For a lot of people, the sudden adjustment to working life will be tough.
A change in our routine and suddenly not seeing people you’re used to seeing every day is a shock to the system. It’s ok if this affecting your mental health!
Working from home has its challenges. When I got made redundant three years ago the thing I found hardest was not seeing the people I worked with everyday. And you definitely miss having a routine.
It’s all jokes and memes about eating pizza for breakfast and not getting out of your pyjamas, or not showering for days on end, but these things do have an impact on you and your wellbeing.
I’m not going to pretend I have all the answers, because I don’t. When redundancy forced me out of my routine and stopped me seeing people I struggled. And I’ve been trying to get myself into a routine since going self-employed. There are some things you can do to make it all a bit more bearable though.
Try to have a dedicated place in the house to work
As tempting as is it to sit on the sofa with Netflix on in the background, it’s not a great idea. It’s bad for your posture and you might find you end up working longer than your working day because you’re already in the place you would spend time after work.
Wear comfy clothes
I don’t believe you need to dress up to show up. Take advantage of the fact you can wear joggers, a cosy hoodie and no make-up. Let your skin breath and enjoy the extra time you would normally spend doing your hair and make-up to get in some extra zzz’s.
Take time away from your computer
Just like you would in the office make sure you take time away from your desk. Most of us wouldn’t go all day without getting up from our desk at work so make sure you’re following this at home too. If your partner is also working from home in a different room take a break a couple of times a day for a five minute chat. And make sure you take a proper lunch break. It can be tempting to work through, but it does wonders for your mental health and productivity to take a break where you can switch off from work and refuel.
Get outside at some point
Thankfully we’ve been told that during lockdown we can still go outside for exercise once a day! Try to go for a walk at lunch time, or take your morning coffee outside. We share a garden with our neighbours which isn’t ideal but there is still a spot just outside our flat that nobody else would sit at. I make my coffee and sitting there listening to some of my audiobook or a podcast. It’s a nice (albeit cold) way to start the day.
Set up group calls with your work colleagues
If your team normally takes their coffee or lunch breaks at the same time why not set up a Zoom or Google Hangouts meeting for that time so you can still chat like you normally would. It’s a great way to feel like you’re still having social interaction. To keep connected and be able to chat during the day (whether it’s work related or just to keep you sane) you can also use a messenger service like WhatsApp or Slack (other messenger services are available).
If you’re a business owner and finding you have a bit more time on your hands, now might be a good time to start blogging. You can read my ‘8 Benefits of Blogging for Business’ post here.
Do you have anything you would add to the list to make working from home easier?
