The governor of Connecticut has deemed all non-essential business in CT to shut down as of 8 pm, Monday March 24 2020. Although real estate was deemed essential, we are encouraged to operate virtually as much as possible.
Luckily most of the real estate transaction happens behind the scenes, so even though we are not on the road as much, we must still maintain digital paperwork for ongoing transactions, manage the vendors necessary for the transaction such as inspectors, appraisers, lenders, attorneys, and continue to maintain client communication if there are interruptions or delays.
While we are all trying to find a new sense of normalcy, I have worked in a transient and changing environment with real estate for the past 5 years, so I had all the tools in my toolkit to work from home. I had the technology: the laptop, scanner, home office, and cell phone. What I hadn’t prepared for, was the daily changes and stress and anxiety of an unfolding national emergency situation. Luckily, I have an amazing network of other leaders in the community, including entrepreneurs and real estate agents across the country who reminded me of the best way to maintain your normalcy was to maintain your routine.
1) Maintain routines. Wake up and still follow your regular schedule as if you were to go to work. Take a shower, get dressed, make coffee and breakfast, do whatever you normally would do. Start your workday at the same time you would normally.
2) Exercise. While practicing social distancing by not going to the gym or yoga class, we can still work up a sweat at home or outside. Make your playlist or enjoy the outdoors without technology.
3) Plan your meals and eat your veggies. Sitting around at home can take it’s toll on your waistline and energy level. Continue to eat vegetables, whether fresh, frozen, or canned. Take some time to food journal to keep track of your intake. I find that planning meals helps me know how much food I have left and know what meals to plan for if I do need to stock up. Then I’m not anxiety eating snacks as much, and faced with meal time hunger and choosing something terrible and easy.
4) Keep social contact with friends and family. While we should maintain social distancing, we can still do Zoom calls, Facetime, phone calls, and Facebook messages. A lot of groups and committees have maintained meetings virtually. Checking in on friends can help you feel less alone when everyone is going through the same changes.
5) Set up your workspace. Make sure you have a clean table or space that you can dedicate to work. If you don’t have an extra room you can close the door to your family and other noise happening, you can wear headphones to keep distractions down. Try to ergonomically set up so that you aren’t slouching all day or straining your neck to see a small screen. Stay away from working in bed! While it may be attractive to lounge on the couch or someplace you wouldn’t be able to when you’re normally in a work environment, your productivity will suffer and your body will start to complain.
What other tips do you have for working from home? Comment below with ways you are staying connected and managing stress and anxiety.