N E W S
J U N E 16
L E H A V R E
Staying Connected While Social Distancing
(BPT)–The COVID-19
pandemic presents daunting
challenges for many
seniors and other vulnerable
populations. Social
distancing and shelter-inplace
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-toface
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, faithbased
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 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. Onefifth
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 workfrom
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.
16 LEHAVRE COURIER | JUNE 2020 | WWW.QNS.COM
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