-by Roshni Baronia
Aren’t we all juggling these two facets of the lockdown, work from home while working for home? With the pandemic keeping us indoors, there is an entirely new lifestyle that we have got introduced to. Many people are observing that the timelines and availability for personal and professional work are blurring. While we women have been known to juggle work at home and professional work pretty decently, having everyone at home trying to do the same is something even we were not familiar with.
So be it the husband who has set up his home-office alongside yours or the kids who are having online classes or the absence of your only life support- your house help, it’s a new paradigm that we are witnessing within the walls of our homes. Work from home and work for home in this twisted situation is a balancing act which we might not perfect instantly but here are five things which can help you with it.
- Look for silver lining : It might sound and feel very counterintuitive but there is always an opportunity in adversity. Are you seeing that dear husbands in many homes are extending a helping hand in household chores? It might have been an ongoing phenomenon for some, kudos to them, but for a large part of our patriarchal society, it is a welcoming change. This allows us to normalize and equalize men sharing the load of house care while women step up to prioritize their business calls and office work. If this sharing of the load becomes a ‘new normal’ it is going to be a huge step towards gender equality.
- Indulge in self-care : When tough times strike, you need to look inwards to find the courage. This is precisely the time where you should put yourself first to balance your mind, emotions and body because as the flight attendant says, put on the oxygen mask yourself first and then help your co-passenger. So do not miss out on your daily exercise, meditations and health regimes. If putting on the face pack and plugging in the music rejuvenates you, go ahead and do your beauty routines more often! Having ‘Me time’ is important on all days, but more so during this lockdown.
- Choose what you consume : Not as in the food but content. Yes, the information we feed on guides our thoughts, actions and emotions and might even go on to influence how we are going to behave with our people at home for the entire day. So choose what kind of online content, books, articles or conversations you are making yourself present to. Being aware of the Corona updates is important, but you need not do it every hour of the day. Instead, look for positivity by following hashtags such as #COVIDkindness to know and contribute to the good work people are doing.
- Don’t try to be a superwoman : Those shoes are very big and it makes no sense trying to fit into them. You cannot possibly do everything by yourself. So it’s okay to ask for help from your family. It’s okay to talk to friends about what you are feeling. It’s okay to prioritize only the important tasks and just focus on what you can complete right now. Having an overloaded platter isn’t going to serve you well, so take only what you can eat. Declutter your headspace and workspace to keep only relevant stuff.
- Commit to coming out as a winner : Many businesses have been really quick to adopt the new formats of product offering or service delivery. So if you are a business owner, it’s your moment to see what best you can create in your business. And this needs not be a complete overhaul of your business model. It can be a small pivot or a new product that fulfills people’s needs during this time. Systemizing and aligning of processes in your business is also something you can do right now. And even if there isn’t anything new you can do in the business, you can invest in yourself to acquire new skills. Whatever form it might be, make sure you bring yourself in the creator zone and change for the better during this downtime.
Being a woman is a matter of great pride. Being an entrepreneur is a choice of huge significance. Being a human is above all the greatest gift we all have. Let’s blend all these facets and contribute to the progress and sustenance of ourselves and of those whose lives we can touch and impact.