Hello Socratica Friends!
We’re here to help you…
Work from Home.
We know a lot of you are working from home these days. Even at Socratica, we’re trying
to work remotely. I can’t go into the studio right now, but we’re still making videos
for you.
We’re figuring out how to make this work. Even though we’re kind of trapped on opposite
sides of the city, we can still have video chats, send email, share documents...so we’re
doing everything OTHER than filming in the same room together.
Thanks to our viewers who are keeping us going with your kind messages.
And thank you to our Patrons on Patreon. Your support means so much to us.
We asked our Socratica Friends in a poll about YOUR challenges working from home. And you
had a LOT to say. Today, let’s talk about what we’ve learned about working from home
and how to not LOSE YOUR MIND in the process.
This is not to say we’re experts at working from home. We’re going to share what’s
worked for us, but if you have other suggestions, please leave them in the comments. We can
all learn from each other!
Try to suggest something that isn’t already in the video. That means you need to watch
until the END of the video to see all of our suggestions BEFORE you leave a comment! Right?
Right.
The first thing I have to say is - you have to be kind to yourself. You’re NOT going
to get as much work done as you usually do, and that is just going to have to be okay.
It’s a huge adjustment if you’re used to working at a certain pace. Right now, you
might be feeling disappointed in yourself.
YES. You and I are both pretty self-motivated, and we’re always reading and writing, and
researching...and since working from home, we’ve both had to kind of calm down a bit.
Yes, it’s true for Michael as well. At first, we were feeling pretty guilty we weren’t
getting more done. And it seemed WEIRD that we weren’t getting the same amount of work
done, because we basically ALWAYS work from home. I mean, we built our own little studio,
and so it’s not like we commute into an office, we just mosey over to the studio and
start work. So in that respect our days aren’t that different -
EXCEPT…
Yeah, a few big exceptions. Number one - we can’t work with our friends. So normally,
Liliana and Ulka would be coming over, and we’d be collaborating on some very fun film
shoots. And that’s not happening. So we need to talk about how to deal with isolation.
Yeah, loneliness! It’s a huge issue. We have to remember what we’ve learned from
research about BLUE ZONES - those places on the Earth where people live very long healthy
lives, like Okinawa, Japan and Sardinia, Italy....Along with a very healthy diet, they have a meaningful
social life. They might have tea every day with the same group of five friends their
whole lives. Emotional ties with people are very important for your health and well-being.
So that’s our first tip. Do what you can to maintain your social networks. I practically
never talk on the phone, I’m more of a texter - but I’m making an exception during this
time. I’m doing more video chats. I’m sitting across the driveway from my neighbor
and talking to her face to face.
maintaining distance…
Yes, we’re like 10 feet apart, but we’re still checking in with each other. In our
neighborhood we all go for walks every day, so you can see all the dogs and the little
kids, and we’re doing that too. We stay far apart, but we’re all waving at each
other and saying hello each day. How about you, Liliana, how are you maintaining social
ties?
I’ve been having virtual coffee and tea times with friends all over the world through
Skype, Zoom, and Whatsapp. I call people more often now. And to keep my sanity, which used
to be kept in check by spending free time in museums and libraries, I now do it virtually,
touring museums online and piling up books and books from my local library on my Kindle.
I’ve also been watching theater and dance performances online. I would risk saying I
am more engaged culturally now than I had been before. Many silver linings in this situation.
Art and stories are very important things to keep us motivated. And sharing these with
my friends and family have helped keep us all connected in a new way.
Aahhhh thank you for those. That makes a huge difference. A little bit of beauty.
It helps relieve the stress! Now, those things like museum tours, musical performances - that’s
what we’re doing when we’re NOT working.
so next let’s talk about how we actually ARE getting work done. The most important
tip we have, like always, is the
POMODORO TECHNIQUE.
If you’re not familiar with the Pomodoro technique - we have a great video all about
it, link below - it’s basically the idea of working for a short amount of time, like
20 minutes. You set a timer (like one of those little tomato kitchen timers, that’s where
it gets its name).
When the timer goes off, you HAVE to take a break.
this is great if you’ve been trying to sit at your desk for 8 hours, and you’re miserable,
and your neck/body or eyes hurt.
We actually heard that from a lot of our viewers, that they just can’t sit still in front
of their computer for that long. And they shouldn’t!
No! You can get DVT - Deep Vein Thrombosis.
