Working From Home - SAY WHAT!

“What do you mean I’ll be working from home?”  COVID 19 has required a major shift in how we live and work and for many working from home is a new experience. Having worked from home several times throughout my career here a few tips to help you make the transition. 

The Brain Loves Routines - Everyone needs them especially children.

Wake up with enough time for breakfast and other morning tasks such as making the bed, exercising, showering and getting dressed. Dressing in clothes you would wear out of the house helps remind your brain it is time to go to work. Yes, I’d rather stay in my pajamas, short, or yoga pants but when we change how we are dressed we change how we think. Don’t believe me watch any uniformed profession put on their uniform and even their posture changes.  Yes, you can be dressed more casually, a polo shirt and slacks are fine.

If you have a typical morning routine keep doing it, if it’s working. I found that when I’ve worked from home doing exercise first thing in the morning, sitting down to read & eat for 20 minutes or so helped me move gently into my day. I have a friend who meditates every morning, has a cup of coffee, showers and then sits down to work.

Just as important is how you end your day. Be that reading to your children, sitting down with a glass of wine or taking a shower and getting ready for bed. Whatever works for you - just create a routine and stick with it!

Create Clear Boundaries - Limits allow the brain to relax.

Being home can blur the line between work, family time and relaxation. Being home makes it easy to work non-stop or get caught up in things to do around the house. Thinking you can do just one more thing before bed isn’t helping you. Adding one more, call, email, meeting or that last piece of paperwork may come easily to someone who is really good at juggling many tasks, but even the best jugglers have their limits and know when to stop. Have set office hours. Unplug at a specific time every day - shut off notifications and stop checking email.  If there is an emergency who every needs you will find a way to contact you.   

Schedule breaks and stick to them. No excuses! The brain loves chunking and bursts. Use your breaks to take care of personal needs and to disconnect. Move around, reset and transition into the next activity. According to physiologists Nathaniel Kleitman and Eugene Aserinsky, “For productivity, we are concerned with the specific ultradian rhythm known as the Basic Rest-Activity Cycle (BRAC). This is a rhythm that plays out in 80-120 minute cycles non-stop day and night. Take advantage of this cycle when creating your schedule. 

To better balance family and work, schedule a common family lunchtime and stop before dinner. There is significant research that when families eat together it provides children with a sense of security and a feeling of belonging. 

A whiteboard in the kitchen with everyone’s schedule for the day can help keep you and anyone else at home on-track. If you have young children use images as well as words. 

Move - To function at its peak your brain needs oxygen. 

Creating, participating, planning and being involved in online meetings and conference calls, even meeting with friends can be draining. Have you ever wondered how many clicks you perform in a day?  Far too often you do not have to move from your seat to switch from one task to another. You may even have an app (smartphone or wearable technology) that reminds you every two hours that you haven’t moved.  

Make it a point to move around either during breaks, or a designated exercise/movement time. If you live in a place where you can get outside in the fresh air, do it! I’m originally from Minnesota and even in the dead of winter, I would walk outside for at least a mile and a half each day. Now in Florida I need to get up early to beat the heat and humidity. If you can't get up and walk at least stand up for 8 minutes every hour. Add family exercise time to your day which may consist of a walk, outdoor games, swimming, exercises assigned by your child’s coach, or “Just Dance” on the  Nintendo Switch.

The bigger the muscle required for the exercise the more oxygen you will need.  Stretching your hands above your head can shift the chemicals in your brain and focusing on your breathing for 2-5 minutes brings more oxygen to your cells and impacts the autonomic nervous systems. 

Not yet and I don’t know yet are your companions on this journey. It’s OK to figure things out along the way. It’s OK if it takes time to get your routines just right. It’s OK to need some help and support. Life is an adventure, like an explorer every day try to discover something new and share it with others. Ask everyone at the dinner table - “What discovery did you make today?”.  You don’t need to figure it out all at once. Give yourself space and time.

Remember to have fun! Laughter is a powerful catalyst for endorphins. Enjoy the high. Stay well and practice physical distancing - while you remain social.