Joanna Lunn is the Event Sales Manager at the VSC, Jo has been working from home for 4 weeks now, below she explains her life in lockdown.
"The challenges of the lockdown for me have been challenging….I have 2 girls aged 4 and 5 that I am sharing home schooling duties! I have a super nanny who saves my life for 4 hours each day from 9am -1pm so I can actually get some of my work done in normal hours. She helps with the home-schooling thank God as if it was just up to me I think I’d put them back a year!
Even though there hasn’t been any events to manage since the lockdown there has been a lot to catch-up on, my team have been busy working on postponing future events and working closely with clients to ensure we work in partnership with them to make it work best for both sides. Our clients are quite long standing so we have that relationship with them already which is great to manage, there are however new clients who we are continuing to build relationships with and reassure them that we are flexible and accommodating.
I have been working on future plans for the return and what proactive work we can still look at doing. Unfortunately my team will be on furlough from the 1st May so we are all trying to work closely together to get everything in place before I am a team of 1. I have an amazing team and we are very close. We have video catch-ups daily with weekly Friday drinks included so we can keep up the tradition and rapport. I know it’s hard to stay motivated whist being at home so I do try and keep the momentum up with them.
Staying positive is vital in the current climate, one good thing to come from the situation is I get to spend more time with my girls, and I am trying to go for daily jogs when possible which hasn’t happened for a very very long time… In fact I cannot remember when I last jogged! Not giving up the wine though that’s a massive step too far…. However I am trying to reduce the amount of days I have wine! (I have 2 kids 24/7 I need some vice)".
Jo’s Tips for effective results when working from home:
1. Don’t forget that you are there to work
Set yourself up the right way, have a shower and brush your teeth at the start of the day rather than sitting in your pyjamas for eight hours!
(I’ll be honest when I was first on lockdown I didn’t do any of the above…. What’s the point I would think! (Obviously I was mourning work!) But it was not productive! I snapped out of it and treated it like a normal get ready for work day and it’s so much better.
Jo's work set-up above.
2. Distinguish between work and home mode
Knowing what to do when you break (If you are lucky enough to have one) leave the house for your 1 daily exercise it clears your head massively. Do a shop! Prep the dinner early. You cannot stay in all day you need to distinguish your breaks from the rest of the working day.
3. Don’t be over ambitious
Try do weekly to do lists and work through this each day. You can always add to this as and when you need to, but I find daily ones a real chore to get through and not as motivating as a weekly list.
