We’ve been safe at home now for a couple of weeks, and slowly but surely, getting into our own new little routines, especially as we learn how to work from home as a family.
I’m working from the dining table in our living room/kitchen area and I actually love my set-up! I brought my desktop computer home from my studio and have a Knoll rolling chair that I borrowed from Cody’s office 😉 so I’m quite comfortable!
Cody is working in our guest room upstairs but this is also the room that Harvey sleeps in, so Cody just has to come down to the living room/kitchen area (aka my workspace) during Harvey’s nap time. We created a little designated area with this CB2 desk in the guest room and he brought one of his comfortable work chairs home for himself as well.
The kiddos are somewhat on a schedule, with Evie having Zoom calls with her classmates and teacher twice a day for an hour. They do yoga, read stories, and other activities, and I’m so thankful for these moments! We decided to continue to have our nanny come part-time to help us as well; as we all navigate this uncharted territory of social distancing and more, we’re choosing to do what feels best for us as a family. We feel comfortable with our nanny coming into our home (she lives alone, and both parties decided to agree on driving only to and from our home with no other outings other than the grocery store). No judgment at all to those who wouldn’t feel comfortable with this set up, but for us, for right now, we do, and her help has been essential.
Bella typically has anxiety when we leave the house, so it’s safe to say that she’s thrilled to have us around 24/7 🙂
It’s not perfect but it’s working for the most part, for right now; we’ve gotten into our own swing of this social distancing life. It’s funny, what felt like our world getting flipped upside down, has become our new “normal” faster than I had anticipated. The silver lining for us has been that we get to spend more time as a family than we may ever be able to. It’s been SO nice to be able to see Cody more as he usually travels a lot for work. Harvey is also in my favorite stage – around 18 months and he is so sweet right now! I’m embracing this situation as an opportunity to eat him right up!
One thing that has really helped me as we figure out this new way of life has been reading other bloggers share tips and tricks for working at home and how they create their new routines. I wanted to do so as well, with the hopes it might help someone else, and/or give you some fresh ideas to try.
Routines provide structure during a time of uncertainty, which has helped us immensely. But please remember to give yourself some grace, and that these are just routines that have worked for us, at this current moment. If this crisis is teaching us anything, it’s that things can change quickly and we’re constantly adjusting and adapting. Every situation and every family is different, so you do you 🙂 Also, we understand that most families do not have their normal childcare right, so we feel very fortunate that we’ve basically quarantined with our nanny, and we know this is not the case for most.
OUR WFH WEEKDAY ROUTINE:
6-7 AM – Wake up! (Ideally Cody and I get up before Evie and Harvey). Cody or I will usually ride the Peloton and/or do yoga in the morning as we’re both trying to be more active while at home.
8 AM – Breakfast, everyone gets ready, coffee x 2, beds made, light a candle or put essential oils in the diffuser – aka set the tone for the day.
9 AM – Nanny arrives, and Cody and I go to our separate workspaces to get work done!
9:30 AM – Evie’s 1st Zoom call + snack / or a Minni Workshop
10:30 AM – Coffee refill for me 🙂
11:30 AM – Kids eat lunch!
12 PM – Everyone breaks for a family walk if we can!
12:30 PM – I usually just snack for lunch, but sometimes I’ll have leftovers or create a protein bowl (quinoa, grape tomatoes, feta, black beans, peppers, lemon/olive oil, salt, and pepper).
1 PM – Kids nap/quiet time (Harvey usually takes a two hour nap and Evie will have one hour of quiet time; if we’re lucky, sometimes she’ll fall asleep!).
2 PM – Evie will do an activity/play a game while Harvey finishes his nap.
3 PM – Evie’s 2nd Zoom call + snack
5 PM – Make dinner and kids get their energy out or watch a show (depending on the day and weather).
Baths (every other night) and family time
7 PM – Harvey goes to bed
8 PM – Evie goes to bed + we do a 15-30 minute clean-up of the kitchen + living room.
Cody and I rest, do a bit more work or watch a terrible show (Love Island is my current favorite), and then get ready for bed as well.
WEEKENDS:
We’re relaxed and flexible about everything and anything… except bedtimes and nap times!
On Sunday mornings, I’ve been doing virtual yoga courtesy of Savin Hill Fitness as well and LOVING it!
TIPS FOR WFH LIFE:
- Prep the night before to help set the stage for a productive following day. For example, it’s rare we leave dishes in the sink; we love and NEED a clean kitchen.
- Get dressed, and do your hair and makeup – it makes you feel 1000% more productive and better about yourself!
- Make your bed. Every morning!
- Have some sort of office set-up, a designated space.
- Start and stop at the same time every day, if you can.
- Put your phone in the other room; goodbye distractions!
- Keep a large water bottle next to you for hydration.
- Open the windows on a nice day; fresh air does wonders!
- Light a favorite candle.
- Create productive and inspiring playlists – here’s one I created that I love to listen to!
- Schedule breaks for yourself – lunch, walks, and an afternoon moment to regroup.
- Set a timer to time your tasks like email – you don’t want to check your email nonstop all day because it breaks up your workflow. Set a timer in the morning and do like 30 min 3x a day.
- Cleaning, laundry, and organizing are for non-work hours (aka Fridays for me vs. Monday through Thursday working hours).
- Make sure to keep your workspace clean and tidy; clean and tidy = increased productivity!
I’d love to hear how you’re figuring out your own new “normals” and routines – I’m open to any and all ideas, suggestions, and more 🙂