Flattening the curve is not easy when the people doesn’t care on the ongoing situation. Six days before the second month of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and there’s still a possibility of extending. Some are OK with it while the others, otherwise.
Like what I’ve mentioned in my Hope blog, I am the ultimate “sacrifice”, and as they call it now, Alay. A tribute, that one family member tasked to go to the wet market and buy the family’s food. Weapon: Quarantine Pass.
Though it may seem that being a tribute is exciting—because you get you go out of house and experience a change of environment during the moment you are out—the task is daunting, from a tribute, myself. I have to consider a number of factors. I have to stay healthy so that my immune system is up and 100% running. Bringing my handy alcohol or hand sanitizer at my pocket. Social/physical distancing, still there are people who doesn’t understand the meaning of this so what I do is I adjust and be socially/physically distant to them. Wearing face masks is the “it” thing right now, but let’s be honest: breathing while you have one is not easy, specially if you just bought a week’s supplies for your house. After going to the wet market, I have to go to the nearest grocery store to buy all the necessary groceries I need for the house. Let’s not forget to mention the waiting time going inside the wet market and the waiting time going inside the grocery. It practically eats up your day and you just want spend the remaining time of that day resting because the following day you have household chores to do.
Juggling your work and personal life from your home is easier said than done. Since the start of the ECQ businesses have implemented a work from home scheme to prevent the spread of the virus and, of course, to protect the lives of their employees. But how is this scheme to the employees?
Last week I’ve attended a webinar on Work-Life-Balance while at Work from Home with Jonathan Yabut as the resource speaker. The webinar started with a question: How is your work-life balance since the ECQ started? A number of the audience said that it was worse. I’ve also asked my friends this, and I got the same answer, one even asked me: what work-life balance?
It was mentioned that COVID-19 will change the definition of Work-Life Balance.
Time between work and personal life is blurred. Does your boss think that your non-existent travel time should now be work time?
It can be tougher to focus on one task. The fridge, your TV, your family are now easy distractions.
Rest time is now part of your multi-tasking. How much rest (including rest from worrying) have your been getting lately?
In the middle of the webinar another question was posted: Has your work load changed since the ECQ started? Most of the audience said that they have way more work, and my friends also answered this.
But how do balance work and life during the work-from-home scheme, Jonathan says.
Embrace online networking as the new normal. To get more help, you need to ask outside of your usual sources of help.
Schedule some work time as play time. Showing your lunch plate with your colleagues creates the illusion that you are having lunch with them.
Manage your motivation, not just your time. Time is finite, but motivation is renewable and changeable.
Out the of three, the one that really struck me most is to embrace online networking as the new normal, and I guess this the most attainable, right now. Have a meaningful conversation with someone once or twice a week . Create the habit of video conferencing with different set of friends twice a week – HS friends, your family, your ex-officemates, etc.
With what’s happening right now, it’s not just the physical attribute is at stake here. For us, tributes, I would consider that the emotional and mental attribute is also affected. Because of the demand of both personal and work matters. Considering the number of factors a Tribute has to face.
You, have you asked your friend/colleague how they really are doing now?