This year has seen more than us working from home than ever, which can feel a bit of a shock. If you are used to being in a thriving office, it can feel strange to be on your own suddenly. Here are 7 tips for working from home and making the most of your day.
By Team Savant
Image: vadim kaipov
1. Ensure You Still Socialise Regularly
Working from home, it can be easy to not socialise with others, yet this is important to keep us motivated for work. Take time to speak to your colleagues over the phone or zoom call and try to schedule in calls with your family and friends too. Abiding by the rules you could go for a walk with another person, or just pop to the shops to get some fresh air and stretch your legs so you are not just sat in all day.
2. Create A Schedule
A lack of schedule can make you feel anxious and unsettled without even realizing it, so it can be a good idea to try and create one to follow at home. If you are used to getting up at a certain time and eating lunch at a certain time, try to stick to this. If your work hours have cut, it can be tempting to get up later and clock off earlier. Try to avoid this to help keep your brain stimulated. You could write down any tasks or appointments you have to do in a notebook or keep it organised in a digital calendar. Even ticking off these small items can feel like an achievement and help your motivation to keep your brain active during lockdown. Try and limit your distractions so you can keep focused on the job at hand. If you find yourself getting restless, then schedule in regular breaks that you adhere to so you don’t end up procrastinating.
3. Eat A Healthy Diet
Don’t underestimate how important a healthy diet is for your mental health. Similarly to a car running much better off of the most premium fuel rather than a cheap alternative, your body runs the best when it is filled with the correct things. Opt for a balanced diet rich in nutrients and vitamins that cater to your body's needs. You should start each day with a healthy breakfast and ensure you always eat three meals. It is also vital to incorporate enough water into your diet to keep you hydrated. It is recommended that you drink eight glasses of water a day, but if you can drink more, that is even better. Be sure to sip regularly throughout the day rather than drink it all down in one go. If you are limited on time due to work, batch cook your meals at the weekend and defrost them each day once you are done. This way, you can control your portions, know you are eating healthily, and don’t need to worry about slaving away in the kitchen every day.
4. Don’t Be Afraid To Try New Challenges
There are so many challenges out there that you could try, set yourself a goal, and try to complete it after a certain amount of time. It could be that you decide you want to learn to cook five new meals from scratch and be able to make them without referring to a recipe book after a month. Or that you want to be able to plank for five minutes. No matter what it is, make it personal to you and something that you want to achieve. Record your progress, and you will notice an improvement as time goes on. Remember to make your goal realistic —too short a time, and it will be stressful, and you might become disheartened if you can’t make it, too long a goal, and you might become bored or complete it too fast. If you find all your work getting a bit much, you could look at virtual office address services that can provide virtual offices, virtual assistants, and virtual receptionists to keep up the look of a physical office.
5. Exercise Regularly
As well as a balanced diet, exercise is great for your mental health and to keep your brain active during lockdown. If your gyms are open, then head down and try out some different workouts or classes to keep yourself active. You could try a three-way split where you exercise different body sections each day, as well as HIIT or cardio. If not, you can work out from your home or go for a run around the block to keep yourself fit. It will feel hard at first, but you will soon get into the swing of it and find your mental health is benefiting, and your brain works harder when you need it to.
6. Get Some Fresh Air
Getting fresh air is vital for keeping your mind active and working as it should. With fresh air, you get plenty of oxygen into your blood and your brain, which gives you more brainpower. It also allows you to get out of the house if you are working from home and have a change of scenery, which can make you more motivated. Take some time each day to go for a walk around the block and take in new surroundings. If you are feeling a brain slump, this can be the boost you need to finish your day of work. Even if the weather is a bit miserable, don’t be afraid to take an umbrella and some boots to get yourself out of the house. It can feel very isolating being in the same place all the time.
7. Give Yourself A Dedicated Space To Work From Home
Working from home, you won’t be very productive if you are doing so from your dining table where you have constant distractions, clutter around you, and it is not a quiet space to work. Instead, set yourself up with your own dedicated workspace and ensure that no one disturbs you during work hours. By having a dedicated space you can escape to, you will focus when you need to, but also be able to relax in another part of the home once your working day is over.
Lockdown can be tricky for all those involved and whether you have extra work on your plate or are having to figure out how to get through a shortened work schedule and still keep your brain amused, these tips are such to help. Remember to keep doing your best for you and your business and not to put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect.