It may be a dream come true to be on lockdown with your pet - at first. While having a pet or two at home can help to relieve stress during the pandemic, it may not be as easy when it’s time to work.
With most of us working from home now, it can be hard to concentrate on completing tasks when all we want to do is to play with them! If you’re having trouble keeping productivity up during this time, here’s what you can do to make it easier on you and your beloved furkids.
1. Bring out their favourite toys
One of the easiest things to do is to bring out their favourite toys. The aim is to occupy your pets’ time with their beloved toys so they don’t get bored while you work.
If you need to work in silence, just remember not to give them the squeaky toys. On the other hand, you can let your pet sit on a comfy pet bed near where you work if they aren’t disruptive. This gives them a sense of comfort during rest even when you’re not playing with them.
2. Set a pet-free boundary around the workplace
Your pets are understandably thrilled to have you at home all the time but what they don’t know is that you got to focus on your work. As painful as it sounds, you might have to set a pet-free boundary around your workspace.
This is to let pets know that you’re not to be disturbed in this space. However, do remember to give them some attention occasionally throughout the day because a prolonged lack of attention from you will stress them out.
3. Be aware of noise triggers
Now that you have your workspace set up, it’s time to be aware of noise triggers. Some pets can get really excited when they hear a sound such as ringtones or beeps from devices.
Save yourself the headache by switching your ringtones to something less startling for your pets. If you have to take a video or conference call, do it in another room with the doors closed. This is to prevent curious and sociable pets from gate-crashing your meetings too.
4. Schedule playtime
There is a chance that you might lose track of time when you take a break to play with your pet. To make sure you don’t get carried away during your breaks, it’s safer to schedule playtimes.
A routine schedule helps train your pets to know when it’s time to play with you and lets them know you’re not completely ignoring them. These little breaks throughout the day also let you move around a bit instead of staying seated in front of the computer for long hours.
5. Don’t give in
Just like having children, pets will whine and flash you their sad, little eyes when they want some love and attention. However, to get work done you have to be disciplined enough not to give in or all of your plans will go bust.
This is why it’s important to set a schedule for playtime and to stick to it, so your pets get familiar with the routine.
6. Be strategic
Last but not least, you have to be strategic. Take your pets out in the morning for walks to tire them out. For them, they’re spending quality time with you outdoors while getting some exercise.
Once home, you’ll be able to get some work done in peace, because your pets will most likely be lying down to rest in quiet.
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