First off, I really want to start off by thanking those who cannot check out or don't work from home. The hospital workers, our first responders, the employees at the supermarkets and gas stations, THE FRONTLINERS, there are so many people right now who cannot take what's going on, off their minds, because it's apart of their daily routines now. So, thank you, THANK YOU! I really appreciate it and I know many others do, too.
With that being said, a lot of you have a new norm right now. Some of you may not have kids, but a lot of us do, so I hope you can take any little bit of advice from these tips that may help you. I've said it before, I know I can't please everyone, but that is not the point of doing this. The point is to reach at least ONE person. Knowing I helped ONE person, is worth it to me. We all have such different lives, we do not eat the same, think the same. Our children have different needs and different ages, or you may not have any at all. We don't have the same careers or goals. We are all different. But, working from home can have some commonalities between us all, so that's what I want to focus on.
TIPS:
1. Get ready and make your bed. These two things alone are something you would normally do if you're leaving the house, which will make you feel like you're still in your routine. This is my BIGGEST tip.
2. Make a schedule for yourself and those in your household and adjust it as needed. This will make it so everyone understands that there is a new normal right now and everyone still has roles and things to do. I make a schedule for myself and try to stick to it. Every day is a little different, but overall, I stick to it. It helps so much.
3. Have a designated workspace with things you need to help you be productive. I have a desk that I use as my vanity as well. I keep my makeup in my drawer and this organizer, and the rest of the space is for my laptop, planner, 5 Minute Journal, Fitbook, pens, pencils, water bottle, etc.
4. Talk to you children about what has changed (working from home) and about your work to them. Jordan is two years old, so although I can still tell him that mommy works on the computer, he does not understand. I still talk to him though. If he does not take a nap that day, I set him up with a movie during the time he would be taking a nap...it's downtime, right? Don't feel bad, you need to get work done, and a movie every once in a while is more than ok! If they are in school, or older, work while they work. Take breaks during lunch together to eat, move and laugh. Family comes first. I know that this is a new normal, and it'll take time for everyone to adjust, but that's why communicating is key. Write down things that work for you and have everyone chime in on what they personally need to be productive. If it's alone time to get work done, have everyone work independently at the SAME TIME. Take breaks at the same time. Being on the same page as a family even though what you're doing is different, will make the household feel more cohesive and productive.
5. Adjust. Stay Positive. This is a new time for a lot of people, be easy on yourself. Find your new norm and write down what works best and then adjust accordingly. To be honest, I've been doing this for 2 years now, and I can tell you that not every day is the same, but that's ok.
6. Know when to stop. It's easy to mix home and work up while you're working from home, but it's really easy to work at any hour, any day. That's what I try to tell myself when I am posting updates at 8p...I try to give myself work-like business hours to check-in, and check-out. I don't post to my feed on the weekend usually, or after 5p, unless its a scheduled post for a gift-away, and I try not to post anything work-related late at night, but sometimes that's when I get a chance to.
7. Find out how you can work online in your field. Flexjobs.com has a lot of online, temporary positions available for teachers needed all over, for so many types of positions. I think this would be a great time to reach out and apply for an online position. I know there are a lot of different fields and types of positions, not just teachers, so just look! You never know what has become available recently.
I hope you gained something from these tips that will help you. Feel free to reach out or comment below with any tips you've found help from working from home, especially if you have kids!
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Thanks for reading!
