Working from home is challenging. Being stuck inside during the winter is frustrating. And having kids running around can be hectic. Add all of those things together, and you have the perfect storm.
As work-from-home orders continue amid a fresh wave of COVID-19 cases, many parents can expect to juggle work obligations and familial duties at home this winter. Depending on where you live and how the lockdown situation develops, your kids may also be studying from home in the new year.
How does a parent survive? In this article, let’s look at a few simple tips for making it through a busy work schedule this winter.
Start Off on the Right Foot – Get Organized
There’s nothing that exacerbates stress quite like disorganization. Psychologists have even proven a link between the two, also citing clutter as a contributing factor for poor focus, lowered productivity and decreased creativity. To survive a long winter working at home, it’s important to start by getting organized, optimizing positive mental health and productivity.
It’s not always easy dedicating time to decluttering, especially when you are busy with work and family, so don’t be afraid to call in support. Professional home organizers like NEATSPACES specialize in lifting the burden from busy parents. They help declutter your home, editing belongings and disposing of unwanted items. And they implement simple, intuitive organizational systems that you and your family can follow to ensure you never succumb to overwhelming clutter again.
This winter, break the cycle of clutter. Hire professional home organizers to rid your house of clutter and keep it that way.
Create a Dedicated Workspace
With a clean home and a clear head, you can turn your attention to creating a dedicated workspace. Ideally, you want to find a quiet, secluded spot, away from yelling kids, barking dogs or noisy neighbours. Here are a few criteria to follow for the perfect home workspace:
- Choose a spot with natural light. Science has proven that natural light brightens your mood, boosts healthful Vitamin D and improves employee wellness and productivity.
- Have everything you need at hand. Leaving your workspace to find a pen, computer charger, or paperwork can be distracting and time-consuming.
- Get comfortable with an ergonomic office chair and keyboard rest pad.
- When you hire a home organizer (see above,) discuss implementing a home office organizational system to keep the space free of distracting clutter.
You’ll be surprised what a difference a dedicated workspace can make. Over time, you may not even notice that you’re working from home!
Take Your Breaks the Way You Used to Take Them
Remember the office? When it was break time, you would actually take breaks. When you’re at home, the lines between work and familial obligation tend to blur, and you may find yourself cleaning the floors or helping with homework on your lunch break. This makes it feel less like you’re working from home and more like you’re living at work.
Take breaks as you used to, using the time to relax and shift focus. Those breaks are essential, both for your mental wellbeing and your productivity. The cleaning tasks, homework problems and house duties will be waiting for you when you finish work.
Working from home is challenging, especially in the winter – and especially with kids around. To survive, get the help of a professional home organizer, set up a dedicated workspace and set boundaries by prioritizing your break time.
