June 2020 • Page 2 of 9 • Our Virtual Holiday

Business: Home & Office, Family: Tips & Activities, Staying Connected

Zoom Times

Posted on June 13, 2020June 22, 2020 by ourvirtualholiday

It’s 9 a.m. and you’re in the middle of an important Zoom meeting. The camera sitting on top of your desk is focused on on your face then suddenly the midsection of your husband appears wearing nothing but a short t-shirt that says”Baby Maker”. Oops! Follow these video conferencing tips and you’ll avoid becoming a viral meme for picking your nose during the conference!

There are definitely do’s and don’ts of video conferencing. Here are just a few:

Do

Speak clearly.
Take the time to make sure your background is uncluttered. No one needs to see the pair of TUESDAY underwear on the top of the laundry pile over your shoulder,
Dress appropriately…at least the parts that can be seen! But it only takes a quick search to see the number of times the camera picks up angles that you don’t realize. So go ahead and throw on a pair of pants to be safe.
Keep body movements to a minimum, too much moving around can create a distraction for the other Zoom meeting participants.
Maintain eye contact by looking directly into the camera, not at yourself on screen. We know it’s hard…you’re so cute!.
Mute your mic when there are unavoidable interruptions at home.

Don’ts

Speak too loudly. Most microphones are extremely sensitive. We can hear you.
Interrupt other speakers. It can be difficult to find the right place to speak during a video conference. We’ve all been in the situation when two people start to talk at the same time. Then they both stop to let the other speak. Then they both start again. ARGH! Set some rules at the beginning of the Zoom meeting. Everyone should have dedicated time to speak and avoid talking over top of one another. If you ask a question that more than one person is going to answer, call each person by name to let them know it is their turn. We’re not saying the meeting needs to be stuffy – but a little but of structure can make it much more efficient.
Carry on side conversations within conference.
Make the mistake of thinking your camera is off when it’s on. We’ve all seen the lady going to the bathroom and the guy getting a little personal. Don’t be the next person who goes viral after forgetting the camera is on!

We know you’re going to become a video conference pro!

Check out our other tips for your home office!

Business: Home & Office

Office Space

Posted on June 13, 2020June 26, 2020 by ourvirtualholiday

Not everyone has the luxury of working from home so whether you’re temporarily setting up a home office or that’s the new normal, think about how you can make the most of it.

Home Office Supplies listed at the end!

Here are a couple of things you can do to set up your home office to maximize productivity.

Location, Location Location:

Although most of us don’t have the ability to lock ourselves in an impenetrable vault, safe from distractions, we can choose to set up a home office out of the more heavily trafficked areas of our homes.
Having a window near your office can help make you feel less confined or claustrophobic. Pro-tip: don’t have the window directly in front of you if you are easily distracted by attractive neighbors, woodland creatures, mailmen or attractive woodland mailmen.

Decor:

Neutral and soothing colors will encourage productivity.
If you have a job that requires creativity, throw in a pop of color or fun artwork to add some energy and visual inspiration.

The Most Important Part – The Desk & Chair:

Make sure your chair and desk height maximize comfort and health.
When deciding on your office chair there are three things to look for:
- Lower back support
- Cushioned seats that don’t cut off the circulation to your legs
- Long flat armrest
A long arm rest is better for resting your elbows while typing and can also help bridge the gap between your chair and the desk when you’re manipulating a mouse. At OVH we’ve gone one step farther and added a wireless trackball mouse to the front end of each chair. Not only don’t we ever have to reach for the mouse on the desk but our arms are always in a comfortable resting position as we work.
We also hook up our tablets, laptops and PCs to extra large monitors. This combination allows us to spend significantly longer time leaning back in our chairs. Beware, however, that this can lead to unintentional napping on the job.

