How to Work From Home [During a Pandemic]
Now that we’ve got a full week of social distancing behind us—and have adapted our work lives accordingly—I wanted to check in with folks to find out how they’re finding their new work realities. I’ve long worked remotely in one way or another, but I’ve found many differences between working from home and working from home during an indefinite crisis because the latter scenario substantially impacts our perception of reality. As I saw Johanna Fateman say on Twitter of this moment, I’m “floating in and out of full consciousness and comprehension of our situation.” To remain both grounded and in control in this present moment—and to stay sane—we all may need to take extra precautions.
What follows is about “working from home”, sure, but it's really about staying healthy and sane through this thing.
I should say right up front that Harvard Business Review is maintaining a resource center for “leading and working through a pandemic.” It’s well worth checking out. And here’s an episode of Planet Money about working from home.
Below are many of the suggestions my friends and colleagues were generous enough to share. The most common themes that came up are:
find ways to be social
get outside and/or exercise
schedules and some sense of order are super handy
take care of your head and your heard
cut yourself some slack (this whole situation is effing wild and it there is no perfect way to do it)
create and maintain a buffer between yourself and anxiety-inducing content
Oh, and there aren’t as many tips on doing all of this while also homeschooling your kids—another task many are taking on for the first time. Kurt has been doing this this week and he’s been referring to the following links:
Work-from-home parent Rachel U said: “As responsible for fundraising and communications at a community health center in DC/MD that serves immigrants, working remotely in rapid response with two eager beavers who wanted to ‘play school’ with their mom and have the full school structure, it had a lot of tears through the week and ended in a crazy sob cry. And playing soccer. I don’t remember ever being so good at soccer. But kicking something that someone else had to chase after (aka my 9 year old) feels really good. We are going to be in this for a bit and need to pace ourselves. Empathy and heart are what feel right.”
Okay, now here we go.
(Oh! We posted a few tips for Zoom / FaceTime / Skype / teleconferencing best practices.)
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Being good at anything (working from home or whatever) requires being whole. Before you can take care of your tasks, you need to take care of yourself.
Spend some time with yourself before plugging in. Shay SB. says: “I'm actually not jumping into work first thing in the morning, like I usually do. I'm working on creating unplugged morning space. That's my prayer/meditation/yoga time.”
Take any extra time you find and invest in pursuing educational opportunities to remind yourself that the world is big and awesome. Genevieve T. says: “Lots of universities are offering free classes basically things to listen to and most museums are offering virtual tours. They are so good. The New England aquarium yesterday offered Alive virtual visit I think it was the turtles if I remember correctly where they gave a big presentation. I heard it was awesome.”
Many anonymous / recovery programs are accessible through Zoom and other teleconferencing options.
Look for the positive. Shaia L. says she is “looking around everyday to consciously appreciate the little things which usually get overlooked... & knowing our kids are benefiting from just being around their parents more - that most important lesson we can teach them while being homeschooled is nothing more than how to navigate thru life in general, with this being a major lesson for all of us!
Spend time loving (and receiving love from) your animals. Many people highlighted how helpful and comforting their animals have been through this time, If you’ve been on the fence about pet adoption, now might be the perfect time for expanding your family.
This is a perfect time to up your hobby game. My wife is trying her hand at baking a bunch of new things. I am producing a second podcast. Some folks talked about getting better at knitting. Hobbies are good for your head and your heart, especially in uncertain times.
Remember to breathe. Here are some simple tips.
Read! I am finally catching up on some reading. I’m starting with Our Lady of the Flowers and then we’ll see what’s next after that.
Listen to music! Here’s what I’ve been listening to this past handful of days.
GET ORGANIZED AND ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
So, so many people spoke to the import of having a routine or ritual.
Designate time frames. Sara A. says: “I’ve worked from home forever and for me it is all about routine with very specified components of morning coffee with meditation/spiritual/self time, work time, outside walk time, meal prep time, creative time and relax/Netflix/reading time. I designate specific time frames and don’t deter from them Monday-Friday.”
Set reasonable goals. Lyndsy D. says: “Write out a schedule for the day for both you and the kids. Set reasonable goals. Adapt to what you need and how things are realistically going. A colleague who is a teacher and a mom posted a pic of a schedule she wrote out. Left side was her schedule, right was her sons’. She allocated blocks of time for: work/school, breaks, meals, naps (for her) and video games (for sons). The morning school session forbade tech, the afternoon allowed tech. Of course, people would need to adapt.”
Maintain a dedicated work space. Matthew C. says: When I used to work from home I found having a dedicated workspace was incredibly important to keeping me from feeling like I wasn't "at work" all the time. Keeping a separation between work and home life is still important--perhaps doubly so--when they're in the same physical space.
Make room for a “water cooler” chat in your routine. Allie B. says: “Keep a routine: shower, walk in the morning, do some work/teach, take a break etc... Have a side chat with friends and co-workers (a water cooler chat).”
