It’s comforting to know that we’ve all been thrown into the same situation as everyone else in the world. However, suddenly working from home for the foreseeable future seems like a blissful and satisfying situation for some people, but a terrifying and painful situation for others. So regardless of what industry you work in, how do you cope with remote working when you have children? Here are some tips that might just stop you from going stir crazy indoors.
Keep To A Routine
A routine is important because despite you having your home, as the workplace, you still have things to do get done. Having a routine that’s similar to what you had in the office or workplace originally will bring some semblance of sanity back into your life. Hopefully, you’ll feel that normality starts to drip back in, even if the gravity of the situation is in the back of your mind. So think about your routine, or if you don’t have one, establish it now. Start off the day with something that wakes you up and provides you with energy for the day. For some that might be a warm shower, and for others it could be a twenty minute jog around your local area as soon as you’ve got out of bed. Find a routine that works for you and that you could also create for your children so that they are aware that there are rules in place. To them, they simply see it as an extended holiday, but it’s important to make sure they realise you’re still working.
Have A Specific Work Space Area
A specific work area can be handy to have when it comes to you being in that mindset to work. With being at home, you suddenly have all these distractions – the children being one of them – and so you need to have a space where everyone in the household knows is a no-go zone during your working hours. It also means that when you step into that room, you shouldn’t be disturbed every five minutes. Ideally, you want this space to be in a room, rather than being in an open space that is likely to be shared with the rest of the household.
Communicate With Your Partner
Remember that communication is important, although this might be one that’s not possible if you raise your children alone. Communicating with your other half is important, especially if both of your jobs exist as a desk job. It’s important to take turns in managing the children but also making sure you do all the work that’s needed for the day. All businesses should be understanding that these exceptional circumstances may make it hard for people to get their work done in a timely manner. Working from home for the first time and with children can be challenging, so don’t feel too pressured.
It seems that this is a situation we’re going to be in for a while, so try to encourage as much normality as possible with you and your children.