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Carrie Baize

266

Multi-hatted desk jockey & entrepreneur

09/10/20 at 4:53PM UTC

Career

WFH during an emergency

I had managed to get the hang of working from home and all the craziness involved with it but now I've been evacuated from the Creek Fire (in California). My boss and team are amazingly supportive but it's like learning how to work all over again... again. Anyone have any pointers on going from a home office to trying to work out of a super-small motel room? Any ideas on helping with peace of mind while I watch the edge of the fire dance dangerously close to the edge of my property? Anyone else in a similar situation that just needs a sympathetic ear?

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Claudia

667

Current events call for adapting new solutions.

09/10/20 at 6:47PM UTC

I worked out of a hotel for about two weeks while there was an emergency beyond my control around April in the height of covid panic. I have no idea what it's like to worry about your home in the fires and I really hope everything turns out okay. I will give this: Do not assume you will be as productive as you would be otherwise. Don't expect or hold yourself to that standard. You will need the additional time to process and digest everything that is going on. And hopefully your boss and workplace understand that, because mentally it is so much more than 'working from a hotel' or 'working mobile.' Between the pandemic, fires, the economy, the upcoming election, and the many topics at the front of people's thoughts (equality, police violence, and covid protests) you are living through an unprecedented time. AND to have your home in danger? The stress is immeasurable. So please be kind to yourself, slow down, take your time, and make sure you don't try and push yourself to perform harder while also trying to cope with the stress of it all. I wish for you a good support network!

Gretchen Skalka

877

Career and Leadership Development Coach

09/10/20 at 6:15PM UTC

Carrie - I wish I could give you a big, warm hug right now! Because I do know what it's like from a slightly different perspective. On Sept. 12, 2018, a high-transmission power line fell from a pole just outside the fence in our back yard. That fence was chain link and the active line grazed it just enough as it fell that it sent the charge through our house in three waves (the metal fence conducted it to the metal back porch enclosure, to the metal gutters and that's how it got to the house). It blew things off the house inside and out and started a fire in the attic. We were in a hotel for weeks, then in a series of very small efficiency apartments - for a year and a half. I ended up working from the desk in the hotel room, the hotel's makeshift 'business center' when I needed to work late but my husband needed to sleep ... kitchen countertops, the couch, chairs - and even using my hotspot working from my car - you name it, I worked from it. During that time, I was also going through insurance, losing a lot of things and having everything salvageable taken for processing. No personal items, most of my clothes were gone - it was literally what we were wearing the night it happened and a few things downstairs that weren't damaged that we had for all those months. Work was a haven for me during that time because it was a constant. Something I could count on when there wasn't much solid footing elsewhere during that time. What helped me through it was: -- Finding space where I could work uninterrupted if possible (hence, the car sometimes). -- Keeping 'office' hours to help preserve my focus while working. -- Meditating and giving myself positive reminders that it will be ok. Whatever happens - it will be ok. -- Music. Music to power me through and music to calm me down. My YouTube history looks chaotic, but depending on the day, my mood, outside factors - music was a huge help for me. -- Reading. My reading appetites completely changed during that time. Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hanh, Don Miguel Ruiz, Gary Zukav, Michael Singer -- I could go on and on, but I what I found was that I was gravitating to and ravenously digesting everything I could to help keep myself and my perspective in balance. It's still fresh for me because it's so recent. I know it's a terrifying time for you right now. Please make sure to take time for yourself. Take care of yourself. Work will help with that. I have a series of affirmations I created for myself during that time. I remind myself of them every day - the third one I remind myself about every morning is: Everything always works out better than I expect. It has. It still does. That is my wish for you, as well. :)