Tag Archive for: COVID-19 work life integration

COVID-19 Four Essential Tips for Work From Home Success

 

With COVID-19 we are quickly navigating a new normal, that of working from home during a global crisis. It is not the same as working at home over the long haul or working from home during a traditional time.  There are 4 essential tips to ensure your success as you continue to work, home school and more in the same space daily. Follow these tips to keep your sanity and work success.

 

Start with great self care

The pandemic requires a lot of emotional and physical well being.  Start prioritizing self care.  That means creating an environment that supports you and your family.

  • Create a night time and bed time routine to support rest.  In times of transition, we rely on routines to help us. A productive day starts the night before.  End work in order to have dinner together, spend time together, and get in bed for 8  hours of rest.
  • Include time outside in your work and school routines. A family walk or bike ride in the middle of the day helps everyone clear their head and get re-energized.
  • Boundaries are necessary with social media.  It’s tempting to spend time checking social media when you are feeling drained and unsure of your next priority. Help everyone, most especially your teens, by modeling and setting expectations.

 

Set up your space

By now you have been spending time at home adjusting to your new space. You know what is not working for you and your homeschooling.

  • Declutter and create space in your office to do real work. It’s a reality check to clear out what is unnecessary and edit your stuff. You will be glad you did!
  • Set up multiple spaces for your kids to work.  It can be unconventional like a hammock in the back yard or a make shift tent in a family room. Separate spaces are great for everyone to work without distractions. It also gives everyone a little space to decompress and focus in on work.
  • Video meetings are a requirement of work and school life right now.  These are the social connections we have during the pandemic too. Think of this area as you video studio.  Be sure you have reviewed best practices for you and your kids at a family meeting.
  • Check in with appropriate attire for your work day. Dress for the meetings as you would in real life unless otherwise noted by your employer.

 

Communication

Over-communication during this transition keeps everyone connected, up to date, and sure of next steps.

  • Discuss work hours with your employer, especially to the start and end of your work day.
  • Clarify expectations about tasks and projects.  Will there be daily check in? How will priorities be discussed? What will be the success metrics? Be sure everyone agrees and has this in writing as well as verbally.
  • Resolve challenges with a phone call. It is easy to misinterpret information and tone with text and email. A phone call makes it easy to clarify what has happened and how to rectify the situation.
  • Create a system for sharing documents. Agree to one online system that everyone can use and share. Use what’s easiest to access and be sure there is password protection.

 

Work life integration

Now let’s add back in the rest of the story – those kiddos are home too.

  • If your kids’ assignments arrive on Monday at 9 am, plan around that time. Allocating time to get the kids started will allow you to work more productively.
  • Share responsibilities and tag team if possible. Parents can share shifts of homeschooling.
  • Manage expectations of yourself and your kids’ assignments.  You are all learning resilience as well as math and reading.

 

There is a lot of “life learning”going on at this time. Be aware of nuances in you and your family’s transition to work from home.  It’s a great opportunity to give your family kudos.

 

COVID-19 Why your Family Meeting Matters Now More than Ever

covid-19 family meetings

 

Family together has taken on a whole new meaning.   Families are together 24/7 with home schooling and work at home.  How does that impact family communication? Is a family meeting necessary if we are all together all the time?  What’s important to share at a family meeting?  Using your Family Meeting to connect and communicate remains an important resource during this time.

 

Family Meeting Basics

Family meetings are a part of great communication. Meeting once a week gets everyone on the same page with calendars, family activities and ongoing family planning. It’s also a great way to discuss important topics like your family values.  In this time, there are many responsibilities being communicated that are new and different. Home schooling with learning menus and Zoom calls are new additions to family life.  Your family calendar can look busy even with most activities canceled.

  •  Keep your calendaring going for you and your kids. Add dates and information ongoing each every day.  Your Family Meeting is where you can capture more information weekly.
  • Plan some family work parties and family fun! Have each person make a list of things they want to do (board games, tell stories, watch movie) and things that could be done (clean house, organize closet, wipe baseboards and doors). Prioritize the list, assign dates and voila! Both responsibilities and fun happen.
  • Be sure you meet regularly to keep momentum and information flowing.

 

Family Meeting Tricks and Tips

Like all meetings, there are some small tricks and tips that help.

  • Keep it short. Boredom sets in quickly.  If you see distractions coming up, walk and talk.
  • Get buy in.  Buy in can come from many different strategies. Always serve a snack. Everyone loves to eat!
  • Have an agenda. Be consistent in your agenda.
    • Update calendars
    • Talk about an upcoming event or discuss a family value
    • Set time for next meeting
    • Have fun

 

Family meeting visual aids and reminders

Now let’s share what we know with each other to keep up to date all the time.

Dry erase boards are the most popular way to share Family Meetings agendas. You can pair two calendar dry erase boards and a blank dry erase as a complete command center for your family.

Family Dry Erase Calendar Wayfair

dry erase calendars

Family Dry Erase Calendar The Container Store

 

Family Dry Erase Board Blank Wayfair

 

 

Smead justik dry erase

Smead justik dry erase

 

 

 

 

If your calendar is digital, you can share the calendar on your devices for everyone to view.

Google calendar printed for Family View. Post in a common space.

Each of us has our favorite reminder app on your devices. Set these to maximize the actions you determined at your meeting.  You can include multiple family members with some reminder apps too.

 

 

Your family meeting is the time to support and nurture your family. Bring out the best in each of your family members by addressing concerns, sharing important information. and being available together.  At the most anxious of times, setting aside a specific time to address routines and new information makes a difference for everyone in your family.

 

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