A guide to working at home during uncertain times

You can listen to this post on my podcast: Journal with Jenny

Lately, I feel like I’m living inside a snowglobe where I’m picked up at random and shook.

Everything is topsy-turvy as I try to get my footing.

It feels like an alternate reality because things like a global pandemic only happen in movies, right?

Unfortunately, this is our reality, and we aren’t sure what the future holds.

In the meantime, we can accept it and make the best of it as many of us transition to working from home. 

Here are my best tips for working from home

And if there are spelling or grammar mistakes, give me grace...my six- and eight-year-old kiddos have asked me about 10,000 questions while I’ve been writing this while my daughter, who is home from college, blasts rap music from the basement. We’re all just doing our best here, right?

GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO ADJUST

As an English teacher, when I found out we were getting out of school for a couple of weeks, I felt it was the right decision, but I truly believed we would be back in school soon. When I found out we were not going back this school year, I cried. For so many reasons, I cried. You will probably feel all the feelings as well - hope, frustration, anger, contentment, sadness, fear, and even happiness in slowing down. At first, different feelings came in waves; it felt incredibly unsettling. 

Trying to adjust to the unknown is difficult, so as I tried to wrap my head around what was happening, I allowed myself to grieve the rest of the school year that would never be. In that greif, I remembered to also feel gratitude. Writing helped. Writing all of your thoughts and feelings on paper and then remembering to also write what you are grateful for clears your thoughts and sets your mind in a more positive trajectory for the day. You can read more about this writing method in detail here. 

Understand that you may feel like you’ve adjusted to this new “normal” when another curveball comes your way but be gentle with yourself and know there will be another sunrise tomorrow - a new day to try again. Working from home is a big adjustment for everyone. Give yourself time. And if all else fails, have a dance party in your kitchen while cooking dinner. It’s bound to put a smile on your face...and a belly laugh from whoever walks in on you! 

HOLD A FAMILY/PARTNER/ROOMMATE MEETING OR EVEN A MEETING WITH YOURSELF TO SET THE GROUND RULES

A couple years ago over winter break, my family was at each others’ necks - everyone was crabby and unhappy. That’s when Mama had enough, and I called a family meeting to discuss and write out a solution. 

With a notebook in hand, I made a T on the paper. On one side of the paper, I wrote a list of  everyone’s grievances which they were directed to state in the most kind, loving way possible. On the other side of the line, I had everyone come up with solutions and agree on them. 

By doing this, everyone felt heard, and everyone felt they had a say in the solutions. It not only cleared the air, but it also helped us set expectations for the kind of family we want to be by discussing how we treat one another and meet each others’ needs. . 

Even if you aren’t having problems (yet), it’s good to discuss what you expect when you need to be on a Zoom call with your boss for example or what hours you need quiet as well as what hours your kids know “school” will be held in your home. If you allow everyone a chance to state their needs and expectations up front, there are less likely to be problems later. 

And if you live alone, you can still have this “meeting” with yourself to write down what you need and what your expectations are during this time. One friend of mine said she puts on make-up every day and treats herself to Chick-fil-A every Friday to celebrate another week down. 

If you have a chalkboard or markerboard, post a schedule along with house rules. This is a proactive approach that will set you and others up for harmony during this time of confinement while working from home. 

CREATE SPACES THAT WILL SUPPORT WHAT YOU NEED NOW

If you are new to working from home, or if you have kids who are “doing school” at home, you need to think about how to make spaces in your home functional for those needs. 

Did you see the video of the woman who thought she turned her camera off during a Zoom meeting? She actually did NOT turn off the video, and she took her colleagues to the bathroom with her! I now have nightmares about this - how embarrassing! If you don’t have a home office, set up a dedicated space in your home where you can work, take calls, and jump onto online meetings without distraction. 

Take out your journal and write or sketch out what you need to feel successful in this space. For me, this is simply a quiet space without clutter. If you’re a professional, you’ll want your background to look fresh and represent the work you do if you need to meet with clients or other colleagues. If you need help with this, my UK bestie has a short course called Background Beautiful where she helps people working from home create more professional looking backgrounds. 

For the children, the hearth of our fireplace along with the mantel has turned into our command central for schooling as it’s right next to the kitchen table where we do most assignments and enrichment. Organizing their papers into different folders and a magazine holder for each child has calmed my nerves by creating order. I have learned that my kids do not always work best together, so figuring out what they can do independently and what they need help with has been key; that way I can send one to work at his desk in his room while I help the other at the table. 

Creating spaces for what you need now will help you feel less anxious and set everyone up for success while you work from home. 

PRIORITIZE, CREATE RITUALS & TRY PAIRING 

Since I’ve started working at home, when my head starts to spin because I feel overwhelmed, making a list calms me. So if you are like me, and you don’t know where to start: making a list of things you need to accomplish for work and for home will be helpful. Even if you know you won’t get it all done this day, this week, or even the next month, make a list. Then pick out your top three priorities of the day. Next, write down what time you will do these things during the day. 

Sometimes just putting things on paper gives you perspective. 

Another thing I’ve reinforced more recently is to create rituals - this is different from a “schedule”. One ritual I NEED each day is to get up earlier than everyone else, so I have some quiet time to journal and read and plan out my day. If I don’t get this, I feel off balance and a bit edgy throughout the day. During the day, I have students emailing me, meetings online, my kids asking me for help, and my husband asking me what I’ve accomplished for the day with our kids...I need this time in the morning to ground me. It’s not easy for me to get up early, but it’s a ritual I need and stick with. 