Create boundaries between work and life. Also, “we are nothing if not adaptable.” Lincoln P. says: “For newcomers to the home office: working at home can be great; living at work sucks. So you have to figure out how to distinguish the two. Patterns of behavior help a lot. It's one thing to be a slob if you're only awake for it a few hours a day and you're zoned out anyway, it's another to do it round the clock. The shocking thing is that picking up after yourself take virtually no time. I mean, none. (Dishes take a little more, but not much. And soaking a pot cuts the cleaning time in half. There's a great quote to that effect from a French chef, but not great enough that I can remember her name or the quote. Working at home during now is very different for all of us for now. We're all peering through a hole in the zeitgeist and when it patches, which it will (though who can say when) it will be vastly different. But between now and then—when we can leave our houses and resume normal activity—most of us will adjust to our new situations. It will be difficult in both abstract and definitive ways, but we are nothing if not adaptable and we will adapt to this. It's not going to look or feel the same, and it shouldn't, so don't worry that it doesn't. If you're adjusting to the new world order as a veteran worker at home, the only advice I have is to rearrange your space, or your place in your space. I did this week and I've been quantifiably more productive than I have been in months, if not years.”
GET OUTSIDE AND/OR GET ACTIVE
Dozens of people said that it has been imperative to get outside. Again, it’s imperative to take care of yourself. Breathing fresh air is important, as is getting Vitamin D from the sunlight. Seeing other people from a safe distance is also crucial to remembering we are not alone in this.
Getting outside doesn’t have to be a whole thing. It doesn’t have to be an adventure. It can totally be a quickie. Adam N. says: “[I’m] occasionally going for a walk—outside the house, but obviously keeping appropriate distance from other people—even if it's a 5-minute walk around the block that you repeat once an hour, it seems to help.”
You can also make it a challenge if you’d like. Several people suggested every time they have an impulse to waste time, they’ll do sit-ups, push-ups or crunches.
Check out workout classes online. If you’re not able to get out and about for whatever reason, or even if you are, it may be worth investigating options for streaming yoga classes (or whatever your preferred workout) online.
Consider using activity as a reward. Alice K. says: “Every time I check something off my list, no matter how small, I get up and do some yoga or meditate or connect with a friend, something to recharge.”
Sing! Amy B. says: “Singing all day long. (It’s good for the lungs.)”
SOCIAL DISTANCE DOES NOT MEAN ANTI-SOCIAL
Almost everybody I heard from underscored the import of remaining connected to other people. Specifically, it is important to remember that “physical distancing does not mean social distancing."
Reconnect with your people. Sara T. says: “One tiny thing that is helping so far... I have a group text with pals where we report in on what we are making for dinner every night. "What din?" Just about food, no fancy pix, not deep. Just like... you get to imagine your dear friend using basmati rice to soak up Boston butt drippings... and that's somehow a comfort.” Staci B. agrees: “I’ve been having Zoom cocktail/coffee chats with my gfs from all over the world and honestly- it’s pretty amazing. I never would have thought to get 12 women from 8 countries together to “meet” each other, but it sort of just organically happened. Now my friends are meeting each other, forming bonds, and feeling less alone. Interestingly, we don’t really talk about what’s happening - there is enough of that on the news - but we do laugh A LOT. Physical distancing DOES NOT mean social distancing.”
Get creative with how you connect. Lyndsy D. says: “My boss scheduled a virtual happy hour for our team and it meant WONDERS to me. A more outgoing friend hosts coffee via Facebook Live every morning.”
Get creative with how you connect Part II: Michael S. says: “The Zoom dance party I organized tonight lifted my spirits, even though I can't twerk.”
Pick up the phone. Ashley M. says: “I’ve called someone each day. Actually called. Seems to work best around 2:00 when my wife and I have noticed every annoying thing the other days.”
See your people. Katie B. says: “[I’ve been] having regular face to face google hangout chats with my family and friends.”
Do nice things. Angela C. says: “I am sending something cheerful or funny to at least one person each day.”
Be grateful. Beth K. says: “I am making an effort to thank my coworkers—we’re all isolated and working fast, and it’s easy to forget that others are trying as hard as you are. Showing gratitude helps us all!”
Give blood: If you can give blood there is an emerging shortage and many centers are operating by appointment.
ADDITIONAL WORDS OF WIDSOM
Here are a few catch-all suggestions that don’t squarely fit into the buckets above.
“Make someone’s day suck a little bit less.” Mark N. says: “"Life kinda sucks right now but I live by something I made up a few years back; make someone's day suck a little bit less.”
Craft your day (and cut yourself some slack). Cybelle E. says: “Set limits on your phone for distracting apps. My social media is at 1hr/day limit. I break this all the time! But at least I get a notification, which helps to reset my mind. I listen to the radio as opposed to music/podcasts 100% curated by me. If possible, I make my lunch and eat it in a different area than where I work. Also, if I haven’t showered yet, I do so after lunch —sort of starts the day over and refreshes my energy and focus. And also, cut yourself some slack.”
Realize you are not alone. Bruce M. says: “Coming from me, a business owner who can’t open and is now in quarantine: Fucking let the control go. Limit the news. Turn on a live feed of the Earth from space. Cry. Listen to Leonard Cohen and cry. FaceTime with freaky friends. Hug your pups… Create art and realize you are not alone.”