Lighten Your Lockdown: Surviving At Home Edition

My Thoughts on Working From Home in a Quarantine

Having worked remotely before, I was under the inaccurate belief that this quarantine style work from home structure would prove just as sustainable. I was wrong. This is more like surviving at home. There is the added stress of uncertainty, the lack of feeling a sense of routine, and with more house members than usual located in close proximity, I find myself struggling to focus.

Whilst there has been many ‘working from home securely’ and ‘tips and tricks from veteran remote workers’ –   The article I am looking for right now is reducing stress in uncertain times.

Handling Uncertainty in the Rose Residence:

I do admit to having a slightly odd personality, however, things that have helped organise my mind are:

1. Creation of lists: there is little more satisfying than checking off boxes, even inclusion of tasks I’ve done just prior to writing the list, so I get to check those boxes.
2. Cleaning: I worked at a nursing home in my early years, which included double-shifts and night-shifts where I spent hours carefully cleaning the residents’ homes. It could be from that or how I was raised spending every Saturday cleaning the house, but I find that sense of repetition and decluttering relaxing. Added bonus, it’s a task that your brain doesn’t have to be fully engaged in.
3. Listening to nature sounds: whilst I currently do not have a pair of working noise-canceling headphones – what a great time for my Bose to break – I do have a SoundCloud account and Nosil app. There I can set appropriate background music of rain, white noise, and even an airplane engine.
4. Ferrets: unfortunately not everyone has an adorable business ready to protect them from stress and boredom, but other pets could potentially support. If you send along pictures of said pet for inspection that is! These Anti-Stress Providers (ASP team) will drastically enhance your working day. Make sure to take the appropriate time to break from work, stretch your legs, and snuggle your ASP team. If you do not have an ASP team, refer to images shared in response.
5. Video games: whilst I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘gamer’, I don’t even have a special mouse and mouse pad like my partner. However, even a novice gamer can take a couple hours of enjoyment from everyday things. Again, this is a task that doesn’t require my focus (depending on the game) like work does.

Fun Fact: Reduction in Guilt From Video Games

I am one of the many strange persons who enjoyed playing Sims. If you don’t know what that is, simply search using your favourite search engine, and look up ‘Sims 4 Needs Bars’. Enjoying this game has oddly helped me reduce guilt in taking time to play and to ignore the world temporarily.

Simply put, when one bar is low, be it the Social or Fun bar, it’s going to have adverse affects on your day. As in the game, take a moment and provide that needs bar relief. Then, when returned to an acceptable green level, return to the original task.

Our List of Absolute Musts Oddly Missing from the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

I was chatting with my lovely colleagues today, about the situation we find ourselves in. Many of us located in different parts of the world – it was interesting to hear the varied situations.

In British style, I started off complaining about the weather, specifically the continuous grey days I have found myself in. Which got me thinking, or more accurately, I requested someone else to write a blogpost on Surviving indoors which included recommendations – I was looking for a SAD Lamp.

Jo mentioned the ones with USB, so a reduction in the number of wall cables – which is a problem I do find myself in currently. I have since purchased one, and am happy to report it’s made focusing much easier.

Picture credit to: haleydrewthis.

However, without further ado, here are the excellent recommendations from the Bora team on requirements for a healthy quarantine living at home:

Joe P:

1. Tea – English, but I do enjoy mint too.
2. Projects on the house to finish – cleaning, fixing, painting.
3. The kids making me too many snacks.

Points one and two are directly relatable to me, and I think we all can agree point three should be an ongoing issue we all receive.

Tassos:

1. Food supplies – the kids eat all the time.
2. Hand-made projects – anything.
3. Music – either from the kids playing the piano or from my laptop.

I see a trend forming…

Emma:

1. Tea – in copious quantities. The only thing I cannot run out of!
2. WiFi – I would really struggle if I couldn’t see friends and family dotted all over the planet.
3. Dog – yes she’s a pain, particularly when she wants to cosy up with your mouse on the desk but I’d be lost without her. Might even choose her over tea…

Jo S:

As a general note, I have started to feel a bit miserable today because I have been out of my tea (Artemis rooibos) for over a week now. They don’t sell any around here and it’s all sold out online. Grrrrrr. However, tea is not my go-to. My list is as follows:

1. Chihuahua: I am to Chihuahuas what Zoë is to Ferrets. I guess that’s why we do the work that we do. Anyone writing generally gets the chance to work remotely so we can always have our trusted furry friends at our side. Or on my lap, like mine generally is. (Btw Zoë, Chihuahuas and Ferrets make great friends!)

2. Tracksuit bottoms: Queen of the tracksuit, I have many and they rotate. Say no more.

3. Fast WiFi connection: I work and social a lot online, therefore I wouldn’t be without it. I do combat the effects through salt lamps and crystals (yes, I am that kind of a person). My environment is important to me and although I adore technology, I want to preserve as much as I can pristinely.

Finally, someone with the right priorities in mind! Which leads us to my personal opinion…

Zoë:

1. Comfortable clothing: there is nothing worse than being uncomfortable, be it from being cold or simply miss fitting clothes – notice I didn’t specify type, whatever is comfortable to you. I am currently sat here in a matching SuperDry outfit, but I’ve been known to wear an extremely fuzzy matching pink pj set as well – highly professional I know!
2. Decent desk setup: I work quite a bit, with writing, volunteering, mentoring, and my day job in consulting. So where I’m working from has a pretty big impact on my productivity – just like Sims, I require environmental points, focus inducing objects, and a decently high fun meter. This includes appropriately raised monitors, my Oura ring to monitor sleep, and even my Ember technologies mug to make sure my tea is kept at the perfect temperature – vital. 
3. Ferrets: whilst noted last, they are always first on my scale. Ferrets, have been a massive part of my life for as long as I’ve worked in this industry. Being as I can fully justify my statement of ferrets being nature’s hackers, I think there is little coincidence. They truly are happiness in an extremely hyper ball of fur.

What Do You Need Most to Survive at Home?

What are some necessities that make you happy? Are they: technology solutions, pets, family members, artwork, lighting, food? Let us know – especially if it’s pet-related, send pictures!

If you would like to read more of our Lighten Your Lockdown Series: Netflix, Podcasts, Music.