Just like in Bob Dylan’s song, the times they are a-changin’. And without a doubt, they most certainly are. But we’ll weather the COVID-19 storm and get through this unprecedented time together.
In the meantime, one of our Indiana Originals members, Tracy Land, founder of Frangipani Body Care is offering some of her best “working from home” tips to keep you sane, focused, and motivated.
“I just saw a news story advising people on “How to Work from Home.” As someone who has done so for the last ten years, I know how difficult it is,” said Land. “In all seriousness, it took me years to adjust so I feel like I should offer some tips.”
- Shower at least every other day. 🚿 Seriously. You won’t like yourself or anything else if you don’t. I am sure you’re laughing, but this is REAL! Especially now that you are staying home. (‘Cause everyone is supposed to be staying home, right? Right.)
- Wear real clothes. Soft, comfortable clothes but real clothes. Not the pajamas you wear around on the weekend. 👚👕👖👗👔🩳
- Go outside. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Some days, my job walking my neighbor’s dogs saves me from going crazy. And being really, really lonely. 🚶🐕
- Be kind to yourself on how much you get done in a day. There is no way to be productive every second of the day. Think about how many side/”watercooler” conversations you have per day that you aren’t having at home. It could add up to hours. 📱☎️🗣️
- Set some easy boundaries. I try to be “done” by 5 p.m. so I can make dinner and watch the news. I will likely/sometimes work after that but it’s a break at the appropriate time to not encourage burnout. 📝💻🍽️
Some additional advice:
Kelly L. says: “Resist the urge to multitask. It’s easy to feel like you should be doing dishes and keeping the laundry going since you’re home, but those things really take away from the ability to focus on work and then really very little gets accomplished. (I keep my laundry and major housework tasks confined to Sundays only.)”
Donna A. says: “Stay on a regular schedule for bedtime and getting up. You can really have a hard time getting back into a work schedule (or school) when this is over if you don’t. (No staying up until all hours! And set an alarm with a reasonable regular wake-up time.)”
Tisha N. says: “Stay hydrated! Eat healthy snacks and don’t binge on junk. (Yes! No snacks at my house. And my lunch might not be until 2 p.m. but I make myself sit down and eat a full meal, away from my desk, just like you would in a healthy office environment!)”