That’s when you sit too long, you can get
a big blood clot in your legs, that can then loosen and lodge in your lungs and kill you.
You have to get up and stretch and move around regularly. It’s also not good for your eyes
to be reading your computer screen for that long.
You need to give your eyes a break, too.
So we use the Pomodoro Technique at Socratica ALL THE TIME. I use it literally for everything
in my life. Writing a script takes me about 4 pomodoros. Laundry - 1 pomodoro. Cooking
dinner - 2 pomodoros. Editing a video - about 15 pomodoros.
I have a pile of books I’m reading and online classes I’m taking, and I reserve at least
one pomodoro for each every day. Using the Pomodoro technique has kept me on track during
this weird time. I sit still and do what I can during one pomodoro, and don’t wander
around during that time looking for something to distract me. It helps a lot to know that
it’s not very long. 20 minutes!
That’s one of the best things about the Pomodoro Technique, is that if you ARE easily
distracted, this is a way to stay focused. It’s a lot easier to send your brain a message
to stay focused on this task if you know it’s only for 20 minutes and a break is coming
up.
Compared to if you think you’re just going to work for 8 straight hours, which is impossible.
I will say that one thing I’m doing differently is I give myself a MUCH longer break between
Pomodoros. Usually I do 25 minutes of work, and then take a 10 minute break, and at the
end of that 10 minute break I’m ready to get back to work. Nowadays, I use a little
bribe - I need something to look forward to.
Is it chocolate?
Actually, it’s opera. The Metropolitan Opera in New York is streaming an opera free every
day, and so what I’ve been doing is working on a video for 25 minutes, then I take a break
and watch one act or one scene of an opera, usually about 20 minutes. So I’m working
about half the time. It’s helping me stay cheerful. How about you, what are you doing
in your breaks?
I have been growing herbs, planting things, figuring out how to bake healthy treats, and
meditating and making sure to hydrate. We tend to forget that a lot!! And messaging
friends and family during breaks, to feel connected to the world out there.
Are you taking time to exercise?
I’m trying my best to do so. One of the things I have found most helpful are the Yoga
classes by “Yoga With Adriene.” There are so many of them! And after sitting for
a while I try doing her neck yoga as well, to release stress from sitting and not being
so active.
We LOVE Yoga With Adriene. Adriene, if you’re out there, we really want to do a video with
you for our study tips series.
Let’s do a collaboration about Yoga for Students, like
Yoga in your dorm room. I started Yoga in college. I was there to learn how to be a
scientist, but yoga was actually one of the most important things I learned there.
I kept it up, and found a WONDERFUL teacher when I was in grad school. I want to give
my thanks to my beautiful inspiring teacher Faith Conger - I carry her messages with me.
She’s right here in my heart. When I do Yoga with Adriene, it reminds me of her. So
yeah, I do yoga every morning and I hope I do the rest of my life.
Now is the PERFECT time to learn something new like Yoga or Tai Chi where you don’t
need a gym or any equipment really.
And you can continue to do it even as you get older and your body starts falling apart.
It KEEPS you from falling apart.
Exactly. That’s why it’s so useful, especially at times like these.
So this is basically how we’re working, we’re keeping our mind and body together.
What else should people do to have a better time when they’re working from home?
Remember we made this video about Organizing your workspace at home. That’s really important
now. You shouldn’t be calling into the office in your pyjamas from bed.
That’s right - Clear out a corner of your room, and dedicate it JUST to work. When you
sit down there, you’re working.
This is part of a bigger picture, I think - getting into the work mindset, even at home.
Part of it is establishing a routine. Get out of bed at a regular time and start your
day. It DOESN’T have to be at the crack of dawn. I’m not a morning person, and that’s
been one of the best things in my life about working from home. I can finally get the right
amount of sleep and wake up when it feels good. I will never attend a 7AM meeting again
if I have anything to say about it.
That’s one of the really messed up things about normal office life and school life.
The whole world assumes you’re a morning person. I am. Guilty as charged, but not everyone
is! It’s something like a quarter of people are morning people, a quarter are night owls,
and half are in the middle.
I swear, the tyranny of morning people! I’d like to see them show up for a meeting at
10 PM and see how well they do.
I would be half asleep at a 10pm meeting.. Hahahah!
Okay, so you wake up at 11, roll out of bed and...
