DEAR HARRIETTE: Working from home every day and staring into a computer screen is making me nuts. I feel like I sit all day long. And I have the extra weight to prove it. It’s horrible. I don’t even want to get on the scale to see the damage I’ve done to my body. I’m mortified by the thought. I’m grateful to be working, but this isn’t sustainable. I am on teleconferences all day long, and I am forced to sit at my desk, not moving for hours. My smartwatch screams at me to stand up, but I keep sitting because that’s where the meetings happen -- on my computer. What can I do to take better care of myself? The end of this way of working is nowhere in sight. I don’t know if I am going to survive it. -- SOS

DEAR SOS: Can you elevate your computer so that you can stand during some of your calls? That is one way to get you out of that chair. In between meetings, stand up, stretch and walk around. Just like the guidelines to avoid getting carpel tunnel syndrome, every 20 minutes you should stand and stretch your body, including your arms and legs. Listen to your watch and stand.

Beyond that, figure out a time of day when you can exercise. If you can start your day an hour earlier, get up and either do a series of exercises in your house or take a walk. Move your body to get the blood circulating. In the evening, be sure to stretch again. Since you aren’t as physically active as you used to be, eat less. Dramatically reduce your carbohydrate intake, too. Wear clothes that don’t stretch. This will help you to keep track of your physical expansion.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have hired two young people to work with me on a project. It’s good because everybody can work from home. Their work is mostly research, but it does involve talking to a number of people they don’t know. I’ve been training them on the questioning process so that they can gather the data properly. So far, that is going pretty well. What is harder is getting them to realize that they have to look professional even though they are working from home. All of our calls are videoconferences. These kids are showing up looking like they just rolled out of bed with disheveled hair and the same sweatshirts every day. I know we are working from home, but it is still work. I need to drive home the point that this is a professional job, and there are expectations. How can I get them to comply? -- Dress for Work

DEAR DRESS FOR WORK: You have to be direct with them. Call them on their attire, and tell them what you expect them to wear when they are talking to you and when they are contacting others. Point out that even though you are working remotely, this is a professional engagement with specific expectations. Write them down so that your team is clear about what they are. The more direct you are with them, the easier it will be for them to follow your rules.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son is scheduled to start college this fall at a local university, but we aren’t sure what is going to happen next. He is not having a graduation from high school because there can’t be any social gatherings. Now we wonder if he will actually go to college. Fall is right around the corner. I can’t imagine that they will figure out safe distancing in the classroom by then. Should we let him defer a year? Even with that, though, what will he do? He’s a young man, and he needs structure and direction. I don’t know how to guide him right now. -- College-Bound

DEAR COLLEGE-BOUND: Contact your son’s college. The admissions office is a good place to start. Do your best to get a human on the phone. This could be difficult, as most people are not going in to work. If you get an automated system, leave specific messages asking for someone to call you back. Listen to the prompts as there may also be messages about how classes will begin in the fall. Some schools have already declared that they will do virtual classes, using technology to engage students from a distance. Other schools are still figuring out if there is a way for students to be together.

At the same time, look around in your community for opportunities for your son, for internships or jobs. If he can balance some amount of work that will require structure with a virtual academic life, this may provide the stimulation needed for him to stay focused.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I began dating a guy at the end of last year, and it started off great. We would see each other every weekend. Since quarantine, we have only talked on the phone. That is wearing on us now. He lives about an hour away, and while he could come to visit, we are trying to follow stay-at-home orders. I want to be more flexible now. Each of us has stayed at home for all of these weeks, only venturing out to go to the grocery store. Do you think it would be OK for us to get together in person? -- Date Night

DEAR DATE NIGHT: The CDC guidelines do not say that you cannot be in anyone’s company ever. But you do have to take precautions. You can choose to see each other, but keep your distance and wear a mask. As hard as it may be, do not touch each other. Definitely do not kiss each other. But you could take a walk together. You can sit in your living room across from each other and talk. You can even share a meal if you sit 6 feet apart while you are eating. It is possible to be in each other’s company if you are vigilant about staying safe.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I barely get along. It has been like this for years. He retreats into the other room and watches TV while I cook dinner, look after the kids and then sit down to relax in the living room to watch TV -- never the same program and rarely in the same room. It has become more noticeable now that we both are at home all day long. Even as we are in the same space 24/7, we hardly ever talk about anything meaningful or sit together in the same room. How did we get to this point? I have other friends telling me how much fun they are having with their husbands during this time. What can I do to spice things up? -- Doldrums

DEAR DOLDRUMS: Talk to your husband. Pick a quiet moment before he settles into his evening routine. Tell him you want to have some fun together. Since you can’t go out for a date right now, invite him to go on a date with you at home. Ask him to help you prepare a special meal for the two of you. Help can be just having him in the room with you chatting, or, if he’s game, he could assist with the preparation. Choose a movie to watch that you both might like, and then talk about it afterward. Set the mood for romance. Encourage some form of intimacy. But take it slow. Little by little you may rekindle the flame if you choose to be together.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Usually my family and I rent a house in a beach community about an hour from where we live in the summer. We haven't yet organized it for this year because of all of the worries about being quarantined. But then my husband and I decided we might as well. If we have to be away from people, wouldn’t it be better in a pretty beach community? We can just take precautions when we go outside and to the beach. We know when the downtimes are.

When we started researching, we realized that, to our surprise, there’s hardly anything available. I think most people who own these homes have decided to stay there since they can’t readily hop on a plane and go someplace else. I’m bummed. I don’t know what I’m going to do with my kids all summer. They need to get outside and play. Any ideas? -- Quarantine Summer

DEAR QUARANTINE SUMMER: Don’t stop looking. Call your friends and people you know in some of the smaller summer communities. Right now, summer rental services are probably not the way to go, but word of mouth might work. If you can’t find anything, check the newspaper in your city for summer activities. Just like at the beach, in order to safely take your children to the park, it will likely mean going early in the morning, practicing social distancing and wearing a mask. Pick safe paths for walking. Research trails and parks outside the city where there are fewer people. Get lots of art supplies, too, and do projects with your kids. It’s a lot of work, but it may be necessary for you to become camp leader at home.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)