What rituals do you need in your day? It could be as simple as a morning cup of coffee on your deck, a workout after lunch, a bath after dinner, or watching an episode of Friends before bed. Get out your journal, then answer this question: What do you need to settle your soul each day? 

Here’s one more helpful tip that I feel I must share… The strategy of pairing is something I first heard about while listening to my favorite podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Pairing is a way to strengthen habits because you put two things together: one you enjoy and one your put off doing. For example, you can only watch Tiger King (or in my case Gilmore Girls) if you’re on the treadmill. It’s not a reward, but something you always do together. I do this with cleaning and folding laundry - these are not my favorite things - so I can only listen to podcasts when I’m cleaning or folding laundry. I pair a task I put off with something I enjoy, thus perpetuating me into action. 

Prioritizing, creating rituals, and pairing each day will help ease any tension you’re feeling during this uncertain time, and hopefully, you can carry this over to when things get back to “normal” - whatever that will be. 

HEALTHY HABITS

If you’re able, now might be a good time to start a healthy habit while you are at home working. When things get unstable, I tend to overeat and snack. Who else does this? So this week, I decided to start writing down what I eat and cut out sugar & alcohol. Now that I’m at home, I have a bit more time to meal prep and write down what I’m eating in my food journal… and the allure of the snacks in the teacher’s lounge can’t tempt me now! 

What’s a healthy habit you could start now? Perhaps it’s an at home workout - my sister, Liz, loves Yoga with Adrienne. Maybe you could cut out snacking or get outside for a walk, or do my personal favorite: writing! 

Gaining control of something in your life right now might be just what you need. Check out my post about Intentional Achievements if you need some help getting started.

GET OUTSIDE 

My new friend, Katy, posted on her Instagram story that her family goes on a “Gratitude Walk” each day. It gets her family outside while they look for what they are grateful for. I could not love this idea more, and I plan to do this with my family.  

A few days ago, I used sidewalk chalk to create the game Chutes and Ladders in our driveway. It got us outside and my youngest had the most fun writing the numbers and helping me create the game. 

Tonight I had my kids pick up sticks in the yard for our firepit… one chore done + an enjoyable family evening = win! win!

These are a couple of creative ways to get outside and breathe in the fresh air, but even just sitting outside for a chat with a friend (over FaceTime of course) at the end of the day will help your mood. And don’t feel guilty if you go for a walk during the work day; you will be much more productive if you step outside for a bit. 

REACH OUT

If you are not overwhelmed by Zoom meetings and technology already while working from home, join an app like Marco Polo or Houseparty. My friends and I had Friday Night Happy Hour using the app Houseparty; it was so good to see their faces rather than texting one another. Consider using these apps for Book Club, Bible Study, or other social gatherings to keep in touch with friends and family members.

As a young adult, one of the best pieces of advice my mom ever gave me was this: “If you’re feeling down, reach out and do something nice for somebody else because it will take the focus off of yourself.” Reaching out could get you out of a funk during the pandemic or any other time, so you could write a letter and mail it to a friend, sew masks for our overburdened healthcare professionals, or get groceries for an elderly neighbor. 

The hardest thing for me during this time is that I cannot go visit my dad in the nursing home. Luckily, he has a track phone, so we can call and talk with him outside of his window. We’ve decorated the outside with hearts and pasted messages of love, so he knows we are missing him and thinking of him. 

Staying in touch with family and friends, helping out community members, or bringing joy to others will help you pass this time in a thoughtful way. And speaking of thoughtful, our friend Amanda sent us a care package with sugar cookies, frosting, and toppings. It was the BEST gift for our family because it provided a shared experience that was so much fun for all of us. 

SELF CARE 

While life feels topsy-turvy, self care needs to be a priority even while working from home. Do things that will help you feel settled. Write in your journal any kind acts you could do for yourself. Don’t feel guilty about this. You will be a better human if you even take 10 minutes for yourself each day; otherwise, you will feel burnt out and on edge. 

What did you write? For me, it’s getting outside, reading, writing, hugs, at-home facials, baths, walks, doggie snuggles, and my daily rituals. 

To hold yourself accountable, try my 3-2-1 Journal Writing Method. Doing this has really opened my eyes to being kinder to myself. 

REWARD YOURSELF

When you have a deadline to meet, or if you’ve had a stressful day staring at your screen, make sure you reward yourself. Last night, I needed to get out of the house after a long day, so I jumped in my mom-mobile, cranked up Lizzo, and drove around. It felt good to be by myself for 10 minutes singing at the top of my lungs. My entire mood shifted and my energy skyrocketed. 

As you write your to-do list, include a couple “want-to” items as well. Those want-to items are things you can look forward to after wrapping up responsibilities. 

I truly hope this was helpful! Our world has been shaken, but we will get through this with love, grace, and kindness together - even while distancing. 

Are you struggling with starting to journal or sticking with it? Get my free download “Learn how to journal” where I let you in on my morning journaling ritual.

Please share in the comments anything I missed that you have found helpful while working from home. 

Enjoyed this post? Then you’ll love these posts…