Creating a balance: working from home during COVID-19

When I left work on March 13, 2020, I did not know that would be my last day teaching my students in the classroom for 18 months.

That weekend, our county executive ordered all schools closed for two weeks out of caution. Before the shut down, our administration already had us create Google classrooms and admit students just in case of this scenario. Fortunately, I had already uploaded most of the materials before I left that afternoon and felt ready.

However, this was just the beginning.

Let’s just say WFH was not fun for me…

At first, the constant barrage of emails and notifications were understandable since we literally started teaching online after three days of preparation and professional development. But as the weeks went on, it was becoming harder and harder to ignore them.

I could have shut them off, but then I risk not seeing a student’s question or an email from an administrator. Despite what time it was, I would open the email or notification and act on it if required. The line between work and home were blurred even more than before.

Along with the constant alerts, I was managing several other things. I was preparing my theory class for the AP (Advanced Placement) exam. Students were getting bogged down with work from other classes and therefore, not participating as much (this often happens when you do not teach a core subject).

I was running out of ideas for my ensembles (you cannot have a rehearsal online and those virtual ensembles require DAYS of editing). And, I was taking two graduate courses on top of all this.

There were multiple days that I was on the computer for almost twelve hours working and coupled with grad school work, I considered exercise to be the only real break of the day. Unfortunately, there were days that it was difficult to find time for exercise.

For example, my boyfriend suggested that we go for an evening walk. I was busy working on a composition project. The. Entire. Time. At this point, I had to set boundaries otherwise I was going to break.

How I found balance

Despite creating a schedule, I was not following it very well. Along with resuming the schedule, I also created a few rules.

• no working while eating
• not answering emails/Google Classroom comments after 5:00pm unless it is urgent
• taking longer breaks more frequently to reduce eyestrain

After following the schedule and rules above, I created a balanced that worked for me and felt more productive and less stressed. Thankfully, the graduate school semester is over and the school year is winding down. However, distance learning may continue in the fall and we might experience this again (spoiler alert: it did happen again).

Additional tips

After this experience, I complied a list of tips for staying healthy while working from home and my ebook Banish the Burnout. Check out more suggestions here.

Did you work from home before the pandemic or were you forced to W.F.H. recently like me? What has helped you maintain a work-life balance at home?