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The Covid-19 pandemic means many of us who are used to working in an office are experiencing a change in scenery as working from home where necessary becomes the new government advice. While some are struggling with their newfound workspace, citing loneliness and temptation to graze on snacks all day (guilty), others have taken to the internet with pictures of their pets, who are also having to get used to their owners’ new working arrangements.
Not only can this help with feelings of loneliness, but 54% of pet parents also admit that being able to work in an environment where their pet is actually reduces their anxiety (rover.com)!
As cute as these pictures are, it’s very easy to become distracted when working with your new furry (or scale-y!) co-workers. Here are our top tips for making the most of your new-found time with your pets and getting work done at the same time.
1. Time Your Schedule with the Feeding Schedule
The best way to stop your pet from fussing round your feet for food during your meeting? Make sure your break schedule matches up with their eating schedule. Depending on your pet, and how many times a day this pet needs feeding, this could be as little as once a day – up to maybe three times in a working day for larger animals that eat more.
We recommend getting your pet some grub before you sit down at your desk, then take your break the next time they’re due to be fed or they come to you for food.
2. Limit Yourself to 5 Pictures per Day
Yes, we know they’re cute and they do amusing things all the time, but it’s easy to get sucked into filming your pet’s every move, and taking pictures whenever they do something sweet or funny.
Set yourself a five-picture limit, so you’ve still got plenty of adorable photos to share with your human co-workers online or on your social media profiles to get the best of both worlds.
3. Don’t Let Them Disrupt Your Sleep
Working from home often means cutting down on a hefty commute, giving you a little longer in bed in the morning. This means it can be tempting to stay up longer or give in to mid-night hyper hours from your pets. If you find that your pet’s active hours are disrupting your sleep, try being a little stricter – e.g. don’t let them sleep on your bed, keep them in another room during the night and make sure they go out for some exercise plenty of time before bedtime.
4. Keep Your Pet Entertained
Tiring your pet out early on in the day, especially if they’re a disruptive pet like a cat or a dog, is always a good idea. You can play games with them, let them out into the garden and just generally entertain them for a bit. Hopefully this means you’ll get a few productive hours in while they’re resting it off – ready for round 2 on your lunch break!
Toys are also a good way to distract your pet for a while if they’re in a mad mood or craving attention. Try and find a toy your pet can use on its own so there’s minimal distraction for you as you work.
5. Create a Calm, Warm Bed
Giving your cat a better place to sleep than your keyboard, or your dog somewhere better than your feet can be a good solution for pets that want to be near you while you’re at home.
Warm comfy beds by the radiator, in a quiet spot, heated beds and blankets – pets love places like this to snuggle down. And it gives you a good opportunity to get that money shot in for your Instagram followers!
Although it’s important to limit distractions while you’re working from home, don’t forget to take snuggle breaks – after all, it’s not every day that most people can spend the day at home with their pet! We hope these ideas help you to find the balance between fussing over your fur babies and getting on with the tasks at hand.
We’d love to see your pet pics from working at home so be sure to tag us @instantprintuk on Instagram or Twitter!