...get yourself cleaned up, CHANGE out of your pyjamas into your work clothes.
- Did you hear that Walmart is selling a lot of professional looking tops but not bottoms?
It’s because of all the people appearing on webcams for work?
They’re pulling a Ray Bradbury!
???
So when I was growing up I used to see Ray Bradbury every year at Vroman’s, the independent
bookstore in Pasadena. He’d come and read to us from The Hallowe’en Tree. He’s a
huge hero of mine. I love him so much, forever. Anyway. He’d be sitting at a table, quite
formal, suit jacket and tie. Underneath the table, he’d have on shorts and sneakers.
laughing
Hey, you know, that’s okay. The suit jacket counts as dressing for work. Pick your version
of the suit jacket that means business. When you’re wearing your work clothes, you’re
working.
and change OUT of them at the end of the day!
that’s another really good tip. Because you’re working from home, you might be tempted
to work all day and all night. Set some reasonable hours for yourself, including when you’re
going to clock out for the day.
They call that “Work Creep” - that if you don’t set boundaries, your work will
creep into all the hours of your life if you’ll let it.
creep creep creep
Here’s something we’re NOT doing that we normally do - going out to cafes and the
library to work.
RIGHT. Under normal circumstances, I would say a change of view can be really helpful.
We get some of our best writing done in places like that.
So maybe we should think of how we can incorporate that idea, but in a safe way. They should
set up a live webcam at our favourite coffee shop.
Well it’s funny you say that - some of my friends who are fellow “edutubers” do
these hangouts together and we call them “coffeeshops.”
We’re all working, writing or editing videos,
not really talking to each other very much, but it still gives us a sense of camaraderie.
Almost like when you go to a coffee shop. It helps that it’s not complete silence.
Malcolm Gladwell recommended working from coffeeshops. I wonder how he’s doing.
We should invite him to our next coffee shop hangout.
What about pitfalls. What could go wrong when you’re working at home. For me, it’s getting
caught up in the busyness of it all. Like I am not allowed to stop. Like I MUST be productive,
I must do, do, do, do. But instead of actually doing the work, I get caught up in EVERYTHING
that needs to be done in the house. There’s always something that pops up and calls your
attention. It’s harder for me to focus, working at home.
I hear this from Michael a lot, that even in the best of circumstances, he just doesn’t
get as much done at home as he did when he was working in an office like at Google. I
think, honestly, there’s a little bit of a myth here. I don’t believe that ANYONE
actually gets 8 hours of work done if they go to work. Well, maybe if you’re working
on an assembly line, but like office work? I see a lot of wasting of time, shopping online,
talking at the watercooler. You should see it at Google, it’s so hard to get work done
there - everyone’s huddled at their desk in headphones to try to avoid distractions.
Those open office plans are terrible for getting anything done.
Other people can be very distracting! What do you do when it’s your FAMILY distracting
you?
You might have to go into a room with a door that locks. And work out an agreement that
when you’re in your home office space, you need to work uninterrupted. I remember Joyce
Carol Oates saying that the biggest enemy for writers isn’t that you struggle for
ideas, it’s that people keep interrupting you when you’re trying to write.
This also gets back to the need for socialization - as weird as it might sound, you
probably need to schedule a time for socializing, even with your family.
Yes. Honestly, I’d write a short to-do list and include “Play a game with family”
and “Walk the dog” on it. And then, also, you get to see what you actually got done
each day. It might be more than you realize.
I LOVE to-do lists. Crossing things off is such a good feeling.
I also heard recently that some people make “DONE” lists instead. Each time you finish
some small task, you write it down, so you can see your list of accomplishments.
I like that! You don’t see this big list of things that you DIDN’T do.
Yeah, we could try that. One last thing I wanted to mention, something I heard about
from Michael, and this gets back to being kind to yourself. It’s called walk vs run.
The idea is that if you’re running a marathon, and you run out of steam at some point, you
don’t stop dead in your tracks. You WALK for a while, and then when you get your energy
back, you start running again.
You’re still making progress even when you’re walking.
Right. So sometimes Michael will say “I’m having a walk day today,” and I get it.
You might only accomplish one thing, but it’s still one thing you DID rather than giving
up altogether. It counts!
That Michael is a smart guy.
I know, right?
Okay Socratica Friends. We’re going to get back to work now.
Let us know how you’re doing. Stay home. Stay safe.