Remote Work: Expectation vs. Reality
Working from home may be the new normal for lots of us, but actually there are a lot of benefits!
Even before COVID-19, working remotely was being utilized in a very advantageous way. Approximately one-third of the US population has the capability to work from home (the other two-thirds are involved in careers such as healthcare or service industries which we know are getting hit hard right now).
For example, employees that work from home actually may be more productive (maybe because it’s quieter?). There is a nice balance between working from home 1-2 days a week and coming into the office the other days. This schedule usually gives you the collaboration and facetime you need while also giving people the flexibility that gives them higher job satisfaction and contributes to increased productivity.
And decreasing commuting time contributes to a greener society - all wins!
Moms, I know you have a whole bunch of other challenges you are juggling (see below) so take this all with a grain of salt.
Set up your schedule (preferably the night before!)
Have a separate set-up (so household chores don’t distract you!)
Get dressed for the day! No sitting in your PJs, that will only contribute to the feeling of lounge.
You should still take breaks! (every hour, I get up, make a cup of tea, stretch, throw a load of laundry in, anything to move a little bit)
Schedule your exercise too
Check in with your boss and coworkers regularly. With this new normal (temporarily!) our team has set up a way to email daily updates, and have weekly calls. We are continuing some of our regularly scheduled meetings (especially around drug shortages), we are just now conducting them virtually.
Utilize your programs and apps. Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Slack are all great tools.
Only check your email/phone during a set time. For me, that is during my 5-10 minutes an hour when I am up stretching or getting a drink. This helps me avoid distractions, mindless web surfing or feeling the need to immediately respond to every email.
Alright, let’s be honest. I actually wrote this blog post week 1 of COVID-19 isolation and if it helps you, great! But now, it’s week 5 and I have had to make a few adjustments.
The reality is, not everyday is like this. I do work in my pajamas some days. Those 5-10 minutes an hour that I get up and stretch? Sometimes it is to break up a fight between my children, sometimes it is to put a movie on for them, sometimes, it is me just giving up on the homeschooling fight altogether (I mean, there is a reason we send kids to school - we are their safe space and they know they can push back on us (aka not listen AT ALL) ).
I mean, have you ever tried to work from home, while watching children AND overseeing their schoolwork? There are lots of new challenges being thrown at us and after a mental freak out session (believe me, I had mine), there are things that we can do to ease us into this new routine.
My new rules:
Wake up at 4am to get work done. Seriously. It sucks, but I am hoping this is only temporary.
Give yourself grace. Your child does not have to be Einstein or master the piano right now, and neither do you.
Some days are about survival with legos on the ground, sticky counters and stressful situations playing out in your mind. One day at a time.
Some days are good and things run smoothly, you feel productive and are able to take a shower (seriously, I’m having newborn deja vu right now); be grateful for those days.
One more time...one day at a time.