Transitioning To Work From Home

Irma

5 years ago

Transitioning to work from home: an enjoyable time of no commute and no boss or a new level of insanity dealing with everyone at home at once?

In these crazy days, many people have been able to remotely work from home, which is good news for their paycheck.

But what if you are not used to this concept?

It can be a real shocker to sit down at your computer and suddenly realize 2 hours went by while you checked your social media feed! And what to do about your kids, who are suddenly free from their school routine?

Hello and welcome to Fearlessly Holistic.

My name is Irma and I want to share my journey to improved health by eating whole foods, moving my body and eliminating stress as much as possible.

It is my hope to inspire you to make daily changes. Why? Because eating fresh, seasonal food and getting some sunshine is the best way to increase longevity. But you do not want just a long life. You want a quality long life.

My blog posts are my opinion and the results of things that I have tried that either worked for me or didn’t. My opinions are for informational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. Medical advice should always be obtained from a qualified medical professional for any health conditions or symptoms associated with them.

Making Sheltering In Place Work for Your Life

Parenting, Teaching, and Working From Home

Tips for All Three

The recent Covid-19 outbreak has meant that millions of parents across the globe are now facing the seemingly impossible task of being a parent, worker and teacher.

Trust me when I say, it is possible!

Getting through your day when you’re trying to work from home with the kids can be easier if you are organized.

It might take a few days to find your families rhythm, but you can do this! Use my tips to make your new life smoother for everyone.

Create a school schedule

The one thing that’s going to prove invaluable during this time, is creating and maintaining a schedule. The kids need a schedule and you need one to help you keep up with your increased duties.

Start with making a schedule for the kids.

Include:

Educational activities
Play time
Mealtimes
Down time – For the little ones this is known as nap-time

When they know what they are working on and have a schedule to follow, it makes it so much easier for both them and you.

Kids need a routine and they’ll be a lot happier when they’re following one.

Create a dedicated School area

Set aside an area of your home and designate it for your official school area. Let your children know that the whole family is transitioning to ‘work from home’, and that it is temporary.

Unless it is play time, keep this area for learning and studying only.

It can be confusing for younger children if they don’t have boundaries, much like their real school, with areas for learning and areas for play.

Keep all school papers and resources here and try to start and stop school at the same times daily.

Keep everyone active

It can be tough trying to work when the kids have bundles of energy. So, why not help them burn off that energy?

Creating a “recess” time helps to wear them out as well as keep them healthy.

Encourage time running around in the back yard, playing on swings, or create a mini obstacle course.

Use croquet, badminton, or other outdoor activities to challenge and amuse them.

Once they’ve finished their physical activity, they will be better able to focus on learning or playing quietly.

You don’t have to be a “teacher”

Now that the kids are off school, you may feel like you have to become a teacher. You really don’t.

There should be some great home school resources through your local school board to keep your kids up-to-date with education. If you look online, you might also find free workbooks they can use.

Focus on reading, which is never a waste of time for children. You can also set up things such as sensory buckets and let them use educational apps.

Chat with others who are also transitioning

A lot of people going through the same situation as you right now, and some are from your workplace. Start a local mini-network to share resources and tips.

Send each other links to free education or printables for kids. You may find that others have streamlined their home environment for success.

It’s not easy but remind yourself that it is only temporary.

The above tips will help you to better juggle your new responsibilities during this learning curve for Coronavirus.

Learn How to Work from Home with Kids in the House

If you’re stuck working from home with the kids, there’s no doubt it’s going to be challenging! Any parent knows that getting anything done with their kids around can be almost impossible sometimes.

It’s all about finding the right balance, so try these tips first.

Plan engaging activities

When you need to get on with an important work project, it can help to get the kids immersed in an engaging activity. Craft projects tend to be a popular option.

They are fun for the kids, and they take a while to complete.

You’ll find hundreds of craft project ideas online; Google “home school options” for ideas on educational resources. Add on ‘free’ to find more options.

Try and find something which utilizes supplies you already have in the home, if possible.

Create a routine early on

Working from home and having the kids home all day is a new experience for both you and them. Therefore, it’s going to help if you create a routine as early as you can.

Kids thrive with a routine so make sure you all have set wake up, meal and bedtimes. Keep their school hours at home more or less the same as the hours at “real” school.

