HOW TO MAKE THE NEW NORMAL WORK FOR YOU

By Charu Suri

With most of us working from home these days, it’s been more than challenging than ever to figure out what the new normal is. How exactly do we navigate these waters with all our ups and downs?

I realized that since almost everyone is in the same boat, it might make sense to turn to someone who truly knows her stuff. So, I approached Karen Mangia who wrote the book, "Working from Home: Making the New Normal Work for You" (available now on Amazon) to ask her the top tips for making the new normal really work for you.

Mangia wrote the book at breakneck speed during the pandemic, and it was published by Wiley. “My editor asked me to write the book in a few weeks, or at least within 30 days,” she said. “I did the impossible by focusing on what was possible.”

While we all have tried to adapt to the new environment, some concrete points can help. Here are Mangia’s top tried and true tips:

When you’re working from home, it’s easy to make impromptu jaunts to the kitchen, to refill your water bottles when you get there, or graze at cookies. “When To develop healthy habits, put routines, rituals and boundaries in place. The reason why Mangia says routine is critical is that you had a routine at work in the first place, such as dropping off and picking up kids, or a happy hour, or meeting up with a trainer. The same type of routine becomes necessary at home. Routines are actually an upside, easy to executive and don’t take much time. Rituals can be therapeutic and motivating. These can include playing music, mindfulness and movement. Listen to a song or a couple of songs, Mangia advises, or do 5-10 minutes of meditation (an Since the situation that we all thought was temporary has become more permanent, the simplest thing to do is to pause and ask yourself what’s working. “Some people are still in the uncomfortable antique dining room chair,” she says. “You’re going to be at home for a few months longer. Choose to take off of your list what’s not working; it’s a very small adjustment that you can easily make. Pause and take stock of what’s working, especially since we have a bit longer to make the new normal work for us.” we work at home, we get sucked into “just one more” syndrome, or one more blog and we are always grazing on work-- that

PUT ROUTINES, RITUALS AND BOUNDARIES IN PLACE.

becomes the gateway to that burnout.” upside incentive to closing that pantry door). “I had a family that shared with me that they took a walk around the block, and how that helped their day,” she says. “For some others, it can be exercise. I know one executive that has a sevenyear-old. At the end of the day, he does what used to happen in cartoons: Fred Flintstone would yell and go down the tail of a dinosaur and yell Yabba Dabba Do.”

Mangia says that without these markers, it’s harder to know when to cease activity and leave (for the day).

PAUSE TO ASK YOURSELF WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT’S NOT WORKING.

Mangia advises that you do tiny changes, instead of big leaps.

What if you’re feeling alone and frustrated? Find ways to connect.

Do a phone call with someone. Putting together a group that gets together, like a new work skill or a new book club. Find some ways to create the connection that you seek, and in doing so you get to connect with people who remind you that you can still influence how and with whom you connect, says Mangia. This will break up some of that monotony. “On Monday mornings, I have this virtual coffee group with my company. We’re not really talking about a big project but just have fun talking about sports or books. One of my colleagues is a painter and it’s just fun (to hang out) and this starts the day off on a positive note. We’re all in a position to create those moments. It’s also a great way to demonstrate that you’re a leader and able to think differently during these times.”

MANAGING REALISTIC CREATIVITY AND PRODUCTIVITY.

Productivity is a hard one now. “I have found that asking three questions help: Does it have to be me, Does it have to be me right now, and the bonus question, does it have to be a meeting?” asks Mangia. “So many people report that they’re exhausted of having a meeting.” These questions will help you to reclaim some time that you might be spending on things that don’t matter.

Another way is to take any meeting and shorten it. Does a meeting have to be that long? Take 5-10 minutes away from the meeting and decide if you handle it in an email. It is okay to use a collaborative document, says Mangia. “Find your style: if you’re looking for ways for a challenge, take a little time out, and see if you can do it as a phone call, or move it into a collaborative document. Most people will find a way to take meetings off their calendar.”

THE TAKE-AWAY

While no one has a magic formula that will help you adjust to the new normal, these tips are good reminders that baby steps can help you get the most of your work environment. A safe and healthy work from home experience to all!

Charu Suri is a freelance journalist and also the editor of Wellness Lounge®. She is also a pianist and composer.