Well, here we are again. Plan B has burst in out of nowhere and told us all to work from home again. Is it ideal? No, of course not. But is it going to be OK? Absolutely. Here’s how.
For God’s sake don’t work at the kitchen table
Hopefully by now you have realised the importance of carving out a physical space for you to work at home. It might be a swanky garden office, it might be a desk crammed into the corner of a bedroom. Either way, it is yours. The kitchen table is not yours. The kitchen table is where you dump all your unopened post. It’s where the children leave half-eaten snacks. It cannot be the place where you work.
Step away from the sweat pants
Working from home means you can stop making an effort again. But should you? Yes, it’s comfortable, but think of your spouse. Remember last time how they had started to look straight past you. How they no longer saw you as a person, but as a sort of fleshy potato who existed purely to tap on a laptop. Don’t let that happen again.
Don’t pause for elevenses . . . or twelvsies, or foursies
Last time around you caved too easily, sweeping into the kitchen like a locust at the first sign of procrastination — and you ended up with a big old paunch. This time you know better. Your plan is: sensible breakfast, light lunch, healthy dinner. Go easy on the stollen.
Don’t get a dog
You resisted last time and have recently enjoyed some quiet smugness as you’ve watched friends forking out for doggie daycare bills after going back to work. Plan B is only a temporary measure, so if you’re tempted to get a pet, pick one that you won’t have to look after for long.
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My recommendation: a supermarket basil plant.
Don’t open your bar until after 6pm
When you WFH the days can feel awfully long. One short-term way to combat this is with alcohol. You don’t need me to tell you that this is a terrible idea. Last lockdown it was easy to spot people who started drinking early. They became podgy, sallow and exhausted. Wait until 6pm before cracking open the booze.
At least you don’t have to homeschool this time
Covid may soon be sweeping through schools but they are still open. That means you are spared those terrible days of being a semi-distracted teaching assistant and making sure your kids aren’t sacking off maths for Fortnite. And that’s a cause for celebration.
