I felt it was time to resurrect this blog with the hope of providing some helpful hints about how to help us get through the current events related to the novel Coronavirus, Covid-19.
Let's not fool ourselves: This is a big shift for everyone. For at least a while, we have to behave differently than usual. It is unclear how long that will last, and returning to the "new normal" will take some time.The purpose of today's blog is just to help with respect to having a plan for some activities while being at home.
Self-Regulation
One difficulty in transitioning from our usual schedules and places is now we may be on our own. We may be working or studying from home, and that comes with new freedom and challenges. Recently, there was a nice example of a schedule for kids who are now at home shared on Social Media. Here is the link to that schedule.
It is important to develop a system to help you keep organize your time and activities. This is true whether for children or for ourselves. For example, your day might normally include walking or riding to work in some fashion, having a morning cup of coffee, and then settling into your work schedule. If that is the case, consider including a some walking time and a cup of coffee into your morning schedule as though you were going to work. (In fact, if you usually drive or take some other form of transportation, this is an opportunity to keep fit.) Here is a nice overview of some of the considerations you might take into account when working remotely.
Next, mark out your time for what you would normally do, and keep to that schedule. For example, as a professor and department chair, I typically have open office hours and meetings. My current plan is to hold those hours via Zoom or Skype, and will keep those open times on my schedule. Likewise, I mark out time for preparing for class, providing feedback and guidance to students, and working on my own writing for publication. My challenge now is to transition over to marking out the time to do this, and to keep boundaries around that time. This can be "easier said that done", as I will admit that I tended to be overly-available via email the first few days, and forgot about drinking coffee and writing. However, now I am back on track, and that's the point: It's okay if we aren't perfect. We just need to continue to adjust and try new strategies.
All of this relies on establishing our "boundaries" related to time and space. I will have more to say on this in future posts, but here are three important things:
- Designate a separate space in which to work. This can be anything from a separate room, a separate desk, or a specific portion of a table on which you work. Whatever it is, you will find it helpful to designate that space as your "work space".
- Controlling distractions is important.
- First, let's consider what is not under our direct control: We may be working at home with family members including children, parents, pets, etc. As such, we need to be clear about when we are working, and have some signal that we cannot be disturbed unless it is a dire emergency. This can include strategies such as closing the door to your office, having a sign that is red versus green (indicating "Do not Disturb" when red, and "Okay, disturb me!" when green), or perhaps wearing earphones when working.
- Second, what is under our control are our devices. Keeping the TV, phone, or other devices related to news and noise off or in "Do Not Disturb" mode is useful. Consider texting any friends or family ahead of time to let them know your schedule. This way, you can help them learn your schedule and when you are available. If you have serious commitments to family or friends who may have an emergency, you can include them in a list of contacts who can phone or text you no matter what. If you have an iphone, you can use these instructions to set up a "VIP" list that can contact you no matter what. Here are instructions for Android systems.
- You do not have to immediately answer everything. Remember, that if you are in a conversation with others or completing a task, you do not have to immediately respond to email. You can set the expectations that you will respond as soon as you are able, and you can respond to other high-need requests with a polite, "Got it - will reply later today", or a similar type of message. The important thing here is to make a commitment to respond in a timely fashion without stressing yourself out.
Patience
We also need to recognize that not everyone will adapt as quickly to these changes. So, we might be ahead of things in our own setup and adaptability to new platforms; however, not all of our co-workers, colleagues, supervisors, and students will. So, give yourself and others time to test out and become familiar with these systems.
Keeping Active
Some of us may be missing our usual physical activities. Perhaps we are used to working out with friends in groups, including at now-closed gyms. Again, this is a good time to consider shifting our physical activity to our home-base. There are several types of online workouts related to cardio fitness/walking, and these can be something to help keep us fit while we are at home. The key, though, is to ensure that you plan for this activity on a regular schedule so that you can mark out the time to do it. If you usually work out with a friend, and you cannot be together, then consider calling or texting each other to keep each other motivated. If you have the technology available, you could potentially Skype together using video chat while you work out.
Some Things to Remember
This is an evolving situation that is very fluid. So, that creates some uncertainty for us. However, as a culture, we have many ways to be connected to help us get through this. Check with your employer, college/university, friends, and family members to help you find ways to stay connected if you cannot be together. This is a short post just to get a few ideas out there for you to try. I will have more in the coming days and weeks, so if there is something that you would like me to try to cover, feel free to let me know. I may not be able to cover all requested topics, but will answer those that I can.
Be safe, and be well!
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