Here We Are - Guest Post from Red Clay Soul

Sometimes we have the right words to say, and other times we lean on our wordsmith friends. Below is a post from our friend Jay of  Red Clay Soul about the situation we currently find ourselves. As working from home becomes a new reality for most of us, Jay has a few tips to help you keep your sanity. 

And here we are.  It’s a crazy world out there right now.  I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and in light of all the chaos, I’m going to be working hard to bring a little levity.  Red Clay Soul has always been a break from the mundane, and I’m going to continue that, with more emphasis on community-based posts.  I’d love to have all of you participate in conversations here on the blog, on Instagram, via email…whatever.  Anything we can do to have a little fun and enjoy the community that we’ve built.

So here’s where I’m at.  My company told us to work from home through the end of the month, and it’ll probably be longer.  My wife is home-based, and has essentially been grounded from all travel until further notice.  As you know, we have a 2.5-year old and a 9-month old, and their school is staying open even though our county’s school system has been shut down.  We are in a really strange situation.  After thinking about this quite a bit, I think I have a good plan for our family and our living situation going forward.  By no means am I a doctor or a psychologist, but this is what Mrs. RCS and I are going to do:

1. Stay clean, be safe, and be vigilant.  We are pretty clean folks as it is, but we are following all the CDC recommendations, as well as using our common sense.  

2. We are keeping a routine.  We are both highly organized people who live off of lists and keep a pretty high standard, so I know that keeping some sense of continuity while our normal day-to-day is completely off.  Here’s what I’m planning to do:

  • Set an Alarm.  We are getting up at our normal time every morning.  No sleeping in or trying to take advantage of the ‘flex work’ schedule.  Set the alarm and get out of bed.
  • Work Out.  We are planning to add some sort of daily exercise routine – whether it’s taking the dogs for an early morning walk, she does ‘flows’ (some sort of yoga), or some circuits with dumbbells.
  • Daily Devotional.  I read a daily bible verse and say a quick prayer every morning.  I feel like this centers me, and starts me off on the right foot.  I plan on continuing this, but maybe a little more amplified.
  • Shower and get dressed.  WFH is not a sick day, so PLEASE resist the urge to work from bed.  Instead, we are both showering and getting dressed, and treating each work day in a professional manner.  I know I’m going to get the question, so in terms of how I’m going to do it:  I’m not going to put on a dress shirt and a sport coat every day, but I am going to go hard with OCBDs and golf shirts, Quarter Zips and vests, Duck Head 5-pockets, Camp Mocs and drivers, and a cool belt.  I’m starting to see video-chat requests pop up on my calendar, so I want to dress accordingly.  Plus, being dressed makes me feel more formal, and I expect my output will be greater.

3. Pre-cook Meals.  Especially lunch.  That way we don’t end up at Chick-Fil-A every day.

4. Take Intentional Breaks.  It’s almost impossible to sit behind my laptop for ten hours a day, because burnout will creep in very quickly.  I plan on taking quick 20-minute breaks throughout the day, just to relax my brain and get some stuff done.  Some ideas: clean a room at a time.  Do laundry.  House projects (specifically those that don’t require a change of clothes) – clean out some drawers/cabinet, work on a closet purge, shine some shoes, pull weeds, etc.  Take the dogs for a walk around the block.

5. Proactively Reach Out.  All of your friends and family are sitting around doing the same thing you are.  I plan on connecting with as many as I can.  Why not?

6. Lunch Dates with Mrs. RCS.  Even if it’s a quick sandwich, it will be nice to enjoy the time.

7. Set an ‘End Time’ for Work.  When working from home, there is a weird desire to never turn off since the boundaries of a commute create those bookends.  Fight that artificial urge and dedicate time to your family.

8. Kid Time!  We want to keep the kiddo routine the same, even though ours has completely changed.  Pick them up from school, play time, dinner time, bath time, story time, bed time.

9. Clean Up.  After the kids go down, we are planning on taking an hour to clean up the house.  This way the house is in ship-shape when we wake up the next morning.

10. Read.  We are both going to *try* to read a book at bedtime vs. TV.  Let’s be honest, there aren’t any sports, so…  However:

11. “Love is Blind”.  There’s always Netflix…

This is what works for us, so we are going to give it the old college try.  This is a weird time, so we are trying to keep some control in our lives.  I’m actually more excited about it than I am vs. the anxiety of what’s going on.

What’s your plan?

 


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