This is Red Five’s third weekly report detailing proactive steps you, your family, or your company can take to be prepared for the week ahead. This report represents work product derived from various reliable sources, and contains the most accurate information available at the time of print. However, it may be based in part upon information provided by third party sources, which may be subject to change at any time.
Federal, state, and local governments will continue to enforce stay at home policies and practices as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the US. The US has over 81,000 confirmed cases of the virus, surpassing reported figures from Italy, China, and Iran. New York has become the epicenter of the virus in the US, however, experts warn that increasing clusters in Louisiana, Michigan, and Florida may soon overtake New York as the epicenter.
- Limited testing capabilities will further delay an accurate count of COVID-19 cases in the US.
- Absent sufficient and accurate testing, the most effective way to stem the spread of the virus is to stay at home and avoid all unnecessary contact with non-family members.
Government officials are unable to agree on, or predict when, the stay at home policies will be lifted; some are calling for a return to “normal” in the next two weeks, while others are calling for an extended stay at home period. Many families across the US are faced with a new “normal” of working from home and distance learning.
We recommend you take the following steps in order to be prepared and resilient for the week(s) ahead.
- Maintain regular work hours. Set a schedule and (try) to stick to it. Having clear parameters for when to work and when to stop work helps you maintain a work-life balance.
- Take breaks. Scheduled breaks. Port your “office” routine into your “home” routine. Those mini-breaks where you get a cup of coffee, go out for lunch, or take restroom breaks are important to your workflow. Find a good way to replicate that at home (walking the dog, emptying a dishwasher, etc.) so that you can keep the innate rhythm that works for you.
- Establish a location that will be your work space. You don’t always have to work in that space, but having a specified work location in your house can help get you into the work mindset. It also can help you leave work alone when you’re done for the day.
- Socialize With Coworkers. Loneliness and isolation are common problems in work from home situations. Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Zoom Meetings, and FaceTime can facilitate social and business meetings.
- Keep your calendar up to date. It saves a lot of “hey, are you free?” conversations. If you are not the only person in your house who has to work from home and/or there are children at home, it also helps to coordinate time away from shared duties.
- Schedule a catch all at the end of your day for 15 minutes. Write down anything you’ve not been able to complete throughout that day so that you can circle back to it and not leave any loose ends. If at the end of the day you still have items left, schedule them for the next day to ensure you complete the list then.
- Keep in mind, this too will pass. We are a resilient country, and a resilient people.
- A link to last week’s report can be found here.
