The kids have gone back to school, and suddenly the house seems quiet and empty.

How do you cope with your new found freedom, especially when you have a stay at home order keeping you from really enjoying it?

1. take an hour for self love.  Take a walk, do yoga, lie on the ground and look at the ceiling, anything to get you up and away from the desk and the screen.
2. learn to breathe right.  Many of us are shallow breathing, not filling our tummies through our nose and exhaling through our mouths. This simple lesson can change your brain chemistry.
3. drink water. Skip the coffee and the sugar.  Drink the water instead.  It will give you a second excuse to get up from your desk in a few minutes.
4. log off.  When your work day is done turn off your office and turn to your family.  Your children are going to come home tired and cranky, Be prepared for that by turning your attention to them.
5. don't give up cooler talk.  A time honoured tradition to chat with friends at work doesn't need to end just because you are not actually there.  Zoom or Facetime a friend on your breaks, just to make each other laugh.
6. schedule something. Set up a daily or weekly schedule of things you want to do, that are not work related. The satisfaction of checking off fun tasks is 100% more fun than checking off the boring ones.

Enjoy the new space you've created and embrace that this too may be short lived.