5 Tips for Working from Home with Your Partner
Tips for existing in the same space for an extended period of time
Tips for existing in the same space for an extended period of time
All photos in this post are by the lovely Kaley Kocinski.
I’ll refrain from diving into anything predominantly pandemic-related, as I’m sure you’ve read about it in the news enough by now to cover your news-reading bases for the next 300 calendar days.
Instead, I’ll share a few things I’ve learned by working from home with my partner for the last couple of years, which have the potential to benefit those doing this for the first time. We still learn from each other every day and often have to adapt to new ways of existing in the same space for the majority of our days, but have definitely found a few things that help. Here are a handful of my thoughts:
01 — Share your plans
The best way to be on the same page in the morning is to talk about what you have going on for the day — if you both have multiple calls, you can plan to work from another room or decide to fold the laundry or clean up the bathroom at that time. The other main way that we stay caught up on each other’s day is by using a shared calendar invite and adding any work calls, events, appointments or reservations so we don’t have to repeatedly ask each other what our day or week looks like. Nick invited me to a shared calendar a few weeks after we met and I think it was then that I knew it was love.
02 — Go for walks together and alone
If you need some space, go for a walk. We both feel so much better during the day once we clear our heads and get some air. It’s nice to go together and walk to the grocery store or get a smoothie and alternate who’s spritzing the hand sanitizer onto who. (Too soon?)
03 — Meal plan
In the middle of the day, it’s really fun to think about what you’ll eat for dinner. Decide what you’ll make, then you can look forward to it together throughout the day. It’s the little things.
04 — Reserve time
We often have that moment where one of us is really in the zone, powering away at a task or writing down a long, fleeting thought and then the other person bursts out in song or comes in with a question that we simply don’t have the capacity to oblige in that current moment. We’ve realized that our efforts in handling this would be easier if we got a physical object to represent this uninterrupted time and set it out when needed during the workday. We’re going to go with an hourglass or interesting knick-knack.
05 — Make snacks for each other and together
Listen, snacks are fun. They lift up the mood, if anything, and once you’ve had a few slices of cheese and crackers, you’ll probably have better chances of focusing on work, right? Do you know how pleasant it is to be answering emails and have the one you love bring over a charcuterie plate (complete with apricot jam)? It’s really pleasant. It doesn’t even have to be anything wild. Cut up an apple and throw some peanut butter and cinnamon on top and bring it to them in a bowl. Also, you can make snacks together as a break in the middle of the workday. Think: hummus! Veggie board! Toasted nuts and cheese! The options are endless.
Hope you found these tips on maintaining a healthy environment together useful. Small gestures can very positively influence the environment that you’re living in. :)