Working from home is a new reality for many of us due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but many people are struggling to adjust to their new office environment
The most useful thing to do to adjust to your new working life is to build a routine that matches your office-working one as closely as possible.
Although sitting in your pyjamas all day may seem fun at first, the novelty will soon wear off, and you might end up feeling unproductive and lethargic. Without the morning routine of an office job – get up > shower > eat > commute > work – it’s easy to laze about in bed and, if you start working in bed, you’ll find the amount of time spent ‘lying in’ increases as time goes on.
This doesn’t mean you have to wake up at 6am, dress to the nines and re-enact your commute by walking around the garden for a while but you may find the transition easier if you do wake up early enough to leave time to have a shower and get changed to start work at the same time you usually would.
It is also good to keep to your usual eating routine. If you would usually have breakfast, lunch and dinner at a set time, try to still eat at these times. This includes actually taking the time you are usually allowed for lunch to step away from your screen and take a proper break. Taking regular breaks away from your computer will ensure you stay as focused and productive as possible.
One of the most difficult transitions people often mention is not being able to ‘switch off’ after they have finished when working from home due. It’s easier to switch off from work when you leave your office and travel back to your house as this provides a change of scenery and some time to ‘decompress’. However, when you are working and living in your house, the lines can blur. So it’s important you find something to do to signify the end of your working day and the start of your evening. This could be a workout, shutting down your laptop and making dinner, going for a walk or simply picking up a book to read.
Keeping to a routine will help you feel more productive and, hopefully, feel more mentally positive in this worrying time.
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