Quarantine Life: Day 10, Tips for Coworking Couples
We’re nearing the end of our second week of working from home, which means Grant and I have logged a considerable number of hours working two feet apart. In that time, we’ve discovered a lot about each other’s work styles. Here are some tips we’d like to share with other coworking couples.
A sense of space is important. Just like people have their own side of the bed or spot on the couch, it’s useful to feel “ownership” of one’s workspace. Even though we work in the same room and at the same table, I have my side of the table and he has his. And just like with our division of closet space, he’s generous enough to let me take up 60 percent of our table.
It’s fun to have lunch together. When Grant and I first started dating, we used to have lunch together every day because our offices were just down the street from each other. He’d walk toward my building and I’d wait for him at the street corner. We’d sit at our usual park bench and share the lunches I would pack for the two of us. It’s been years since we’ve been able to do that, so it’s nice that we can have that kind of time together again now.
Headphones are a lifesaver. Headphones can be a great tool to help you concentrate or to signal to your spouse that you need to focus. If one of us is on the phone, the other can put on headphones and continue working without needing to leave the room.
Support each other. In our pre-COVID lives, we usually waited until we got home after work before sharing with each other how our respective days went. Now, we get to see and hear about each other’s workdays in real time. It’s nice to be able to support each other in person and give words of encouragement as they’re needed.
If you’re working at home with your spouse or partner, what tips do you have for harmonious coworking?
This daily blog post series is our way of sharing our experience with you, our readers. We’ll talk about our daily routines, adjustments to working from home, recipes based on limited ingredients and any other topic that comes to mind. It’s our way of connecting with the “outside” world, while also giving us the opportunity to look within and reflect on what we’re experiencing and how we’re feeling. Thanks for your interest in sharing this journey with us. Stay tuned and be well.
