Co-op Digital Blog

Right now, things are difficult. We’re all working from home and will be for the foreseeable. Last week Co-op Digital compiled a list of acceptable behaviour and ways of working to keep in mind over the coming weeks. It’s particularly important for us to be kind, compassionate and understanding right now so we can carry on as best we can.

We’ve had the GDS ‘It’s OK’ posters up in Federation for as long as Fed has existed. With a huge hat tip to the GDS Creative team (especially Giles and Sonia), we’ve used the same format.

Unprecedented times call for new rules. The list is purposefully long and in parts it’s contradictory. What works for one person may work terribly for another. We’re all experimenting.

The list is a reminder to do what you need to do to get through this.

Co-op Digital team
❤️

We’re in lockdown. We’re working from home. It’s ok to:

• take time to find your new routine
• start earlier, start later, finish earlier, finish later, work in short blasts, or longer stints
• plan your day around food
• juggle home-working and homeschooling
• block out ‘caring for kids/elders’ in your calendar
• feel less productive
• take a break
• take annual leave
• put your home life first
• prioritise your mental health
• take another break and s-t-r-e-t-c-h…
• have days when you enjoy it, and days when you don’t
• read the news, talk about the news, try to make sense of the news
• ignore the news completely
• feel overwhelmed
• go for a walk
• cuddle your kids, pet your pets
• create a new playlist. Share it, blast it
• take your time to reply
• pause notifications – hell, turn them off altogether
• limit yourself to a few Slack channels
• block out time to concentrate
• set your boundaries and stick to them
• say: “I’ll think about it later”
• say: “I don’t know”
• say: “NO.”
• tell people when you’re not ok
• ask for help
• have time alone, ignore everyone
• meditate
• take calls with your camera off
• get cross with technology. Also, marvel at technology
• ditch calls and try something different
• stay in your comfy clothes, or wear your best threads
• be business up top and comfort down below
• make meetings shorter
• communicate differently – remember to show and not just tell
• push gently to get stuff done
• take the water cooler chit-chat online
• talk home décor, talk plants, talk tea types and top 10 biscuit lists
• meet online for lunch or a coffee
• be the Queen of Memes, the King of Gifs, the Slack Jester
• share moments that made you smile
• 😊 be kind to yourself, as well as everyone else.

Charles Burdett created a site which includes a way you can add what’s been helpful for you and your team during these strange times. itsok.to