Working from Home – Are you Coping ?

A lot of people are working from home at the moment. Do you find it difficult to step away from work? Do you end up not taking a lunch break or working late into the evening? Do you find yourself not eating properly and generally feeling a bit rubbish?

I know it can be difficult and everyone’s situation is different but remember your why and focus on some things that will help make you feel good – physically and mentally.

Here’s some suggestions that might help:

1. Set an alarm so you know when it’s lunchtime instead of becoming engrossed and working through. Give yourself the time to have something healthy and proper to eat AWAY from your desk.

2. Take more than one break throughout the day, even if you take 5 minutes a couple of times throughout the day. If you were in the office you would need to go to the bathroom anyways, take that time.

3. Just as you would have had a routine before, try and start and finish at a certain time each day. Even if this means setting alarms to remind you of the time.

4. Make a commitment to get outside for a walk and fresh air every day. If you can’t get out do a training session, even if it’s a 20 minute HIIT or flexibility session, you will feel better for it.

5. Try to plan your training sessions at the start of the week so you have a game plan, that way you are more likely to stick to it and it can be planned around work, meetings and home-life.

6. Make sure you try to eat a proper meal and not just sit and snack instead. You will feel more energised and better for it.

7. Drink plenty of water and don’t overdo the caffeine. This will help you stay hydrated and more focussed.

8. Get enough sleep, try to get 7-8 hours a night. Aim to go to bed at the same time each night and the same with getting up in the morning to keep a routine.

9. Try something new. There’s not a lot to look forward too right now and something that might help is trying something new that will excite or inspires you. Something to look forward to and focus your energy and time on. A new hobby, a new book, research something.

10. If you do find that you have “more time” be productive and use it to do the jobs that you don’t get round to doing and get a head start on them.

Sometimes it won’t work as you planned and some days will be better than others but don’t give up and don’t beat yourself up just remember the things that make you feel good and keep your ‘why’ in mind.

by Jen Innes Find out more about Jen