Setting up your day:

Work with a specific purpose. Before you even sit down to work it’s always helpful to have a set of tasks and goals in mind. Not only will it give you a sense of purpose but it will help keep you on task and focused.
Getting up unnecessarily is the enemy of productivity. If you know what you’re setting out to do you can make sure you have all the necessary papers, receipts, books or office supplies within reach before you sit down. That goes double for your coffee, tea or water.
Set a time goal for your task such as: “I want to complete this project by 3 p.m.” or “I want to create a graph before my lunch break”. Having a deadline will help motivate you to stay focused.
When you jump back and forth from work and personal time you never get to fully immerse yourself in either. Setting a regular work schedule for yourself when you work from home can help delineate the difference between your down time and your work time.
Completing tasks makes you feel good about yourself and therefore enhances your relaxation and makes you feel more at peace. Make a list and feel the joy as you mark things off!
Distractions add up and make your work day seem longer. If possible refrain from playing with pets, between-meal snacking, doing any household chores, personal phone calls and spiraling into the abyss of social media.

Shopping List:

Get Out Of Your Own Way Wood Banner

Waist-Care Back Posture Support

Wall Hanging Storage Bag Organizer Toys Container

NOUHAUS Ergonomic Office Chair with Lumbar Support & FlipAdjust Armrests

Wireless Trackball Mouse

Check out our other Home Office Tips

Business: Home & Office, Family: Tips & Activities, Celebration of Life

Power Down

Posted on June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 by ourvirtualholiday

Many people spend their whole day working on a computer. They exercise watching television or a tablet or listening to a podcast. They drive a car with sophisticated navigation systems and help their kids with school work on their phones, tablets and computers. They talk on the phone, browse through social media, shop online and then fall asleep watching Netflix.

We are not suggesting that you stop or even severely cut down on any of this. We are however suggesting that you take some down time whenever you can and very consciously enjoy the moments when you are truly unplugged.

Business: Home & Office

Income Poop

Posted on June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 by ourvirtualholiday

Nothing funny about it! Navigating through regular unemployment insurance is confusing enough but navigating through pandemic unemployment insurance can make you crazy. For the first time even independent contractors are able to file for unemployment insurance. We thought you could use a few useful links to give you a foot up

Business: Home & Office, Family: Tips & Activities

Baby Boss

Posted on June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 by ourvirtualholiday

Remember when “Bring your kids to work day” was just one day a year? For some of us those days are gone forever. Your life has become the sequel to Groundhog’s Day only you don’t get to kiss Andie McDowell at the end. Trying to work with your kids in the same room can be very frustrating for you and even more frustrating for them. Setting boundaries and schedules should alleviate some of the distraction for you and the distress for your children. If you have the kind of job where you need to put in a certain amount of hours but not necessarily in a chunk each day, consider doing an hour on and a half hour off of work. Having a physical timer that your kids can see might also alleviate some of the interruptions. If the kids have chores or tasks you can promise to take a break when they’re finished. If they’re reading or doing school work you can take a break upon completion of an assignment.

Don’t be afraid to ask older kids to run errands and do prep work for dinner. “Rewards” is the buzz word for the day!

Business: Home & Office

Insanitizer

Posted on June 13, 2020June 26, 2020 by ourvirtualholiday

Whether you work in a small office, large office or on the factory floor, reintroducing yourself and staying sane in the workplace is going to be filled with daily challenges.

Some people will be scared of just about everything and others will be afraid of nothing. Both have the right to feel their respective feelings. What is most important is that everyone feels like their feelings are respected.

People will have real, valid trauma and trepidation and those people should be understood and respected. Others will imagine that the possible spread of viruses is all just a government conspiracy. That’s okay too as long as it does not get litigated in the workplace. It’s going to be important for everyone to stay positive.

There is no doubt that most people want things to get back to normal but “normal” has changed throughout the years, decades and centuries. Imagine if everyone at your workplace decided not to constantly focus in, and talk about, masks, sanitizer, social distancing and keeping everything clean.

We’re not saying you shouldn’t do all of these things we’re merely suggesting that you all make a pact to follow these common sense rules and then move on in order to stay sane in the workplace. Your time will be much better spent focusing on your work and the joy of reigniting in-person work relationships. In other words focus in on the positive and not the negative. Get right to work on the things you can do and don’t dwell on the things you can’t do. After all, different does not mean abnormal.

For those of you that are having severe anxiety or any type of stress due to returning to the workplace please seek help from your HR department or the appropriate healthcare professional.

Check out our tips for Work!

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Don’ts

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