Original Image by Sumanley xulx from Pixabay
What was intended as one article quickly turned into two. This first one covers how I feel about the current situation and how it impacts my life. The next one will be about my concern over how it may be impacting the lives of others, who are far less fortunate than I am.
So here’s about me.
When reality strikes
Two weeks ago today (11 March), the gravity of the situation finally hit me. Typically for us humans, this only happened when I was affected personally by what was going on around me. Up until that point, I had thought that the stories about this new virus, COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, were going to go away as fast as they had appeared in our news feeds.
That day, all volunteers in the Red Cross in Bergen received the same message, first via Facebook groups where we saw a sign that read “Stengt” (Closed), and then a few minutes later via email. The main public building was shutting its doors and all, absolutely all activities were to be put on hold effective from the very next morning and for an unknown period of time. This was real, suddenly very real. It affected me.
I was in shock and called the leader of one of my volunteer activities. It was good to speak on the phone. My first instinct was one that I continue to prioritise these days. Talk to people. Use what means are available: phone or digital platforms. There are so many now to choose from that there really is no excuse not too.
Once the shock subsided, I quickly accepted the situation, this new reality. There would be no climbing on Monday evenings. My next article will explain more about what I do there and why it matters.
Two days later, my employer advised us all to work from home unless we could come into the office without using public transport. I was sitting on the sofa with two colleagues next to me enjoying a coffee, as we read the email that had just come into our inboxes. This was our last day in the office. How long would it last for? When would we see each other again?
The new normal
I am one of the lucky people who is not in the uncomfortable situation of having to apply for unemployment money right now. I can do my work from home. I have now been working from home for over a week. So how has it impacted my life? How do I feel about it?
This may not come as a surprise to those of you who know me a bit. I like home office, I like it a lot. First and foremost, I feel more free and less exhausted, living in tune with my values, in harmony with myself. I have found the effect of working remotely to be both positive for my mental and physical health.
I am at least as productive working from home as when I am in the office, in fact, I would argue more. I feel empowered being left to myself and time just seems to fly by. Let’s face it, the obligation of having to sit (or stand) in an office for eight hours a day straight was just never for me.
I am fortunate to find joy and pride in what I do and therefore I have my own discipline to get the job done. I like the freedom to plan my own day as I wish. I have also recently started my own business so I have to plan when to do that work as well. I love this challenge of juggling both of my professional careers in the midst of a crisis!
What’s more, I can sleep an extra hour every morning and I spend less money, as I can have a quick lunch in ten minutes. I do however have the luxury of having my own space at home and not having any dependents to care for, and I know, this is a real luxury.
My 7 recommendations
What is it that makes it work for me? What would I recommend to help deal with this new situation?
Here is a quick list of my top tips, based on all the reading I have done and on my own experience.
- Find a new structure and make your own (daily) routines
- Get daily exercise & fresh air (the latter if you are not strictly in confinement)
- Have daily contact with your colleagues
- Ramp up your contact with friends and family
- Look inwards & decide on what matters the most to you right now
- Be creative (or as our Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said yesterday: “Lat som dere er på hytet, men bli hjemme!”)
- Know when to switch off (work & news)
As I come to this end of this first article, I realise that there is much more that I would like to say so if you found this useful, please comment below and let me know how you are coping. There are a lot of resources out there to help us work better from home and deal with the current situation. We are all in this together so let’s keep sharing and caring.
I would love to hear your thoughts so please do comment below. If you would like to share your experience or ideas with me, contact me directly on LinkedIn or here.
