It seems like just yesterday we were wandering Target for fun, touching surfaces without hesitation and hugging friends with reckless abandon. Masks were still just a Halloween accessory. Purchasing TP was neither cause for celebration nor fodder for public conversation. And “social distancing” meant you were taking the weekend off from posting to Instagram.
My what a difference a couple months and a global pandemic make.
We are now well into our second month working from home in the wake of the COVID-19. It’s fair to say this hasn’t always been easy, but we’re learning along the way. We’re making adjustments and making it work, which is just about the best anyone can do in these weird, uncertain times. Today we’re sharing those lessons with you.
Take care of yourself.
This may look like different things for different people. Change out of your pjs. (Or at least put on daytime pjs.) Take a shower. Take a walk and get some exercise. Get outside and get some fresh air. You do you.
Create an intentional transition between work and home — even when you can’t leave home. Set technology-free hours and take a real lunch break.
Without the daily transition of a drive to and from work, everything starts to feel like it’s blending together. Day runs into night. Working hours run into relaxing hours. It’s tempting to stay glued to technology 24–7. It’s important to build intentional transition rituals into and out of the work day so your body and mind have a clear division between working life and home life. In addition, it’s critical to give yourself permission to unplug. Sign off Slack, silence your phone and engage in something offline that restores your spirit and sanity in these tough times. Also, take a full lunch break as a midday opportunity to decompress. Your brain and eyeballs will thank you.
Make time to practice gratitude.
In a world serving up a 24–7 feed of news full of reasons to worry and things to feel anxious about, gratitude can serve as a powerful perspective shifter. Something as simple as appreciating sunshine or spring blooms, a neighbor kid laughing or the gift of two healthy legs that allow you to take a walk can redirect our attention and energy to the small (yet mighty) things we sometimes overlook.
Embrace chit chat.
Working remotely isn’t the time to forgo random chit chat amongst your team. If we don’t pause to acknowledge where we are in this moment of isolation and the uncertainty we are all experiencing, we will disconnect even further. Part of staying tied together is talking about things that aren’t work related. “Water cooler talk” is an opportunity to connect in the office — and that shouldn’t change while we are working remotely. What may seem like a small conversation is essential to and impactful in keeping our relationships strong, while we still keep each other at literal arms length.
Take a break. Then take another.
Staying indoors all day and night can quickly lead to cabin fever. I take breaks in 5- to 15-minute intervals just to do something else. Sometimes it’s a snack break, other times I do a quick check in with a coworker, one of my siblings or a friend. These small, positive moments add up and make the world feel less stagnant.
A fun-sized Snickers is not an appropriate breakfast.
Enough said.
Choose empathy.
Our collective expectations for digital interaction (especially in a customer service context) are so low that it’s easy to enter an interaction rudely or without empathy — likely because we don’t expect to receive anything better. Oftentimes, all it takes to defuse that is to respond in a human, empathetic way.
We saw brands do this well and others not so much. We saw brands value collaboration over competition, create content than added value rather than driving sales, step up to do their part in giving back and so much more. By pausing and responding for the greater good, we create opportunities for greater trust and connection.
Reframe your expectations.
Being pulled in different directions all at the same time can wear you down pretty quickly. Employee, parent, spouse, neighbor, cook, disinfector — all those roles seem to be blurred right now. In our “normal” lives, it’s easier to compartmentalize each of our responsibilities into segmented times of the day, which allow for productivity and being present in tangible ways. Quarantine has turned all of that on its head. Accepting that productivity may not come in the traditional ways or during the hours we are used to in our normal routine can provide some mental freedom and help avoid feelings of failure. It’s an odd comfort to know we’re all in the same boat. We’re all doing our best.
It’s ok if everything feels hard because this is hard.
Stress brings out our quirks, our weird histories, our nasty little insecurities. That’s a lot of baggage to hold all at once. We’re all feeling wobbly and emotionally exhausted. For those of us lucky enough to still be working, we lug all of that baggage to the “office,” which may or may not be a dining room table swirling with your immediate family. Trying to collaborate and complete projects in this scenario can become a minefield of miscommunications, dropped balls and additional stress. Every interaction is an opportunity. If we can be mindful enough to pause at the virtual doorway of each meeting and focus our attention fully on the person or group of people present, we have a much better chance of really hearing them. If we hear them, we can do our best to show up in whatever way they need, asking for what we need in turn, and moving the team in a positive, forward direction. It’s easy to believe otherwise, but we can still meaningfully connect with one another, maybe more than we ever have before — because it is, quite simply, more important than ever.
We can do hard things. We are resourceful and capable of adapting, even when it’s uncomfortable.
If you’re reading this, you’re already proof.
Stay home. Wash your hands. Wear your mask. And hang in there.
