WORKING FROM HOME | FEATURE
Many of us have had to make the adjustment to work from home recently and that can bring some unexpected stresses with it. We may find we have to make some adjustments in our work/homelife balance to get the best out of our working situation. There are often many distractions at home which we don’t face in the workplace. Having been someone who has worked from home for a while, I’ve found some things that help. Here are 10 tips on getting the balance right.
Making a separate workplace
For many of us, our homes are our safe space away from the stresses of work: when we work from home, we can bring these problems in and disrupt our comfort zone. So we need to find a new way of working, and by separating our workspace from our relaxing space we can help make that division. For example, I work at the table but keep my sofa space for my cup of tea and social media catch up – or, now the weather’s nice, I’ll sit in the garden and have my cuppa.
Staying motivated
When we work from home, we are often isolated, or we may have other tempting distractions to draw us away from work, like the TV or a text from a friend. If we’re parents, we face the added stress of balancing homeschooling with working from home. We often don’t realise how the camaraderie of our team of colleagues helps keep us going, and without it must find new ways of motivating ourselves. We may find shorter work times intermitted with mundane tasks helps us get the job done quicker – more on that later.
Avoid too many sugary snacks
For some reason, it can be more tempting to reach for a chocolate bar or biscuit when working from home. Try and schedule in a break, in the same way you would at work. Low blood sugar can cause lapses in concentration; sugary snacks can spike blood sugar quickly, but then drop equally rapidly, resulting in fatigue and lethargy. Have a good breakfast before you start: some porridge and fruit or scrambled egg on toast are good sustaining foods. If you’re not a fan of breakfast, have something light then a healthy snack on your break. Healthy snacks such as fruit release energy into the bloodstream slower, giving you longer concentration.
Make a start time
Discipline yourself in the same way as if you had to get to work. You may like to exercise before you start; perhaps, like me, your routine involved going to the gym before work. Now we can’t use our local gyms, we could set up a routine in the house to get us motivated. I have a gym mat and try and do some situps and stretches before I start work. Discipline helps create routine: it’s easy to lie in bed that extra half hour, and at the time it feels nice. Still enjoy your Saturday morning lie-in, so you don’t feel deprived! I never thought I could be a morning person, but over time, I’ve found benefit from just getting up and getting ready to start the day.
Mundane tasks
It may be hard to concentrate for long periods. Perhaps you suddenly get distracted by some cobwebs in the corner, or some washing that needs to go on the line… if your work schedule allows for flexibility, though, it’s not a bad idea to weave some of these mundane tasks into the day. Cleaning is a great way to take your mind off things that might be troubling you regarding work, as it gives you another focus. And if there’s someone else in the house already taking these tasks, maybe a wordsearch or a bit of sudoku might help.
My pet gets me through!
As silly as it may sound, having a pet does help me work better. It’s like having a friend by your side (a cute, furry one at that!), giving you space to think and come up with the answers. It may not be for everyone, but my cat is my constant companion and I like the company.
Take some stretch breaks
When you’ve been leaning over a laptop all day, your shoulders can get quite tight. Stretch your arms out, roll your shoulders back and forward a bit to loosen them. Stand up and move around a bit, loosening your spine to avoid tension building up. You may like to include a short exercise video into your day if that can work for you.
Take a walk
Out of all the ways of reducing stress in your workday, this is the best I’ve personally found. If your work schedule permits – and indeed if government guidelines remain at their present level – a walk is a wonderful way of releasing tension and helping you switch off. I find even a short walk prolongs my working time and makes me more productive; it helps increase circulation and helps with weight loss too. For me, walking is when I’ve had some of my best ideas or solutions to problems – even if I can’t solve them, I feel all the better for it, and come back feeling refreshed and ready to start.
Makeup and grooming
For me, part of my daily routine was choosing what to wear for work, putting on some makeup and doing my hair. It’s tempting, when we’re at home, to neglect to bother taking care of ourselves. However, it’s still important to run through the motions – I personally feel better for a bit of makeup. It might be a good to go for a lighter foundation or tinted moisturiser, a little blusher and mascara. As a beautician, I’ve seen many faces clogged with makeup that hasn’t been removed properly – some use it like a mask. Wear comfortable clothes but maybe jazz them up with a bright scarf. For men, stick with your grooming routines; maybe you won’t need the suit, but a nice shirt can really brighten your day. This may be different if you are having conference calls where business dress applies.
Learning to adapt
As weird as it may sound, having the freedom to still be in your home whilst working, not getting stuck in traffic and sleeping over the alarm, are things we probably didn’t miss at first. But after a while, we miss our work colleagues and routines of just getting out of the house. If you do end up in your PJs all day without bothering to brush your hair, just take it as your body’s way of adjusting to the routine of home. To see this as a workplace can be difficult to get used to.
Some of these tips may work for you, some may not, but it might help you get through and we all need that right now. We are in serious times and need to stay at home for the time being. Make your home a haven and take pride in how it looks; you’ll appreciate it more when you come back.
words EMILY EDWARDS photos LOGAN INGALLS