Don't Just Survive, Thrive! Striving For Success While Sheltering-In-Place
“If you are facing a new challenge or being asked to do something that you have never done before don’t be afraid to step out. You have more capability than you think you do but you will never see it unless you place a demand on yourself for more.” – Joyce Meyer
Quarantine is not fun. That’s the unfortunate reality, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the most out of our time at home!
Life is all about finding a good balance for you, so with the new changes, how can we balance our work life and our personal life at home? We can start off by learning how to separate the two and then finding a daily routine to follow. However, staying at home for a prolonged period can affect your mental health, so it’s also important to know when to destress and reach out for help!
And we’re definitely here to help! We’ve got #expert panelists, Dr. Deborah Gilboa, MD (@AskDocG), AJ Borowsky (@AskWhatNext), and Paul Haury (@PaulHaury), here with some great advice on how you can strive for success while staying at home! Missed the Twitter Chat? Here’s a quick recap:
Q1: Life balance is a whole different ball game when sheltering-in-place. Are you working more or less than when you things were ‘normal’? What tips are the most effective in remaining productive while spending so much time at home? What helps unblur the work/life lines?
AJ: Just because you feel trapped doesn’t mean you’re chained to your desk:
✓ Take breaks as often as needed
✓ Stay hydrated – it’s easy to skip drinking working at home
✓ Mix up tasks so you don’t get burned out on one
Q2: When your house is now also your office, a school for your kids, your partner’s office, and your normal living space all rolled into one, what tips have helped you most efficiently organize/manage multiple workspaces and schedules all at the same time?
AJ: If you have the space, separate the workspace from the living space as much as possible. Don’t let the work tools invade the life space because it will also invade the life force, and that’s never good.
Paul: Set up your space to live in the dream of the best you can imagine. Even if it’s not perfect, you’ll set your heart and brain up for forward instead of stuck.
Q3: As our shelter-in-place timelines have grown from just 2 weeks to start to now, how has your home office space evolved? What changes are coming next and how do they enhance your work from home experience? If budget was no option, how would you improve your office?
Deborah: Most of us are done with the "Entrance Phase" of sheltering and now in "Endurance Phase" (some are starting to think "Exit Phase") - most need patterns and structure to help us feel stronger and more resilient so that each day has a little productivity in it.
Q4: It’s hard to ask for help, but problems feel harder to solve when we feel alone. So let’s talk about problem-solving in place! How do you when you should be reaching out for help? How do you take that step?
Deborah: Does it help to remember - when you hesitate to reach out for help - that you are always teaching someone by example? Kids, colleagues, mentees - and if you can ask, they will be more likely to as well!
AJ: People probably have more time on their hands so now is a perfect time to ask for help but instead of “I need help” say “You’re so good at problem solving I thought I could ask you a question if you have time” Acknowledge their assistance before asking for it.
Paul: This may sound self-serving because I’m a coach, BUT, get a mentor/coach, we need an extra heart, eyes and ears to get past our plateaus and whatever the circumstances and fears. Someone who’s willing to tell us the hard things.
Q5: What positive life lessons or silver linings have you collected from this experience so far? How do you think they’ll impact your life/routine as things return to “normal”?
Deborah: Enjoying the silliness! That is something I don't prioritize enough when the world is moving at a faster pace. Now that I find I have time for it, it's joyful!
AJ: The silver lining in this has been that I need a lot less than I thought – less interaction, less expenses, less stimulation – I’ve learned to enjoy the calm of not being on the go all the time. Paul: The world is going to be a better more human place afterwards if we make it that way. We've already started!
We know that sheltering-in-place is a rather abrupt change that we all have to adapt to, so hopefully, we were able to give you some advice and comfort to how you can tackle it!
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