According to the BBC, all over the world from the entire US to the UK, South Korea to Japan, global companies have rolled out mandatory restrictions on coming to the office amid the spread of Covid-19.
"And it’s realistic to assume that shifting to the ‘home office’ will become the new normal for many of us for a while, given Wednesday’s announcement by the World Health Organization that the coronavirus has officially reached ‘pandemic’ status.
Some employees will be working from home for the first time, which means figuring out how to stay on task in a new environment that may not lend itself to productivity. But there are ways to deliver results and avoid going stir-crazy, from setting up a good workspace to the way you talk to your team."
1. Communication-set up times to communicate with teammates at least at the start and the end of the day.
2. Treat it like your real job.
At least take a shower and get on the computer at your regular time. Pants may be optional. 😉
3. Create an ergonomic place for your computer.
At my house, it's on my dining room table on a stack of books. It may not be pretty, but at least my head won't fall off my neck.
4. Celebrate your teammates' birthdays and work anniversaries via teleconference (I use Zoom).
Especially if you're an extrovert, you need face to face "contact".
5. Get exercise.
Set a timer for every 50 minutes. Get up, walk around your house and stretch. And get "real" exercise to keep you feeling tip top.
6. Eat real food.
If we don't watch out, we'll all end up with diabetes from eating junk out of boredom. The clothing stores will rejoice when we all have to buy bigger clothes. Sugar contributes to inflammation, so try to keep it at a minimum.
I work best completely undisturbed by music and distractions, which means I need quiet. I'm not above sending my kids outside when the weather is decent or shoving them into the basement to play Minecraft when I need to get work done.
Let's just all do the best we can do...
Can't wait to see you in a few weeks!
Mary-Claire
