Comments on: Best of Both Worlds podcast: New routines, plus working from home

By: Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 16:21:54 +0000

In reply to Dominique. @Dominique - one of the reasons I vastly prefer video calls is that they cut down on the multi-tasking. I sort of assume that anyone on a call is checking email. Trying to do a craft at the same time would definitely fill that extra part of the brain!

By: Dominique

Dominique — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 22:18:47 +0000

I am finally catching up on podcasts. I have had a hard time listening while working from home and spent a lot of time watching musical performances on YouTube instead.

I have found that my secret weapon for audio-only conference calls is crafts – usually cross stitch. It keeps my hands busy and keeps me from reading internet articles which is what I used to do. It needs to be a craft you can set down and one that is forgiving is also helpful, but it is so much easier to pay attention when my hands are busy.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 12:35:57 +0000

To your conversation about how to start/end the workday — I occasionally worked from home before this mandate, so I already established personal boundaries. Starting my day is easy. Same morning routine, but a longer walk since I don’t have the commuting time. Once I’m back from my walk, I change clothes, etc., and then sit down at my home office. At the end of my workday, I turn off the computer, leave the work phone in my home office, and typically step outside for fresh air or to get the mail. The mental shift helps.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 14:34:30 +0000

I really like the idea that once this is over, going virtual does not have to be all or nothing. We have short (13 week) semesters at our university, and I live in terror that one semester I’ll get sick or my kid will get sick and I’ll have to cancel too many lectures. Holding a virtual seminar or posting a mini lecture on my class website would be a great alternative. (And possibly prevent me from feeling like I need to go and lecture in person when I’m sick, which now seems like an increasingly bad idea!) Similarly, I’ve just cancelled classes when I’ve been traveling for a conference during term time in the past. Now that the university has gotten a Zoom license, I guess I wouldn’t have to cancel!