Two phrases have been running through my mind since the start of Coronavirus outbreak in the U.S..
William Kittredge’s book title: “Montana: The Last Best Place”, which has become an unofficial moniker for the Treasure State. And …
“It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” Thanks R.E.M. I can’t get that song out of my head now.
D. and I are prepared to “shelter in place” for weeks. And I tell people that I feel like I’ve been preparing for this moment my entire life because living in rural Montana is already quite a bit like “sheltering in place.”
We don’t have a gym here. The closest one is a 30 mile drive. Our nearest fast food restaurant is also a 30 mile drive. This is not a place to live if you love crowds.
We barely have enough people to support two restaurants, a coffee shop, a grocery store, and a gas station. The busiest place in town in our school, which is now closed for the next two weeks.
We went shopping for food ten days ago, but we normally keep a large amount of food on hand because we live 90 miles from major shopping centers.
I’m extremely grateful for our local grocery store (and very much hope they stay open during this). I went in for a few things on Friday before we got another 12 inches of snow, and there were more people than normal stocking up. I was glad to see them, and we mostly talked about the weather.
But, the whole point of this blog post is actually to pass on some tips about working from home, entertaining yourself at home, and staying healthy, since I know it’s not a normal way of living for most people in the U.S. and I want to encourage everyone to do everything they can to keep from spreading this virus. People’s lives depend on it.
Here are my top ten lessons learned on how to work from home, stay productive, stay healthy, stay entertained, stay mentally fit, and happy while working, playing, and living at home.
1. Dress Up - When I first started working from home 9 years ago, I was delighted to work in my pajamas. Now, I know better. There is a direct correlation between how you dress and treat your body and your state of productivity. Dress for work every day. Shower. Brush your teeth. Take care of your personal hygiene.
2. Set office hours - It’s easy to overwork when you’re working from home, and that’s not good for your health, your relationships, or your state of mind. Decide when you’re going to work. If you normally work from 9-5, then keep those office hours, and shut off your computer at 5 (no joke).
3. Keep a routine - Set a morning routine and an evening routine. My day basically looks like this: Pet care, shower, breakfast, spiritual practice, make a list of most important tasks for work, focus on one at a time, take breaks for lunch and coffee/tea to have a few minutes with my spouse in the other room, let go of work at 4:00, walk, exercise, dinner, clean, call friends and family, write, watch my favorite tv show, read. Repeat the next day.
4. Give - I volunteer by sitting on my local library board. It gets me out of the house, and I have something to care about outside of my own little world. In the world of Covid-19, it is still good to have a way to give back. Be kind. Call your neighbor. Ask how people are doing. Care. Volunteer from afar.
5. Plan Trips - It’s helpful to have something to look forward to. Plan your next trip. Make a detailed itinerary of where you want to go, what you want to do, and start to look forward to something. This is key to having hope. Right now I’m planning my next Wilderness adventure.
6. Use Zoom - Zoom literally changed my life. I used to do all of my business consulting via phone, and with Zoom it opened up a whole new world. Get a Zoom account. It’s free and a lot more stable than FaceTime, plus you can get the whole family involved, or your book club, or any group you want. It’s a way to stay social and have fun.
7. Learn - Keep your mind engaged by learning and reading every day. I spend at least 15 minutes every day on a book or a Masterclass or a course that I purchased to learn from others. It keeps my mind sharp and engaged and increases my value in the marketplace.
8. Sit Down For Dinner - We don’t always do this, but I love it when we do. Sitting down for dinner, savoring every bite, being grateful for the food we eat and the labor it took to produce it and get it to us is a profoundly good experience for body, mind, and soul.
9. Laugh - Watch comedy. Do whatever you can to make jokes. Humor each other. Play board games that make you laugh. It’s so good for your health! Plus, it makes everything better. Watching the news can be useful, but you need to follow it up with a really good dose of laughter.
10. Walk - This is my most important tip. Get out and walk outside every day. Smell fresh air. Listen to the birds. Take in the sun. Connect with nature. Connect with your partner. It is profoundly beneficial.
A couple of bonus tips … sweat every day (everyone can do this, even inside - there are tons of free YouTube videos and apps, and you know … you can figure it out), and support your creative side (sing, dance, paint, and share).
Sending all of you love … and health … and recovery … may this be a time for us all to reconnect with our souls, learn, grow, love, and live.