.
Being that most of us are working from home due to COVID-19, we can also presume that most of us are working under very different context than your typical work from home environment. Although I admire the IG moms with their color coded homeschooling schedules and Pinterest-wothy arts and crafts projects for the kids during this period of quarantine, I just don’t have the physical or mental capacity to be supermom right now. I can only try to do the best I can given the circumstances. And some days, my best means my kid gets the iPad and a PB&J sandwich, while I bunker down to work on time-sensitive assignments for my boss. And although it may not be ideal, it has to be ok. As we continue to navigate these uncharted waters, please continue to practice self-care , as well as social distancing. The quicker we can all commit to doing our part, the sooner it will be until we all have our “normal” lives back. Stay well, friends!!