AdNews last year launched the WFH Diaries during the depths of the fallout from the pandemic, a way of sharing how people managed their days.
This time, with lockdown running again, we're asking for a run down on how everyone likes to start their day working from home. Some dress to impress, others slip on the t-shirt. And everyone has their own way to carve the day into manageable chunks.
Virginia Hyland, CEO, Havas Media Group:
The perfection of the Working from Home stories is blowing my mind, so organised….and I am definitely not….
It’s Friday and the week has raced, thumping at top speed.
This morning I woke up at 7.15am, opened one eyeball and then closed it again….
8.10am - finally dragged myself out of bed only to realise that my kids were still in bed and school started in 20 minutes!!! Throwing Weetbix in bowls and trying to encourage my little ones out of bed to log on. OK so they were 10 minutes late for school, no biggie I tell myself. Throwing down a cup of tea and raisin toast.
9am - first meeting of the day. Given it’s only been 50 minutes since I woke up and had to sort the kids out, my PJ’s are firmly in place from the bottom down. I turn on the heater, the lighting and the camera with a big wide lipstick smile that I’m drawing on my face just before I enter the call. Amazing how a Gucci lipstick can make you feel even with my pyjama pants still on….
What I loved about this meeting was that my client CEO, who always looked immaculate, showed me their Oodie that was keeping their legs warm. Aaah a kindred spirit!
The calls keep flowing. Solving problems, coming up with new initiatives and reimagining our business. I really do need to figure out when I will have time to do the shower dash. Batiste Dry Hair Shampoo can only hold for so many days….
2pm - Five meetings later, some not originally planned due to urgent issues, I finally get a 15-minute break. Dash to the shower. Feeling fresh with shiny hair I’m looking much better on camera now.
No time for lunch, I grab a mandarin and an Anzac biscuit (Friday sugar hit).
4.30pm – another break in calls and lunchtime. Tuna on toast.
5pm – the calls keep rolling.
6pm Friday night – after missing the deadline to write this WFH piece by a week, I’m sitting down to write for AdNews. Then I can start my work….or will I give myself an early mark? The Olympics has been so uplifting to watch this week in lockdown.
7.30pm – time for my Zumba for Beginners class with a bunch of lovely ladies from Thailand who are as daggy as I am?? Check it out….42 million views can’t be wrong?
Tips for getting through the day….just throw yourself into it and before you know it the day, the week and month are finished. Don’t over think it, just do.
If I feel myself getting anxious, no matter how busy I am, I find a time to stop and sit in the fresh air or get out for a walk. It helps me to feel normal again and I can better cope with any challenges.
Distractions – there are a lot of people who need to talk to me. Even when I think I have a clear day it seems to get swallowed up. I need to support my team around any concerns they have and these can magnify in lockdown.
Upside to lockdown – I don’t have to be as organised with military precision to get kids off to school etc. before I start my day. I’m more forgiving of myself when things don’t go to plan.
Downside to lockdown – the constant energy and positivity that I need to radiate to keep everyone I interact with buoyant. It takes far more effort compared to an office setting. It’s a mental commitment, which requires enormous stamina.
What I do know? We are closer to the end of the worst period of continuous lockdown than we are to the beginning of it. This thought keeps me upbeat! I remind myself that today I’ve done everything I can possibly do to keep propelling the business forward.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
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