Not too long ago, a little over a month ago let’s say, I used to love working from home. I have a traditional corporate job and would spend four days in the office and work from home one day a week. I would drop the kids at daycare, pick myself up a coffee and knock out a bunch of work the rest of the morning. At lunchtime I’d go for a run or do an at home workout and take my one uninterrupted shower of the week. I’d finish working in the afternoon and spend the time my commute normally would take me picking up the house. The house was silent the entire day and it was glorious. Fast forward to the recent weeks where I am working from home full time and caring for children full time. It’s hard AF. I’m here to share some tips that I’ve learned these past few weeks as it looks like there may be quite a number more that we will continue in this way. I am by no means “winning” at this – just surviving…which leads me into my first tip.
- Adjust expectations – for many of us this is not how we operate and we need to remember that. Things will not run as normal (and if they are call me I’d love to know how!). I love routine and adjusting to this new normal has been hard for me. I’ve had to look around and come to terms with things not being the same. Maybe my house is messier, maybe my kids have more screen time, whatever it is we need to cut ourselves a little slack during these crazy times.
- Dedicated workspace – When I worked from home one day a week I worked wherever, from the couch or my bed (I have one of those laptop desks), the kitchen table, it didn’t matter because I was alone. Luckily I bought a desk from Costco a few months ago, that was intended for crafts or schoolwork (for my MBA program) that I have been able to use during this time. Sitting at my desk put me in a better headspace to do work and also lets the kids know I’m not just sitting on the couch, I’m working.
- Try to work in blocks – I like to dedicate a significant chunk of time to my work tasks. It can be hard for me to work on a task, that can be complex, for only 15 minutes at a time. That has changed since I began working from home. Whatever uninterrupted time I get has to be completely utilized. Mornings can be a little stressful as it seems that’s when everyone needs everything and has all of the energy to ask for it. Nap time is a saving grace. Sometimes I’m so worn out from the morning I want to take the first few minutes of quiet time to check my phone and I have to put it down. This is the time to accomplish as many tasks as possible and I can’t be distracted.
- Activities for the kids – My children are young, 3 and 5, and it’s unrealistic for me to expect them to play independently for more than a limited amount of time. They are also used to the structure of daycare. I’ve tried to keep a similar schedule as daycare in that regard, they eat lunch and nap at the same time as they would there. In the morning I plan a few activities for them, usually a craft and a couple of age appropriate worksheets (for ideas check out my instagram page @ourdaysinthechi). They watch a little TV in the morning after waking up and then do their activities. They then play until lunchtime and take their nap and when they wake up the TV can be turned on again.
- Move – You and them, whenever you can. Chicago weather hasn’t been ideal during this shelter in place but we’ve bundled up to get outside for walks. It’s a little harder because we have to go at different times than we used and change up our route to avoid people. The fresh air helps though. I’ve also kept up workouts at home through apps, personal favorite is the peloton app, you can read more about that here, and you don’t need the bike or tread to use it. I really do feel better moving each day both mentally and physically and feel the girls have done better on days when they’ve gotten outside. We also have tried Cosmic Kids Yoga, The Ballet Coach and Go Noodle on youtube on days the weather has not cooperated.
Hope some of these tips were helpful! You’ll notice I said nothing about getting ready everyday. That is just something not in the cards for me. 🙂 Sometimes I do my hair or makeup but actually getting dressed? No thanks. I rotate from my pajamas to workout clothes back to pajamas. Do what works best for you! Hope you are staying safe and healthy.