Most of the world is involved with some amount of “lock down” or “stay at home” orders. Many people are still working, since they are essential to particular services—perhaps water/wastewater treatment facilities or hazardous operations engineering in process plants. Or getting a newspaper or magazine published.
The common thread to many of my incoming emails concerns how to work from home when you’re not used to it. How do you maintain focus? How do you remain productive? How do you stay sane?
I have worked from a home office for more than 20 years. But I have had a routine for going out. Get up, brew coffee, read and write, go to park to run / go to gym to finish workout, go to coffee house for (of course) more coffee and WiFi, go home for lunch, work from home office.
I cannot go to the gym or the coffee house. Although something (my son thinks lightning) knocked out my Internet connection with Comcast saying it won’t fix it until April 18. So, I went to the national coffee house chain, bought a large coffee, and sat in the parking lot in my car to take the load from my mobile phone hotspot I’m using.
In any extraordinary time, whether traveling or death in the family or vacation, I construct a routine to keep me on pace. It may not always involve awakening at 5:30 am, but I will structure my days so that I get in the essentials of reading/writing, coffee, and exercise.
That is how I cope.
Faith Venture 
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