The irony that April is Stress Awareness Month - especially April 2020 - is not lost on us. In a season of life that seems to be following the mantra, “But wait, there’s more!” our team has gone back to the basics in order to reduce the newfound stressors of juggling work life and home life while perpetually under the same roof. Our very own Kate Barnett shares some no-nonsense practices to maintaining a productive workspace when personal space is at a premium.
Most of us are at least a month into the swing of working from home, yet many are still struggling to adapt to such a drastic change. Those who didn’t have a home office had to get creative and make do with what they had: the kitchen table, a quiet corner of the house, or maybe even the floor of their kids’ playroom. One legal professional recently shared working from his young daughter’s room in the early weeks, using her dollhouse as a makeshift desk for conference calls!
I follow a few simple rules to keep my workspace - and my mind - straight.
- Separate and tidy your space.
I am the least productive person when a pile of clean laundry or a sink full of dirty dishes is staring me in the face. Separate your work area as much as possible from your household chores to avoid distraction and tidy up before you begin your work. Keep your workspace clutter-free - this will help you keep a clear mind.
- Find focus.
Whether you’ve landed at the kitchen table, dining room table, or a folding table in the guest room, work in an area where you’ll be comfortable and have the ability to focus. If you cannot work attentively while sitting on the couch with Netflix in the background, don’t work there. Find an area where you can be productive. This may take a couple tries to find what works best for you.
- Let your schedule suit your situation.
I have kids at home whom I now homeschool and cannot work a strict 9-5 schedule. At this point in the quarantine, I’ve figured out (mostly) how my days run and have established time blocks for teaching and working. Having dedicated times for each helps me better tackle my tasks, and it helps the kids stay on theirs.
- When the work day is done, be done.
When it’s time to “clock out” for the day, put away your laptop or power down your computer and tidy up your notes. After a long day of juggling all of the things, you don’t want your workspace screaming at you. This simple act of “closing down shop” reduces stress by removing the physical reminders that come with a glowing screen. Utilize baskets or bins to temporarily store unfinished work or clear a shelf in the cabinet for storage. The fringe benefit is that this lowers the chance of your techonology being ruined by spilled milk.
No matter your personal situation, the best advice we can all stand to follow is to give grace and keep going!