Try to avoid letting your kids stay up later than usual as it makes transitioning back to school harder.

Try and schedule time you can spend together on your breaks too; that way, they are still getting one to one attention from you.

Take advantage of nap times

If your kids are still quite young, make sure you take advantage of nap times. This is the time for you to get a bulk of your work done without having to worry about keeping children entertained.

Ensure you have a quiet work space

One thing you’re going to need when you’re working from home with the kids, is a quiet work space.

It should be away from all distractions and ideally you shouldn’t be disturbed while you’re there.

Of course, this can be tricky, but if you explain to the kids that you can’t be disturbed and why it’s important, you’ll find they are typically willing to listen.

Utilize technology

In usual times, you try to limit your child’s exposure to technology. However, when you’re trying to work from home, you’ll find some technology can be helpful.

When you don’t want to be disturbed, let the kids watch a movie or play on a smartphone or tablet device. This will keep them occupied for a longer period of time, allowing you to take that conference call for example.

How You Can Transition To Work from Home

Working from home due to the global Covid-19 crisis is a new experience for many people. For the introverts, like me, it’s heaven. For the extroverts? I don’t know because I am not one.

The initial joy of being able to work from home can be quickly replaced by worry, a lack of motivation and never-ending distractions.

How on earth do you get things done when there’s so many distractions? While remote working can deliver a lot of benefits, there are a lot of challenges it presents too.

Here, you’ll discover some useful tips you can follow when it comes to transitioning to working from home.

Set up a quiet working space

With all of the distractions at home, it can be really hard to concentrate on work. This is especially true if you have kids at home.

So, if you want to ensure you can get things done in peace, it’s worth setting up a quiet working space.

Try and use a room that isn’t frequently used during the day. Place a sign on the door when you’re trying to work to let others know not to disturb you.

Make sure the work space is comfortable too as you won’t get a lot done if you aren’t comfortable.

Try to work during your most productive time

If you are the type of person who gets most if their work done first thing, then use that time for work.

Save taking the dog for a walk until afternoon. The positive side to this is that the earlier you start, the earlier you’ll get to finish.

Conversely, if you work better in the afternoon, do your other activities earlier in the day so that you can focus during your peak time.

Set social media limits

It is easy to waste hours using social media accounts if you aren’t careful (Facebook…i’m looking at you!). Many home workers find it useful to set limits on their social media use during working hours.

For me personally, my rule is no “time wasting” until the end of the day. I use the Facebook News Feed Eradicator extension from the Chrome store. You get a nice positive message instead of your feed. And it is nice reminder to get back to work.

Having limits in place makes you more aware of how much you’re using it.

Maintain your usual “get ready” routine

It’s really important to try and maintain your usual routine. This means getting ready for work in the same way you usually do. So:

Wake up at the same time,
Have your usual cup of coffee
Get dressed into your work clothes. I work from home all the time, so I get dressed in my sweats. Gotta be comfy right?

You will have extra time now that there is no commute…feel free to have another cup of coffee 😉

It’s amazing how much of a difference having a routine can make to your at-home productivity. Maintaining your usual routine is one of the best things you can do during these changing times.

10 Benefits of Remote Working

Hands up…who here is enjoying the lack of “management-types” hovering around?

There are a lot of benefits to remote working, so here is a list of some:

Comfy clothes – Every day can be laundry day!
No makeup and everyday can be a “bad hair” day because!
No commute – Save gas and stress from rush hour traffic
No parking fees – No fighting for a parking spot either
Save money – Make coffee at home; lunch is probably less expensive as well
Create your own hours – Got up at 5 a.m.? start working now before the rest of your family wakes up!
Easier to focus on current task – No co-workers dropping more work in your lap. Even better if you don’t check email for more work tasks until later in the day.
Play “I Spy” with co-workers homes during video meetings. What strange things do you see in the background of your co-workers home?
Keeping up with work is easier – Due to less distractions from people “popping by”.
Avoid office drama – This should actually be number one, am I right??

Learn How To Work From Home 101

Stay Connected When Working from Home

One of the pitfalls of working from home, is how isolating it can be.

I say “can be” because all the introverts of world are relaxing into their happy zone away from people. People like me.

