Finding balance when working from home during the pandemic

It is 2020 and we are all discussing plans to cancel the year. It all makes sense; rescheduled trips, missed birthday parties and weddings, extra pounds to our waistlines… who really wants to add the year that the world stopped to their already seemingly short life? For many students, this was the year to relax for a few weeks before changing the stats on the registered screen time from predominantly social media driven to online classes. Several non-essential employees got the chance to work in their pyjamas, have accidental toilet sessions recorded on Zoom or not work at al. My personal experience during this lockdown period has been rather strange, but after chatting to my peers, it almost seems as though everyone who has been told to work from home has somehow managed to turn the eight or nine hour working day into a late night shift with bathroom breaks in between. And then there are the parents. Admittedly, I have been working extremely odd hours, taking conference calls well after 7pm while feeding a busy two year old and trying to pick up after her whenever I get a bathroom break.

If you were naive enough to think that life would have returned to normal by the second half of this year, don’t worry, you are not alone. It almost feels as though we have found a new normal, one which we have no choice but to adapt to. My clients have all seen my daughter go through her growth spurt during her several appearances on my video calls, my colleagues have heard her voice her opinions during our strategy calls and the neighbours have wondered if the frequent screaming and crying was something of concern. Nope, just a fussy toddler seeking attention! After about five months of being in a ‘national state of emergency’, I have definitely questioned my sanity more than a few times. If there are any other frustrated mamas out there, don’t worry, I’ve got you. Try out these steps to stay sane.

Wake up early

Even though we aren’t required to be showered, powdered and alert before the morning news, waking up early is a crucial step for anyone with young children. During the first few weeks of lockdown, I found myself waking up just minutes before the start of my official working hours which often resulted in breakfast making, toddler feeding and toothbrushing while on conference calls or speaking to clients. Please learn from my mistake and try to be up at least an hour earlier than you normally would to allow for enough time to calmly breeze through your morning routine. How you start the day has a significant impact on your mood, so why not choose to have a good day?

Schedule some “Me” time

Remember the extra hour we discussed earlier? Here’s where it comes in handy. I would recommend setting some time apart at the start of your day followed by a wind-down session before bed which would be spent meditating, stretching, or performing your self care routine. We may not be doing anything particularly exciting at home, but the constant pressures from making sure that a baseball doesn’t fly through the window or that the vase remains on the credenza is enough to raise your cortisol levels. Although seen negatively, this lockdown period can be a time for personal growth and reflection, but if we are constantly ‘on’ this will lead to adrenal fatigue.

Exercise

As parents, we tend to either forget that we need to prioritise self care or blame our kids for the lack of time. Whatever the reason, exercise tends to be pushed further and further down the list of priorities and often becomes a forgotten chore. What I have to remind myself constantly is that when those rolls show up on my waistline, it isn’t my little one that will be fighting with her jeans. When my husband struggles to pick me up, it’s definitely not Gabby who will be feeling embarrassed. Oh and my personal favourite, when I have to get back to the real world, it will not be Gabby who will deal with my colleagues remarks of how much weight the self proclaimed CrossFit junkie has put on. Something as small as a thirty minute yoga session, or a twenty minute HIIT session is all it takes to stay in shape. If neither of those sound doable, then just grab the little ones and go for a walk.

Get some vitamin D

I am no doctor, so I will reiterate what they say; insufficient vitamin D can lead to deformities in both adults and children. For us mothers, we are at a risk of osteoporosis whereas our children can develop rickets. Another interesting fact to note is that low levels of this sunshine vitamin have been linked to depression and mood swings. Thought it was just the children? Think again! Now that we are stuck at home with the ‘little terrors’, we need to be more conscious of what our bodies need. For our ‘D’ friend, the easiest thing we can do when working from home is simply to schedule some time in the sun. If you have skin sensitivities, look into foods that will provide sufficient amounts to meet your body’s requirements.

Set a new routine

At an office job, we are able to spend over eight hours focused on our daily tasks, but if you have ever spent a day with a child, you know that things never go as planned. With my little magpie-two year old constantly hopping between activities, my husband and I have implemented a tag team system so that there is always one person available to keep an eye on her. Our work routines have been modified to factor in my daughter’s feeds, naps, self-play, and time for outdoor stimulation. Not every day can be carefully planned out, but we do our best to ensure that our conference calls don’t clash. We’ve also come to peace with the fact that a portion of our work will need to be concluded after our princess is tucked in at night, but that is the sacrifice we are willing to pay to keep our daughter happy – it’s all about balance. I have to admit that before becoming a parent myself, I always assumed that taking care of my own child would be easy, but COVID-19 has proven otherwise.

If you’ve worked through all of the above tips and still feel stressed, make sure to take leave days and focus on your mental health! As boring as it may be to stay home during this pandemic we need to stay sane for ourselves and the little people who depend on us!

Everyone’s story is different, so out of curiosity, I decided to reach out to a few fellow moms just to see how they have been coping during this pandemic. Here’s what they say: