More people than ever are working from home because of the pandemic with the transition happening quite quickly with very little notice back in March 2020.
No one yet knows how long the COVID-19 pandemic and the mandatory remote working will last, so whether you're new to working remotely or just looking to stop from feeling demotivated and sluggish staying at home during these uncertain times, these tips can help you stay productive while maintaining usual routine and balance.
- Try to stick as closely as possible to your USUAL MORNING ROUTINE. Beginning each day with your usual morning routine when working from home is the first step to getting the most out of your morning (as they say – win the morning, win the day!) Instead of lounging around in your PJ’s all day get dressed as you usually would into comfortable loungewear to generate a sense of productivity. Doing this not only makes a huge difference to your morning and how you approach the day, but it also establishes a consistent working from home routine. The same goes with the kids for home-schooling! Have them up and dressed just as they would be for school.
- Make sure you exercise, daily! Transitioning to working from home can often mean your morning workout is substituted for a sleep-in. If you can stay in that workout routine or even just pushing your workout times back by an hour then you are still getting it done in a day! Ensuring you stick to moving your body in the morning is essential. Doing so, can promote energy levels and give you that much needed morning motivation kick!
- Have a designated workspace. It’s so easy to blur the lines between working from home and maintaining balance, hours all roll into each other and before you know it you’ve worked all day. We know working from home can often lead to working from bed. Creating a habit out of this can lead to a decrease in productivity and cause back pain due to incorrect posture. Instead, try finding a quiet space in your home (could even be the backyard), to use as an alternative workspace. Or, if your current workspace needs a little revamp, jump online and grab a new desk or some office furniture to get you excited about your work from home workspace!
- Continue to Set Goals. Staying on track and avoiding procrastination can be as easy as setting goals each morning. Creating a shortlist of realistic goals can ensure productivity levels remain the same, regardless of the new working environment. There’s nothing more satisfying that ticking off that “to-do” list in your head each day, so when times are tough, put pen to paper and leave it on the fridge or your desktop to still obtain that feeling of accomplishment.
- Prep and pack your food as you normally would! It’s so easy to walk past the fridge and snack right now. If you continue to prep and pack your food + the kids lunch boxes while home-schooling and working from home, you leave little wiggle room to snack! You’re simply organised and ready to go. This means your waistline stays the same. When we move our bodies less it means we need less energy, so being mindful of food consumption is key to keeping those ‘covid kilo’s’ at bay! It also means we have more time to spend on creating nutritious and yummy dinners which normally we would have the time for.
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Book your PT sessions into your diary for accountability. Self-care has never been more crucial to relieving stress and emotional exhaustion right now, so if you can keep that date and time with your Trainer locked into your day and make it your non-negotiable, you’ll thank yourself for it! We all need some solo time being in such close quarters with our families, taking 30-60 minutes out each day just to focus on yourself can really make all the difference during these hard times. It makes the days more bearable and helps you reset your mind frame to keep going.
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Give yourself a work curfew and put all technology down. We can make ourselves far too accessible with technology. Make sure you finish your working day each day at a designated time and switch off your devices! Although being connected with your team is important, it's equally important to shut off when the day is over. If you're available all hours of the day, it will quickly become an expectation and work-life balance will be non-existent.
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Get outside! Nature helps improve our overall mood and reduces stress and anxiety levels. It also provides long-term benefits, including reducing the risk of developing chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Nature is restorative. It makes us feel connected and happier. Going on daily walks or runs, we can also spend time in our own backyard or along the local bush trials and parks. All of these forms of outdoor engagement can benefit us and our overall wellbeing.
With increased worry and tension from protecting against the coronavirus to drastic changes to everyday life and financial uncertainty, taking control of what we can control is a welcome relief and is what can navigate us to keep moving forward in the unknown months ahead.