When you’re used to working in an office setting surrounded by other workers, it might feel a bit lonely when you’re working by yourself.

That’s why it is important to keep yourself connected to the outside world.

So, how can you stay connected when working from home?

Here, you’ll discover some great tips to follow to ensure you don’t feel too isolated.

Skype with colleagues

Whether you use something like Apple’s Facetime, or Skype, you can feel much more connected to people. Not only do you hear them, but you see them too which can make a big difference to limiting how isolated you feel.

As you won’t be seeing your colleagues face to face, it’s important to keep in touch digitally.

Hosting regular group chats with colleagues can really help to keep you connected.Ideally, you’ll want to set aside specific times to do this.

Having a group chat first thing in the morning before you start work is a good idea. That way, you’ll be able to get clarification on any projects you’re working on together too.

(Here are 12 tips for video conferencing via How To Geek)

Keep up with family by using social media

While you’ll want to limit social media while you’re working, it can still prove useful for staying in touch.

To ensure you don’t waste time on it, a good idea is to set aside specific social media times, like breaks or after work.

This gives you the opportunity to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues without it negatively impacting your productivity.

Set reminders for birthdays and events

You can still celebrate special occasions and events such as birthdays, by setting yourself calendar reminders. Be sure to Facetime family and friends and enjoy connecting with people.

This will ensure that even when you’re out of the office, you still stay in touch with colleagues during these special times.

Respond to communication quickly

If you receive emails from colleagues and clients, make sure you respond quickly. When you’re working in isolation, waiting hours, or even days, just to get a reply can be tough.

So, ensure your colleagues and clients don’t feel ignored by responding as quickly as you can to communication.

Working During Stress and Uncertainty

Are you struggling to focus on work with everything going on in the world right now? If so, you’re not alone.

Working through uncertain and stressful times isn’t easy. In fact, it can feel almost impossible when your mind is so taken up by fear and anxiety.

If you’re struggling right now, there are some tips you can follow which may help. Here, we’ll look at some of the most effective ways to work through stress and uncertainty.

Practice gratitude

Did you know that practicing gratitude can make a big difference to how you feel?

Studies have shown that writing a list of the things you are grateful for, can drastically improve your mood.

By focusing on the things you’re grateful for, it trains the brain to think more positively.

You’ll switch your focus from the bad things going on right now, to the good. For example, working from home may be challenging, but at least you’re safe and have a home to work from.

Try to establish a routine

Now that you’ve found yourself working at home, it can feel really strange. You don’t know how to navigate your working day when you’re not in the office.

Creating a routine is going to help to ease some of that uncertainty; and it will give you something else to think about.

Have a set time that you wake up and start work. Make sure you schedule in breaks throughout the day and have a set finish time too. Just implementing a routine can erase so much of the uncertainty you feel right now.

Utilize support that’s available

One of the good things about this uncertain time, is that it is impacting everyone. This means there is a lot of support available out there.

It could be you need to spend more time connecting with friends and family. Or, you may find it useful to share your concerns with others in online support forums.

You can also find more practical support too. If you’re struggling with your finances, or worried about how the current situation will play out, don’t hesitate to seek emotional support from a trained therapist for example. Many have online appointments now.

Focus on self-care

Finally, try and focus on self-care during these uncertain and stressful times. This will really help to reduce the stress you feel.

Exercising regularly is a great way to deal with stress. Even a quick walk around the block can take your mind off of the troubles in the world.

You should also focus on doing things that relax you each day, such as meditation, reading or listening to music.

The more you practice self-care, the less stressed you’ll be throughout this time.

Conclusion

Overall, it’s hard not to stress and fear what might happen during a pandemic. However, the tips above can really help you to manage those feelings.

Remember to be kind to yourself and don’t expect too much from yourself, particularly when you first transition to working from home. There is a learning curve, but this is our world now.

A famous quote goes: “Change is inevitable, but misery is optional”.

Life is better when we make lemonade from the lemons we are handed.

Holistic approaches never just address symptoms of specific health problems, but instead aim to return or keep the patient in a state of balanced health between mind, body, and spirit. Holism targets overall wellness, and when we are well, we only get better with age.

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Until next time, here’s to our health!

-Irma