Working from Home (And Not Losing Your Mind)
By Julie Kennon | March 26, 2020
Astriata is open…but we’re all working from our homes. We can safely say the majority of you are doing the same, and we know that it’s not easy for a lot of people.
We’re lucky in that our normal work environment is really flexible. Most of us have kids, and there are days one or another of us just can’t come to the office. Therefore, we regularly have Zoom meetings and conference calls and we IM each other on Google Hangouts. Working from home isn’t hard for us, but being quarantined (with the aforementioned kids) can be a different story.
So how do we get our work done, take care of our families, take care of ourselves, and not lose our minds? Almost without exception, we’re taking a lot of walks and drinking a lot of wine! And we will get to how those two things can help, but let’s first look at some of the risks we might face.
What do experts cite as some challenges of this forced work-from-home status?
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Reduced Productivity.
It’s down as we attend to kids and laundry and pets and watching the news, and most creativity and motivation tend to come from other people. -
Mental health issues.
This applies to everyone, not just those most vulnerable. When people are isolated and removed from social interactions, depression can set in. And even those who aren’t anxious are finding anxiety to be a problem these days. -
Physical pain from working in a spot that’s not set up for work.
Your dining room chairs probably aren’t ergonomic.
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Boundary problems.
This goes two ways…one, you might be interrupted a lot more than you can handle. And two, and we know this to be true, it’s hard to stop working when you’re not physically leaving an office and driving home.
Okay, so what can you do about it?
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Walks aren’t a bad idea.
Fresh air and exercise, to the extent it’s safe, really can clear your mind; Harvard has said exercise can be an effective antidepressant. Focus on taking care of your health, in myriad ways. -
We joke about wine, but there has been a surge in Zoom happy hours.
Neighbors are positioning chairs on lawns, six feet apart, and connecting over coffee. If you can use technology or very safe social distancing to connect with friends, it is guaranteed to be a bright spot in your day.
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Structure.
Get up in the morning and follow a routine. If you usually hit the gym at 6 am, wake up and get in a workout or run, then keep your day moving as close to normally as possible. Give yourself office hours, tell your family you’re off limits, and then leave work behind and focus completely on other things when your work day is done. There’s a reason kids find safety and security in a routine…you can too.
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It sounds trite, but what makes you happy?
Gardening, baking, reading, playing golf online? Find something that relaxes your mind, and make sure you do it every day.
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Finally.
While stress and anxiety are on the rise for all of us, get help the moment you feel as though it’s taking over. Snapchat users can even take advantage of a new “Here For You” app that was launched earlier than expected to help users manage their response to the pandemic.
We’re all looking for things to keep us happy, healthy, and sane while we work from home. And don’t worry about the occasional dog barking during a conference call or toddler tantrum interrupting a meeting…we really are all in this together.