Do You Have To Be Productive During A Pandemic? | The Telecommuter’s Guide To Work-Life Integration | 7 Steps For A Smooth Transition Back To Work

Plus: When leading through a crisis, do the opposite of what you’ve been taught

Over the past few weeks, you’ve likely read at least a dozen articles about staying productive during the pandemic (and depending on how long you’ve been a subscriber of this newsletter, that number may be closer to two dozen). Some encourage you to take advantage of this time to write a book, learn a language or accomplish all the things you’ve been saying you’d do if only there were a few more hours in the day. Others tell you to take it easy—after all, we are living through a pandemic. In an effort to reconcile this conflicting advice, we asked a productivity coach for her two cents.

The bottom line? Be productive on your own terms. “While a pandemic may present a window of opportunity, people should be strategic and wise about how they use their time,” says Rose-Anne Uwague, a New York-based productivity coach and the founder of boutique consulting firm Light A Fire. “What’s most important is that we redefine productivity, engage in work-life harmony and avoid social comparison. Activity is not productivity.”

And here’s more on everything you need to know about working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

For more on working and leading from home, check out our guide, updated daily.

The Telecommuter's Toolkit

Struggling to stay focused? If you want to succeed as a telecommuter, you’d do well to schedule your time, and that includes breaks for rewards. It may sound silly, but a 20-minute nap for completing a tedious task may just be the carrot you need to get the job done. Here’s why.

If you’re working from home while caring for your family, forget balancing work and life. Now more than ever, you have to integrate the professional and the personal. This is your guide to doing just that.

When some 41% of American workers are afraid to return to their offices, employers can’t afford to leave human emotion out of their back-to-work plans. By taking these seven steps, you’ll be better equipped for a smooth transition and a more resilient team.

The Break Room

Why spend the evening staring at yet another screen when you could be scanning the skies for constellations? All you need is this guide to stargazing.

Forbes Advisor: Need a face mask? These four companies are selling masks and giving back to communities in need.