Teaching From Home: Structure, Time-Management, & Self-Care
Todd Zakrajsek, our 2016 UCO Collegium speaker, offers some quick tips on working from home
Designate A Work Area
- Identify items to bring to your home office. What may make your workload more natural, familiar, and comfortable (e.g., favorite travel mug, a reference tool, or book that you reach for often, or even a favorite photo)?
- Create a makeshift desk using the dining room table, breakfast bar, a folding table, or even an ironing board
- Identify adequate electrical outlets with a power surge protector
- Consider additional or softer lighting, a window for fresh air, or even a plant
- Decide where to put office material when not in use (archive box, a tote, or backpack)
Develop a Work Schedule
- Remember teleworking is not a stay-cation
- Create a daily plan (see planning sheet below)
- Reduce stress through self-care and hygiene: dress for “getting ready for work (at home),” avoid daytime naps, maintain a bedtime routine
- Be aware of comfort eating, plan meals & times
Organize and Manage Time
- Use a physical or electronic calendar
- Set daily goals (balance family and work needs)
- Post “Work Zone” or “Quiet Zone-Meeting Online”
- Stay flexible
Plan for your Physical Well Being
- Consider posture; it often contributes to overall well-being
- Do your wrists rest in a neutral position on your keyboard?
- Is your table to tall or too short?
- Can you modify your chair to find the best-seated position?
- Remind yourself to stand, stretch, bend, twist, and move. Take a break from screen time to check your body’s response to being sedentary
Connecting with Others and Well Being
- Be cognizant of self-esteem across time. The impact of social isolation, combined with diminished expectations, can lead to situational depression and a sense of loneliness.
- Make it a point to stay connected. Send a quick text, email, or phone call to check in on faculty, friends, family, and neighbors. Stay constructive. Setting a scheduled virtual meeting with your colleagues is a good way not only to maintain your well-being but also that of your colleagues in the same isolated state. Plan creative endeavors that stimulate your imagination to fulfill a hobby or complete that project you started but never finished.