The pandemic has had us locked in our homes for just short of five months, and has forced businesses into the digital evolution with many employees being forced to work from home (WFH) and using alternative meeting methods like video and audio conferencing and make numerous other changes to the way they work, and many others choosing to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
In the wake of this pandemic, it has been a time of evaluation and change for many people, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. It is no different for me. In the midst of all of this through prayer and time with the Lord, I have been led to step out of the office space and work from home, amidst the craziness that is a stay-at-home mom and two homeschooled kids.
When you’re at home, there isn’t just clients calling at you to perform tasks and meet deadlines for them but, you’ve got your kids knowing you’re at home and wanting your attention and your wife who wants to redecorate asking you what colour paint she should be choosing (not something we will be doing any time soon). It started out crazy for me, tensions were high and everything was a trigger for a mild anxiety attack but, after a few weeks (or it could have been months) I am slowly starting to really enjoy the new way of life and its benefits.
To manage your time and be productive between all the chaos that is at home and on the other side of the email, phone, or whatever device it is you’re using for work, takes real intentionality and discipline.
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Don’t sleep in, get your day started early: Because you’re at home, you may be tempted to sleep in because you’re no longer stuck in that dreaded traffic that you once were but, think again. Waking up at 8h00 or 08h30, even if that was the time you were getting to the office is not clever because realistically, unless you’re one of those superhuman morning people, your wake-up routine will end up taking an hour or more, meaning you only start your day at 10h00 or later. Get up the same time as you would have gotten up to go to the office but, use that additional time productively by fitting in some time for exercise, or reading, or doing something you enjoy like painting or writing. I find, the way you start your day, is the pattern for the rest of your day, so I start my day with time in God’s Word and in prayer, to make sure I am seeking Him first and in His presence before tackling any other tasks.
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Get outdoors, being indoors all the time is not healthy: Whether you’re like me and you actually like being indoors for extended periods of time or not, being indoors for too long can really raise the levels of subconscious stress and anxiety within your body (talking from personal experience here). So I find getting out at least once a day for an hour or two is a great way to get the endorphins flowing and even better, you can use this time to do things with the kids you may not have had time for before such as bicycle riding, or taking part in a club sport, or just meandering in the local parks. Whatever you choose, you can do it without feeling guilty because later on, you don’t need to sit in two hours of traffic to get home.
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Check your mails later in the day, and don’t schedule meetings too early: Early morning meetings and emails add unnecessary pressure when you already have a to-do list racked up for the day. Plan your mornings well and use the time to get the majority of the work out of the way for the day, whatever it is you had planned, this is the time of day to get it done. Once you’ve done your work for the day, you have time to get to other things like emails and meetings. I find that checking emails at around 10 am is a great time because then you’ve already clocked off a few tasks for the day and may have additional capacity to take on more requests from colleagues or clients. If you’ve got meetings for the day, try to schedule them around lunch or brunch, this way it gives you some time in the afternoon to tackle any additional tasks you may need to tackle or prep for the next day.
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Don’t stick to a strict schedule: If you’re a control freak and you stick to your schedule religiously, maybe WFH is not for you, but then again, that was me. By the grace of God and after much anxiety, I have managed to let go of the reins and now enjoy the flexibility of my days. Some days you will get a straight 6 to 8 hours of work done during the day, other days you may have to catch up in the evenings but the flexibility of WFH allows you to do this. Of course, not all roles allow for this kind of flexibility but, if you’re working in the digital realm, the majority of your work gets done in advance or upon request so, as long as you are hitting deadlines, it doesn’t really matter what time of day you get to the work. Just get to it.
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Block out chunks of uninterrupted work time: Embrace the interruptions. If you have kids at home, they are bound to interrupt you to tell you about some of the weird and wonderful things that they find interesting in their school day, or the unicorn picture they drew for fun but, everyone needs to understand, there are times where interruptions are a no-no. For me, I find that I work throughout the house, on the couch, at my standing desk or in the bed, but, if I am not wanting to be interrupted, my standing desk is perfectly situated where I am able to close the door for proper focus time, depending on what you do, these times may be longer or shorter. I find that this no-no time can be anything between 2 hours to a full day, depending on the day (some are better than others), where you can just put your head down and get to it without the little interruptions. A simple rule like “If the door is closed, it means I can’t look at your picture right now” is a great way to put up the boundaries.
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Get Exercise: Getting exercise is so important. For the first 5 months of lockdown, I did barely any exercise. I wish I could use the excuse gyms were closed but I can’t because I don’t belong to a gym, for me it was purely a sedentary lifestyle that happened as a result of too many years of too much overtime, leaving no me-time. When you’re working from home though, there is no excuse. Take a half an hour out and go for a run, do some body-based exercises in the lounge or on the porch but get active because if you don’t force yourself too, just like with getting out, your house can become like the casino — the next thing you know and a month has gone by.
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Don’t snack on junk, keep your meals healthy: When you’re at home and you’re drinking your own coffee, your three cups a day can easily turn into double digits and your rushed energy bar can quickly become homemade pancakes (believe me, I’ve spent my time in the kitchen making pancakes for lunch) but, its important to ensure you’re keeping a healthy balanced diet. For us, we are mostly plant-based so we often do cooked lunches or avo on a freshly baked sourdough bread for lunch. We have tons of fruit lying around from our local fruit and veg supplier so, they are a great alternative for snacks and also a sweet treat for that late afternoon dip and then we ensure we have a fully balanced evening meal. Again, here I am talking from experience. I spent the first few months gorging on easy microwave meals, two-minute noodles, and baked goods and 4 kg later, I’m back on the health path.
Enjoy it
Being able to be at home with the family, work, and provide an income is not something everyone gets to do, so just sit back and enjoy the fact that you’re privileged enough to do so. Be in the moment. When it’s time to work, do so but, when its time to go rollerblading with the kids, be there, enjoy them and thank God for the privilege.