Monday Motivation + 5 Things I've Learned About Working at Home During a Pandemic
Welp, we're at the start of another week, and I'm not feeling particularly rested, despite essentially taking the weekend off specifically for that purpose. Remember how I told you that I had started back exercising? Well, last Thursday I walked without my husband and daughter so I picked up the pace to a not-quite jog. I wanted to get my heart rate up, break a sweat, and actually feel like I had accomplished something when I made it back home. Turns out, my body wasn't ready for that level of exertion and movement just yet. I jumped the gun and paid the price pretty much all weekend.
This week is kind of exciting, though. For the first time since April, we're doing physical distribution spots. We're not back to a full-out list with nearly 300 spots, but we did identify 100 places. I hope this is a sign that things are really starting to turn around for my community. The past two months have seen an uptick in terms of my success, but this feels like a big step in the right direction.
It's been almost five months on the dot since Alexis's school closed early for Spring Break and then never reopened. Five months of working around an energetic almost-kindergartner and off more than usual husband. Twenty weeks of trying to keep a community service going in the midst of a pandemic that closed pretty much all of my clients down for months.
After nearly two years of working at home instead of in an office, I thought I had a pretty good handle on it, but that was before coronavirus. Going from having the house to myself two to three days a week to zero days a week has been challenging. Working with a small co-dependent human has changed the way my normal work day looks. So I thought it would be interesting to share five things I've learned about working at home over the last five months.
1. Having a flexible schedule is key, especially if you have young children. Unless it's my press deadline, nearly everything on my daily schedule can be rearranged to fit around my current situation.
2. Sometimes you have to shut the door, or work outside in 100 degree temperatures, to get stuff done.
3. Having a full house 24/7 while you're trying to work means things will fall through the cracks. Don't stress the not-yet-folded laundry on your love seat, the dirty dishes stacked in and around your sink, or the floors that you can't actually remember the last time were swept. I know it's hard to overlook that stuff, but when faced with spending time with your kids and husband or doing chores, the choice is simple. The other stuff will keep another day or two.
4. Fresh air and sunshine works wonders on stress. I recommend spending at least an hour a day outside.
5. Do at least one thing for yourself, by yourself, every day. Trust me.
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