Tips from our team on surviving COVID-19 work from home life!

To say that the COVID-19 (coronavirus) global pandemic has turned normal life on its head would be the biggest understatement of all time. Well, at least of the past decade or so.

Not only are countless people’s lives at risk around the globe, but their livelihoods are as well.

The entire situation remains very fluid, shifting on a day to day basis, and uncertainty can be a scary thing to face head-on. But, it is something we ALL must try to adapt to and take by the horns.

For instance, at Studio x., we had a heck of a time getting from our office in beautiful Center City Philadelphia to our respective abodes, where we all are now working from home (WFH) remotely.

On Monday, March 16th, we were preparing to pack up our things and work from home the following two weeks, just as a precautionary measure. COVID-19 cases were spreading in the city more and more, and as all of our staff are commuters on public transportation, we knew there were increasing risks in that regard as well.

We were to finish the day out, pack up our documents, email ourselves files; it was all a great plan. By the time the afternoon rolled around, however, we had received notice that the city of Philadelphia was closing all non-essential businesses at 5 PM that day, so we packed up our stuff and hit the road faster than you can spell c-o-r-o-n-a.

Yes, we know that our situation isn’t unique, as more and more workers are entering the realm of WFH daily, and balancing home and work life simultaneously can be a lot of, well, work. At first, it sounds like a dream to spend all day in your sweatpants and roll out of bed an hour later than usual, but it can be harder than expected- especially with measures of social distancing put in place. To keep sane and move forward, one needs to have a plan and techniques for dealing with not only the stresses of quarantine life but how to stay productive while working from home too.

Now, as are well into our third week of WFH life, with no exact end in sight, it’s a bit easier to reflect and get in the groove of things than it was, oh, ten days prior. With that, we spoke with our team over email about some tips and advice they have for more successfully working from home and wanted to share them with you today:

Emily (Art Director) :

“Going outside is key for me - spring is still happening while we’re all staying indoors! I’ve been taking hour-long (socially distant, of course) walks around the neighborhood every morning and evening.”

Jett (UI/UX Designer) :

“I keep myself productive by “making myself at the office” with the same desk setup as in the office. I have a designated workspace in my bedroom that later I find it’s very tempting to take a nap. So my solution is that I make iced coffee and sip it throughout the day with my headphones on.”

Nick (Digital Marketing) :

“Take breaks that allow you to be active, mentally, and physically. On lunch breaks or right after work, I go for a walk around my neighborhood and read something that is not on a screen. I will also randomly get on the floor and stretch during the day since my couch and other non-conventional places are acting as my desk. Find time to be creative and speak to other people.”