Thriving while working from home during Covid-19, with children
As more and more workplaces around the globe are moving towards working from home (WFH) as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic – and our own Prime Minister Jacinda Arden asks New Zealand to prepare for WFH – I thought I would share some tips I have learnt along the way to thrive while working from home, as opposed to just surviving. These are some of my learnings from WFH for several years, including during school holidays with the kids around.
For those that know me well, they won’t be surprised that my first tip is routine – for everyone. Get up, get dressed, have breakfast, pack lunch for the kids. Tidy the kitchen. Whatever it is you usually do in the morning. If the kids are not usually allowed TV/screen time until they are ready for the day, stick to this. Make the beds. Routine has many benefits for adults and children alike – it anchors us, provides a certainty to our day that is so important during these times of uncertainty, helps reduce stress and to supports healthy habits.
About that getting dressed part – many people find that dressing in their usual work attire helps them to feel more like they are ‘at work’ with increases in productivity. Some people do okay with ‘dressing down’ for working from home. Whatever works for you – as long as you get dressed! Staying in your pj’s all day is not useful here – save that for the weekend if it appeals to you.
Pack lunch for the kids? Yep – even if they are home. I do this on the days I am working during school holidays. It is so useful for minimising disruptions when you are on a call from a child saying ‘I’m hungry’. Sticking to a routine of eating at roughly set times across the day, rather than moving to a ‘graze all day’ model when the kids are at home helps support healthy balanced eating and gives them an awareness that you have actually fed them (I swear some days that I don’t do this they seem to be hungry every hour, no matter how much I feed them).
Remember lunch for yourself. I feel a little unauthentic saying this, as I am notorious for skipping lunch when I WFH. What I find does work best is knowing what I am going to have for lunch (I don’t usually go as far as packing my lunch, but that may work for you) and scheduling time in my calendar for lunch. If you have kids at home, aim to all have lunch together.
Escape the cabin fever if you can. We are blessed with a large green space across the road from us, which we are walking around several times a day at the moment (we have two of our kids home from school with coughs – so keeping our 2 metres distance from others). Cabin fever is real, and we have seen in previous situations where large numbers of people have been required to WFH – such as after the Christchurch earthquakes – that rates of domestic violence, mental distress and alcohol abuse rise. Stay safe and check in on each other, and create breathing room where possible to keep tensions from rising.
Normally I discuss how one of my self-care tips is breaking up my WFH with a couple of days working from a co-working space. With this off the table for now, it is time to engage in other ways to create a sense of connection and belonging in our day – virtually. Make regular voice and video calls to friends, neighbours and colleagues. Schedule regular online team meetings, and take the time to check in on each other. Outside of work, how about creating online book clubs and playing games virtually such as online scrabble. ‘Attend’ shows – this weekend our family is going to get dressed up to ‘go’ to the West End production of The Wind in the Willows – online.
The Mental Health Foundation has just created an incredibly useful resource with tips for supporting mental health and wellbeing during Covid-19 – check it out here.
The kids are going to need their love tanks filling up regularly, and if you normally work from an office this may feel frustrating initially. Depending on the ages of your children, set up some guidelines for how and when you will connect and what they can do if they need you. Check in regularly, take mini-breaks between calls, tasks, emails etc to let them share what they have been doing. If you have the benefit of two adults at home, set blocks of times that each of you get uninterrupted while the other gets to engage with the children. This is more productive than both trying to juggle work and the kids at the same time. Remember – if one parent doesn’t have work to do they are still desperately going to need those blocks of uninterrupted time.
Consider how you are going to use your usual commute time positively. I personally haven’t gained an extra time WFH as I have previously always worked close to my places of employment, but hubby has an extra two hours in his day now that he is WFH. If school’s close, I will gain the extra time that was usually spent doing the school run. This is such a gift! How will you use this time? You may decide to start work at the time you would usually start your commute so you can finish earlier in the afternoon. Or for you, it may be more beneficial to work just your usual work hours (routine) and gain extra time at the start and end of the day that you were travelling. Consider all those things you have often said you don’t have time for – both for yourself and your family. You now have the time! This may be family board game time, some DIY or decluttering, a creative endeavor or new hobby, embedding a self-care practice such as meditation, exercise, journalling…the options are endless.
I feel a little guilty that I wished my husband didn’t have to travel so much and that I didn’t feel like anything more than an unpaid taxi driver some days as I ferry our four kids to and from their activities, sports etc. Seems I got my wish! While being realistic that social distancing and self-isolation is going to come with challenges, there are many positive ways to approach this situation.
What are you most looking forward to about working from home?
