JUNE 16
C RY D E R
P O I N T
Staying Connected While Social Distancing
(BPT)–The COVID-19 pandemic presents daunting
challenges for many seniors and other vulnerable populations.
Social distancing and shelter-in-place requirements
are necessary for their continued health and safety. But
with it comes the risk of social isolation, and the mental
and physical tolls this can take.
How can older people balance the requirements for social
distancing with the inherent need for social engagement?
Here are a few recommendations.
Explore new technology
Apps like FaceTime, Zoom and Skype offer fun and
interesting ways to connect face-to-face with family and
friends, even if it’s a screen version. And most don’t require
a terrific amount of tech-savvy: a neighbor, niece or
nephew can help with a quick tutorial.
Even popular board games have gone virtual. Classics
like Monopoly, Scattergories and Scrabble can be played
online together, and there are a host of sites with card
games, trivia and other fun activities to do together. A
game night is a great way to bring people closer, and take
your mind off your worries.
Stay active in the community, from home
It may sound counterintuitive. How can you remain a
part of the community if you need to stay separated from
it? Many organizations, like political parties, faith-based
groups or nonprofits, offer remote options, relying on
volunteers to make phone calls. Explore your options for
doing community-based activity right at home.
Go on a news diet
While it’s important to stay informed, don’t get locked
into endlessly watching “breaking news” on the 24-hour
news channels. Typically, not much changes hour to hour,
and enduring the repetitious pummeling from TV all day
long can bring needless anxiety.
Instead, try watching a news update in the morning,
then check in again at night. And don’t stay with it all
evening: 30 minutes or an hour is usually plenty to stay
well informed.
Find a buddy system
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending
16 CRYDER POINT COURIER | JUNE 2020 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM
that communities create “buddy systems” to
make sure vulnerable and hard-to-reach people stay connected,
particularly to news about COVID-19. This can
be done through a social group or daily neighborhood
email blasts.
Reach out to people in your communities to locate
these groups, or start one of your own. Something as
simple as a message with a kind word can go a long way
during uncertain times.
Make a phone call
All the digital options available today may make a simple
phone call seem old fashioned. But sometimes, the old
ways are the best ways. Just hearing someone’s voice can
be enough to lift both your spirits. Even if you only reach
voicemail, you’ve let someone know you were thinking
about them, which is always good medicine.
Social distancing doesn’t have to mean social isolation,
and even a threat like coronavirus should not force us to
be alone. Now, more than ever, people need to find smart
ways to stay connected.
Working From Home: What We’ve Learned So Far
(BPT)–The recent transition to widespread working
from home has shown that the experience has been
both educational and eye-opening for many. Working
at home means learning to cope with distractions, space
constraints, managing time with family and learning new
skills. And, according to new consumer research, it has
also meant reassessing what is most important.
A nationwide survey conducted by Wakefield Research
on behalf of LG Electronics reveals the many ways working
from home has challenged and surprised Americans.*
Connecting with loved ones
The most striking survey results show the importance
of close relationships. Social distancing has caused many
to reassess who is most important to them, and how
much they may have taken friends and family for granted.
The global health crisis has turned socializing into a
more deliberate act. More than half (53%) of homebound
people said they felt closer to loved ones than before the
outbreak, and 27% even said that they felt much more
connected than before.
When asked what they want to do first when the crisis
is over, the top answer was to visit loved ones, followed
by going out to a meal.
Managing work-life balance
For many people, juggling priorities and obligations
was difficult even before the switch to remote working.
But having to work at home has shined a brighter spotlight
on how we cope and find a healthy work-life balance.
Here are some of the tricks people have discovered:
Half said they take frequent short breaks to balance
work and home responsibilities.
37% are starting work earlier, while 17% are starting
work later to manage schedules better.
35% are learning to keep their whole household to a
schedule.
23% use visual cues (like signs) to let others know when
they’re working.
Mastering technological challenges
Most people affected by the crisis say they have had
to master (or learn from scratch) how to complete their
work entirely from home, including the new norm of
conducting video conferences from somewhere in their
home.
Technology has been crucial to this adaptation. Almost
half (47%) have discovered a new app or service they say
they now can’t live without–especially video chat apps
that have helped them learn how to communicate better
with colleagues and loved ones.
As one might expect, a majority of respondents admitted
to making conference calls from a common area in
their house. However, some said they were stuck calling
from a makeshift workspace in a lesser-used part of
home. One-fifth of respondents admitted to calling from
a basement or attic, while others said they took work on
the go. The research shows 18% have called from their
cars, and perhaps most surprisingly, 12% admit taking
work calls in the bathroom.
For many, the time they’ve spent working at home has
helped them appreciate how successfully technology has
kept them connected on all fronts, including their work
and personal lives.
Reevaluating life’s priorities
Overall, the experience of working from home has had
everyone reassessing what–and who–is most important
to them. Among those who said they’ve discovered new
apps, digital services or technology, many said that they
were spending significant time using it for family or relationship
management.
An overwhelming number of survey respondents said
that they plan to continue at least one of their new practices
even after returning to a “normal” work situation,
including:
43% said they’re likely to arrange more family dinners.
39% plan to do more cooking.
39% also said they would do more video chatting.
As a result of spending some more time at home, many
have been rethinking their priorities, with nearly half
considering buying or using fewer things. Some (16%)
have thought about beginning a new career, and others
are considering starting their own business (14%).
No matter what your work-from-home experience has
been, chances are it’s changed your attitudes about work
and family life–and how to balance the two–in ways that
will stay with you long into the future.
The LG WFH Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research
among 1,000 U.S. adults, working from home due
to COVID-19, between April 10 and April 15, 2020, using
an email invitation and an online survey.
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