Home-office work offers many disturbing elements and temptations. A dog, a washing machine, noise from the children’s room, all of this takes away the energy we need to achieve the best possible work performance. On the other hand, a peaceful environment and individual rules that we set can increase our productivity. Research has confirmed that teleworking staff is more engaged, more flexible in processes and their productivity is really growing. But we need to be really consistent in what we set ourselves. We bring you basic tips on how to manage it at home during these demanding days, even with children who are quarantined at home, and not get crazy.
1. Adapt the look of “your office”
Whether it is a living room, office or part of a dining room, adapt the environment of “your office” to your needs and to make you feel comfortable in the space. Avoid places such as the sofa or the garden so that nothing distracts you. It needs to be explained to children that this space is only yours and they must not enter it.
2. Set your working hours
Choose your own working hours, of course with regard to the nature of your work. Some of us like to work at night, others are early birds. With our children, it is sometimes no bad thing to do important things at night or early in the morning, when the children are still sleeping tight.
3. Plan your tasks in advance
Distribute your tasks for the whole day and start with the most difficult one in the morning. Happiness hormones will release, which will motivate you to do other demanding tasks throughout the day. Among the tasks of the day also schedule some duties which the children must also perform, thus occupying their free time to some extent. It can be emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the room, or wiping the dust in the whole house or babysitting younger children by the older ones.
4. Set meaningful breaks
Resting regularly is also extremely important in the home office. It is necessary to get up when the concentration decreases, exercise your body, you can also exercise a couple of squats, focus your attention somewhere else. Some people like a cigarette, others like a coffee. During the absence, let’s ventilate the room. It is necessary to always have a glass of water on hand. In this situation, it is possible to use the break to check homework or a painted drawing, or simply check the children outdoors.
5. Don‘t stay dressed in your pyjamas
If you follow the morning hygiene and then get rid of your pyjamas, you will feel more professional and an unexpected video call from the boss will not make you panic. Your children will follow you and the morning rituals will continue during the self-quarantine period. Then the subsequent start of school or kindergarten will not be so painful.
These days many of us have to manage their home-office work with children, whether kindergarteners or schoolchildren, who are also required to be at home. School-age children have received tasks from school in the form of the Edupage application and must work from home. For older children, 100% control is not necessary. It is only necessary to pay attention to the limitation of social networks and mobile telephones in the hands of children. Various Facebook groups were formed during this period and serve to help parents manage their home school. Also, various educational websites have given people free access and children can learn many things.
Younger children require attention, so it is nice to agree on certain rules in advance with the children and involve them in housework. Children also like creative workshops, but later parents have to expect a bigger mess. After all, making your own protective face masks can be great fun. All the better the children will then cooperate in wearing a home-made face mask.
As far as circumstances allow and it is possible, send the children out. Vitamin D is for their benefit. But don’t forget that they also need a parent, so dedicate your time to them after work. Only in this way can we all handle this difficult situation. Let‘s keep our fingers crossed.
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