“What is a week-end?” Maggie Smith’s character from Downton Abbey famously inquired while in conversation with her soon to be grandson-in-law.
While she enjoyed a life of luxurious leisure, today we may find ourselves asking the same question, but for different reasons.
Many of us have been working from home now for several weeks, though who’s to be sure how long it’s been as losing track of time and dates is easy to do in these new circumstances.
The normal markers of the workweek and daily work ventures have been replaced by delayed routines and pajama pants. From a shower and a shave to slip-ons and sippy cups our morning routines which set us up for a successful day at the office have been replaced by far more lax entries to our work from home jobs.
Stay at home orders and a more relaxed schedule have many of us compromising our good routines and have had an impact beyond our daily transitions to and from work.
This has also had an impact on how we approach the weekend. If going to and from the office separates home from work, how do we separate the two when we work from home? And how do we know when the weekend comes?
Daily and weekly rituals are vitally important for good work-life balance when we work from home.
Maintaining a regular morning routine (adjusted for gained travel time) is a tremendous aid in keeping us on task and our minds engaged with our work. Eating lunch away from our designated workspace aids in maintaining separation in our lives.
Adding an end of work day ritual such as taking a drive around the neighborhood, even traveling to and from work helps to put space between your work day and your evening at home.
These habits are particularly important for the weekend where work from home days can easily meld into the weekend.
Good routines include closing up your workstation on Friday afternoon. Leave your designated work area and don’t return until Monday morning. Set plans and get outside more than you do during the week. Play games with the family and engage in phone or video calls with friends. Attend virtual church services.
As difficult as these times are, they are providing us with a prime opportunity to reevaluate the priorities in our life.
Start experimenting with some changes now.
But first, enjoy the weekend.
