Today in the NYT -- Working at Home? Self-Isolation Doesn't Have to Be Lonely

The New York Times Story – Today…

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/opinion/coronavirus-self-isolation.html?searchResultPosition=1

News Release from the Expert:

Megan Taylor Morrison FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (March 17, 2020)

559-286-8963

megan@megantaylormorrison.com

www.thethrivingcreator.com

During the COVID pandemic, social isolation is critical for our physical health. Physical health is not the only consideration, however.

"Losing touch with others can have a significant impact on our mental and emotional wellbeing," said Megan Taylor Morrison, the founder of The Thriving Creator Virtual Coworking Community. "As social isolation continues, it's important we find safe ways to connect with others"Virtual coworking provides one way.

"Virtual coworking, in its simplest form, is a video conference where you get work done,"

Morrison said. "Each of the calls is run by a facilitator who helps you stay on task"

At the beginning of each session, the facilitator asks participants what they will accomplish, as well as poses an additional question: What's your biggest distraction, and can you ignore it for the next two hours? What attitude do you want to bring to your work today? At the end of the ach person's progress.

"People often tell me these coworking hours are the most productive time during their week,"Morrison says. "It creates grea

As participants get to know one another better -- both through coworking and through the virtual coffee chats -- they grow their sense of community and start to root each other on.

If you're craving more connection or feeling your productivity lag, join a virtual coworking community or start your own. To start your own, consider the following tips:

1) Use Zoom Video Conferencing: After trying several platforms, Morrison decided on this one. It's affordable and you can run meetings for up to 24 hours.

2) Collaborate with at least 5 people: This way, if a few people can't make the session,

you'll still have a quorum.

3) Maintain your agenda: It's all too easy for virtual coworking to become a virtual hangout. Make sure everyone who comes knows this is a time to work, not to socialize.

Megan Taylor Morrison

Marietta, GA

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Plus from Alan Weiss – Leading Management Consultant

• Close the door if you have one. Arrange a "do not disturb" with your kids. I like to keep the dogs with me.

• Don't turn on TV for any updates. Don't surf the web. Don't respond to personal emails.

• Make a list of three priorities to accomplish. Focus on those. If you accomplish them before "quitting" for the day, choose other issues to work on

• "Chunk" thinks, like writing or recording. Don't work on any one thing for more than about 45 minutes.

• Don't schedule "back-to-back" calls or Zoom or Skype meetings.

• Remove distractions from the room: musical instruments, screen savers with photos should be disabled, crossword puzzles, and so forth.

• Alternate between active (making calls, writing) and passive  (ideating about future offerings, creating intellectual property).

• No music. It's actually a distraction.

• Don't multi-task or you'll do three things poorly at once.

• Don't plan a full day. Counterintuitively, knock off around three if your three priorities are accomplished (or if your employer permits if you're working for someone else).

• Go outside during your lunch break. Don't eat at your desk. Get some fresh air.

• Explain to callers you're working at home if need be (extraneous noise, dogs on camera).

• Invest in excellent cameras and microphones.

• Have an empty real and virtual desktop at the end of your day. Don't allow clutter or disorganization. When you "show up" for work, your physical desk should be clean and your virtual desk include only email that came in overnight.

• Use snacks and energy drinks during the day, not junk food.

• Soon after you begin, set expectations for your family so that they can be supportive.

• If you're alone, be prepared to respond to UPS, Fedex, and other deliveries. Try to create "no signature required."

• Postpone virtual socializing until the end of the day.

For my free livestream on Sustaining and Growing Business in Crisis Times, use this address at 11 am US Eastern time on March 26: https://livestream.com/accounts/21314230/events/9036953  Absolutely free and access later via recording.

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C-Virus Panic Allows Us to Clear Clutter & Organize-UP: Downtime Means Digging into Life's Files, House & Office for a New Start

Go to work, drop off kids, get dinner, go shopping, sit in traffic, do laundry, take kids, cook food, clean up sleep, go to work and then do it all again and again and again ...sound familiar? When is there time to tackle all the messy situations we procrastinate about or which magically appear in a never-ending parade of new complications and problems?

