Our #WFH Top Tips
So, in reaction to the current Coronavirus pandemic, many of us have found our life to be tipped on its head and are now working in the strange environment of home. Putting aside the ongoing negative headlines, this in itself can be an unexpected stress to navigate.
Our team are now one week into all home working, and (bar the reduced social interaction) have found it to work remarkably well so far. Perhaps this is in fact the future? To help you get settled, we’ve put together our top tips for getting your #WFH setup just right.
1. Create a dedicated office space
It’s important to create dedicated spaces in your home for working and relaxing. If possible, try not to let the two spaces interfere with one another. If you have the luxury of assigning a specific room to office use only, then embrace it. Being able to close the door on your work environment at the end of the day will really help you to switch off.
Make sure you feel comfortable too. Although we hope this is all a temporary measure, we should design a space with more permanence in mind.
If possible, see if you can take your ergonomic chair home with you from the office. Your back will thank you for it. Don’t opt for a dining chair for days on end! Get a good desk space that has sufficient depth to support your arms. And if possible, position your workstation by a window. Exposing yourself to sunlight and fresh air will really work to boost your mood. Keep it tidy and organised too.
Finally, surround your space with some additional comforts such as house plants, pictures and a cosy desk lighting.
2. Stick to office hours
When working from home, it can be really easy to sneak a lie in and start later in the day or slip into evening or weekend hours without completely realising it. Just like that strange time between Christmas and New Year, you may start to have no idea what day of the week it is. If you do a usual Mon-Fri 9 to 5, then try to stick to that routine. It will help you stay professional and clearly separate work from play. It’s a good idea to arrange a morning and end of day video meeting with your colleagues to bookmark the time.
3. Keep to your usual morning routine
Have a shower and get ready for work as your normally would. Dress smart, style your hair and wack on some lippy (if it’s your thing!). Don’t think that working from home means you can slob around in your PJs all day! It will do nothing for your mental wellbeing or productivity. You will feel more confident and ready to tackle the day when dressed for the job. Plus, if you’re embracing video conferencing, we still all want to present a professional image, right?
4. Schedule video coffee breaks
It can get lonely working from home. You don’t realise how much social interaction with your colleagues interjects throughout your working day. So keep up the communication. Schedule coffee breaks via video with your work mates to take a breather and embrace some regular gossip and social indulgence.
5. Fit in some exercise
You might find that your daily movement and exercise levels dramatically drop from working at home. No more daily commute, runs to the local lunchtime deli or travelling for face-to-face meetings. It’s important that we continue to include exercise within our daily routines, not only to keep our bodies healthy, but for our mental wellbeing too.
Our team have been trying out loads of fitness apps and YouTube videos (such as Body Coach and Les Mills On Demand) to keep us active. We’ve also found that some of the team’s usual local exercise classes are turning to streaming their sessions online. Something us digital learning gurus highly approve of. So, on a Wednesday afternoon, the Onclick team are now joining in with the Balance and Blossom lunchtime yoga class for a touch of midday stretching and meditation.
Cardio can be great, but stretching and mobility is essential too. Why not try some yoga or pilates to keep your body strong and flexible? You may be missing some ergonomic luxuries from your usual work-based office space, so make sure you stretch it out regularly throughout the day to avoid any potential back pain.
Finally, if you’re not self-isolating, try and get out of the house for a stroll or run, and breath in some fresh air too.
6. Stay positive
There’s no doubt that these are worrying times; for our health, our loved ones and the economical impact. It’s understandable that we are all continuously distracted by the negative headlines and panic buying mentality. Keep busy to ensure your mind is active, keep working to do your part to help businesses survive during this tough time, and keep communicating with your colleagues – it will really help to push past feelings of isolation and give you the social hit most of us rely on. Find the positives in this new environment many of us are faced with and embrace the change.
