5 Top Tips For Adapting To Working From Home

The past few weeks have been a big adjustment for us as a country. The lockdown measures have affected every part of our life, including the way we work, and that level of rapid change can be tricky to manage.

Maintaining productivity levels is an important part of homeworking, but we should also remember that you can’t achieve those things without first taking care of yourself.

Taking proactive steps to manage your mental wellbeing is more important than ever, that’s why we’ve compiled our top five tips for managing these working changes.

1. Embrace new styles of communication

Whereas we might have previously taken those five-minute brainstorming sessions or quick daily rundowns for granted - for those working from home, it has become very clear in the past few weeks just how valuable they were.

Embrace new styles and mediums of communication, whether that’s daily zoom calls or trying out a new task management system. Not only will it help you keep on top of projects, but it will also help you stay connected to your team, both of which will be beneficial to your mental health.

2. Be kind to yourself

There’s no doubt that these are unprecedented times and with social media providing lots of tips on how to become the best you during lockdown (whether that’s the perfect parent, homeworker, baker, yoga enthusiast, or all of the above!), there can be a certain amount of pressure to “make use” of this time.

But it’s important to remember that there is no right way of being during the lockdown, so however you use this time, remember to be kind to yourself. Everyone is on a learning curve and we’re all just handling it the best we can.

3. Create boundaries

If you’re working from home, it can be incredibly difficult to separate those two areas of your life, but not doing so can lead to burnout and an inability to “switch off”.

Try keeping a space in your house that is just for work and make a conscious effort that once you leave that space, work time is over.

This will help you differentiate the areas of your life and maintain a structure within your day.

4. Take a break

Now that you’re at home, working through your lunch break has become easier than ever, but cabin fever can set in quickly. Try to change your environment at least once during the working day.

Taking a walk during your lunch can be a great way to get some fresh air and reset your mind which will allow you to start the afternoon refreshed and ready to go.

5. Stay social

We might not have realised it at the time, but those little chats we’re used to having during the working day actually formed a large part of our daily interaction.

Morning zoom calls are great for catching up on the work for the day ahead, but we’re still missing that inherently social part of working in a team.

Try hosting a virtual pub quiz or afternoon tea break. It will help you break the week up and mimic your normal social interactions, which is great for maintaining positive mental wellbeing.