All too often there isn't enough. With safety dictating millions stay close or not leave home, and businesses short staffed because of slow downs, now is the time to backfill and "Get 'er done." Barbara Hemphill, organizing expert and author of upcoming The Clutter Crisis: How Fear, Greed, and Overwhelm are Crippling America!, believes this virus crisis has given "Americans the rare opportunity to transform their personal and business lives by stepping back to eliminate the clutter and taken charge of their lives.

This is not the time to hide in the closet, but to empty and re-organize it. Computer files, email overwhelm, proposals for new or existing business plans, bulging files clogging the back of our minds all ready to get blown out to allow us, once this passes, open field running for the great and important things in life." Thirty years ago Hemphill's first book, Taming the Paper Tiger, set her on a path into the field of "organizational protocols" and numerous best-sellers, national media appearances and creating successful programs.

Under the umbrella of the Productive Environment Institute she embraces new technologies to offer live webinars in conjunction with programs such as Office Transformation Quickstart and Productivity on Demand for individuals or Productive Environment Day and 7 Information Management Questions for companies. On the home page of PEI website is offered a Productive Environment Score to gauge the current situation and measure progress. For the purposes of the current societal crisis, Hemphill believes people can take advantage of isolation time to take stock, regroup, organize and move forward with PEI's 90-Day Less Clutter More Life Virtual Mastermind. In just 10 weeks, you will have a de-cluttering success story!

Barbara Hemphill

barbara@BarbaraHemphill.com

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Unique Tips for Working From Home from a Comedian

Experts will give you tips on how to work from home with thiings like "set aside a specific work space" And while these tips are true, there are many unique tips that are missing. Comedian and keynote speaker Jan McInnis has successfully worked from home for over 25 years, and she has the inside scoop on what you REALLY need to do to be happy at home.

"It's not all about setting guidelines and pretending you're in the office, there are some real pitfalls that you need to pay attention to," McInnis quips. Catch her working from home episode part 1, by clicking the links here.

"These aren't your standard tips that you've heard a thousand times," McInnis promises. Sure she's on the road a lot, but when she's not on the road, she's working from home. "How do you think I get the bookings?," McInnis quips McInnis is a keynote speaker, comedian, comedy writer, and author. She shares her tips on using humor in business at conventions and conferences throughout the country. When there are no conventions and conferences, then she stays at home with her dog Delilah.

Jan McInnis

800-492-9394

Jan@TheWorkLady.com

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Quorum Radio: The Man with the 14 Lb. Rolodex -- Mitchell P. Davis – Publisher of this News Feed. Mitchell P. Davis won the Georgetown University Bunn Award for Excellence in Journalism and graduated from their business school. Started his PR business in 1984 with publication of the Talks Show Guest Directory. Served on the board of the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts.

Now in it's 36 annual edition the Yearbook of Experts, Authorities & Spokespersons has been requested by tens of thousands of journalists. See and download a free copy of the 36th Yearbook of Experts at www.ExpertBook.com -- his website: www.ExpertClick.com hosts all the expert profiles and hundreds of thousands of news releases.

His resources are loved by the new media. --- The New York Times called it: "Dial-an-Expert" The Associated Press called it: "An Encyclopedia of Sources," and PRWEEK called it: "a dating service of PR"

He also founded The News Council, to help non-profit groups use the power of his networking free of charge – see the site at www.NewsCouncil.org. He is the Director General of the International Platform Association, the speakers association founded by Daniel Webster in 1831: www.InternationalPlatform.org

He is a member of The Circumnavigators Club, has circled the globe twice and welcomes the opportunity to the discuss the how Peking has evolved into being Beijing. He loves to contra dance and vacation off-the-grid.

 The Yearbook has been reviewed in The Sunday New York Times Magazine.

Mitchell P. Davis

202) 333-5000

ExpertClick@Gmail.com

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