So, with the planet fighting back against mankind and forcing us all to stay in isolation. Those who can, have been working from home to continue earning a living. Allowing businesses across the world to try and keep the lights on and make it as business as usual as can be expected in these unprecedented times. I’ve been doing this a while now and thought it may be useful to share some tips and tricks for how to get the most out of working from home.

Tip 1. Have the right mindset

For me, it has to start with acknowledgement that this is not normal circumstances. You need to be mindful about what you are doing and how you are feeling throughout the day and use that to help drive the work you do. Ride the day like a wave with all its ups and downs. You also need to acknowledge that you might not be as productive as you used to be whilst in the office. So rather than that getting you down, be mindful of it, nurture it and use this knowledge to conquer it. 

Tip 2. Have a bit of fun

Don’t stay cooped up in your small temporary setup of an office the whole day. Try to do work in different locations of your house depending on the nature of the work. The extra movement and stretches is very welcoming at a time where your activity levels are probably at their lowest. It’s also fun for your team as you can share snippets of different parts of your house. It allows my team to understand the environment I am working in. 

Setting up multiple spaces to work from in the confines of your own home is analogous to how open planned offices are designed nowadays. They have multiple styles of collaboration spaces to foster creativity and freedom, depending on the style of work you are doing. You could set up a quiet area for thinking time, another space for when you need to be focused and a third space for when you just need to be in front of a computer to smash through some work. I’ve been taking my daily check in meetings out in the front or back garden. I know it’s a check in and I don’t necessarily need access to a big screen so why not.

Tip 3. Make the most of what you have

I live in a 4 bed house on a small cottage block. It’s not the biggest of properties but I’ve tried to maximise it… since the isolation lock down, we now have the following spaces in the house. 4 bedrooms, 4 offices, gym, yoga station, HIIT zone, 2 outdoor offices, grounding zone, theatre room, 2 dining rooms, 3 veggie patches and a partridge in a pear tree. Hope you get the idea… just make the most of what you have and do try to mix it up throughout the day. You could go stir crazy sitting in a box room of an office the whole day with the only interaction you get being online.

Tip 4. Take breaks

This tip is valid for any work environment. You need to take regular breaks to help your mind chew over the things you’ve just been working through as well as allowing you to stretch your body. We might not have the perfect posture whilst sitting at a computer the whole day. Or our work setup might not be as ergonomic as we would like… so take the time to have a break. Also, contrary to what a lot of people think, taking more breaks doesn’t make you a lazy person. Research shows that taking breaks can make you more productive.

Tip 5. Go outside

I can’t stress how important it is to go outside during the day… getting some fresh air, feeling the sun on your skin and the breeze in your hair. Following some simple grounding techniques can help you clear your mind, recharge your energy and calm your emotions. There’s so much research about the idea of being grounded and the effects it can have on your emotional state of mind. This great article goes through a lot of detail on the why and how to ground yourself. 

Hopefully you can take something away from this blog post and it helps you get through the times ahead. At the end of the day the biggest tip I can provide is to try and be aware of your body and emotions and then intervene with doing something a bit different when you feel you need to make yourself better.