Here Ross Christie, Visitor Centre Assistant Manager, explains a typical day.
6:15am – I could probably get away with a bit of a lie in these days with the schools being closed and no commute to worry about but by 6:15am I’ll usually have been woken up by either or both of our children (we have a six year old and a five month old). At this time in the morning the first thing I need is a good coffee so this is top priority before getting ready for the rest of the day. Before I start work I try and keep our eldest entertained for an hour or two, she’s usually at breakfast club before school so I’ve been trying to find new things to keep her occupied. So far we have been following a lot of fitness and yoga programmes on Youtube which is a great way for us to start the day (I especially enjoyed Kids Unicorn, Pokemon, and Trolls Yoga). It’s taken a few weeks to get into a routine and I think we’re all still figuring it out.
9:00am – The start of the working day! This is all changing at the moment as I’m usually based in the Gift Shop and Visitor Centre but in light of the current situation I’m working more closely with the Digital Marketing Team helping to manage the corporate social media. I’ll have a quick check through this first thing and flag any issues. By 9:15am I’m already checking if it’s time for another coffee but I’ll usually hold off until my staff video catch up on Microsoft Teams at 10:00am.
10:00am – Most days we have a video call with my small team – it’s been great to have that face-to-face conversation and we often talk for a wee while about non-work related things which is important in these strange times! We have themed a few calls over the past few weeks (wear a hat, dress up fancy etc.) which has made them quite fun! It’s been amazing how quickly video calling and online meetings have become normal but I do miss catching up with my team face-to-face and seeing them in person every day.
12:00pm – An early lunchtime for me – our youngest needs a nap about 12pm so this is the perfect time for me to get in the garden and push her buggy back and forth while she drifts off. We don’t have a big outdoor space but I‘m really thankful for even the small amount we have to get out of the house regularly during lockdown.
When I’m at the office I’m spoilt for lunch choices with all the amazing takeaways, cafes and restaurants near Bristo Square and I’m really missing some of my regular haunts – I might need to start trying to recreate some of their dishes at home to satisfy my cravings!
1:00pm – Working at home has taken a bit of getting used to and it’s always the afternoon that I find most challenging. Trying to juggle family commitments and staying on top of work tasks has been difficult. My wife works at Edinburgh College of Art and is currently on maternity leave so she’s been a hero keeping the kids entertained and staying on top of home school work when I’ve been busy at the computer or in meetings. I’ve been using an app on my phone with a Pomodoro timer (periods of focussed working with regular short breaks and one longer break every so often) which had really helped my productivity when my attention starts to wander.
5:00pm – Work is finished for the day, time to make dinner for the family. We live in a small village and the local farmers, food producers and independent shops have all really stepped up to provide home delivery or collection services for their produce, which has been a huge help. Like a lot of people I’ve been embracing baking and cooking a bit more since lockdown started and I’ve been enjoying trying new recipes and perfecting old family favourites. When I was commuting to and from Edinburgh we found it hard to all have dinner at the same time but now I’m at home we’ve been trying to sit down and eat together which I’ve really enjoyed!
8:00pm – I used to go out for a run every lunchtime when I was in the office, often with a few people from my running club. I have been managing to get out on my own in the evenings once the kids are asleep but I really miss my running buddies! I’m within running distance of the southern end of the Pentland Hills so I’ve been exploring some new trails and hills around here to keep things interesting. All the races I had planned for the foreseeable future have been cancelled so it’s been difficult to keep the motivation up but I know it’s good for my mental health to get out and do some exercise every day.
What does your new nine-to-five look like? Share it with us at bulletin@ed.ac.uk