With lockdown 3.0, working from home has become the norm in many cases and the novelty has definitely worn off.
How can we make working from home a long-term success? I’m not sure there’s a magic formula or one size fits all but I’ll share some of the things that have helped my clients and me personally, there seems to be some consensus on a few top tips.
Creating a routine for yourself and sticking to it – variable shifts might make this difficult - but where you can, try to carve out a beginning, middle and an end to your working day
I’ve heard it called a ‘virtual commute’ – taking a walk or some form of exercise before or during your workday – even if it’s just a stretch outside at lunchtime, regular breaks from your workspace can help keep you fresh and focused
Going into a set zone for work may help you feel as if you are going to work for the day – either using the same multi-use area or a permanent workspace during working hours
Working in your PJ’s? Not only helping with unexpected zoom calls, dressing for the day can help to make you feel mentally and physically ready to work
To do lists can take 5 minutes in the morning and can help you to focus on priorities and keep track of your progress
Make sure you are sitting comfortably (or standing) – good ergonomics can help to prevent fatigue – (The chartered institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors have published a great visual guide to help people working from home https://www.ergonomics.org.uk/common/Uploaded%20files/Publications/CIEHF-Working-from-Home-Infographic.pdf)
Limiting distractions – be it social media, family and friends, your pet cat taking a starring role in your team meeting as they prance across the desk… Setting clear boundaries with the things that distract you can help to maintain your productivity and decrease procrastination
Access to our kitchens can be a positive with the flexibility to prepare any food we like – healthy food can help productivity – the NHS offer advice on healthy eating on their Eatwell pages, https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/
Staying social – video calls are here to stay and love them or hate them, human contact, albeit across the internet, can be important to combat feelings of isolation. Post COVID, if you remain a remote worker, making an effort to meet up and attend team get togethers should help if you feel you need face to face contact. There are some helpful resources on mental health, curated by MIND : https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/toolkit/coronavirus-coping-with-the-challenges-of-working-from-home/

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