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Wellbeing whilst working from home

It’s been a year since we first went into a national lockdown. For many, you may have been working from home, alongside trying to cope with a pandemic, not being able to see loved ones, homeschooling and being stuck at home for most of this time!
We have supported each other through this and as we approach the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ we wanted to check in and give you a few reminders for looking after your workspace and not to forget to focus on your wellbeing.

Create a comfy workspace

We have now spent a year working from home, so…did you take note from our blog last March, our top tips for working from home? Have you managed to keep to your morning routine?
If, like us, the answer is no, you may have found a new routine. Do you get the top half of yourself dressed and ready for video calls and the bottom half is all about comfort? Do you have a dedicated snack spot? Is dry shampoo your new best friend (if it wasn’t before!)? Has your pet taken up residence on your lap or under your ‘makeshift’ desk?

If you answered yes to any of the above we are 100% with you, this year has definitely changed our approach but don’t forget a few things:

  • Make sure you take regular breaks – just because you work from home doesn’t mean you are available 24/7.
  • Tidy your space at the end of each day, this can help separate your work from home.
  • Check in with your colleagues, you never know who might be having a tough day.

Lighting tip! If you struggle on video calls depending on the light in your room, then a Ring Light can help. You may think these are for social media but they can also be a saviour for video calls, pop it behind your laptop and switch it on when you get a call.

Get some fresh air

At the start of the pandemic we were probably all capitalising on our 1 hour of outdoor activity time a day that we were allowed, but don’t forget to keep this up.
Take regular breaks, walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise. Not only will you burn off some calories but walking can help reduce stress, it can improve your energy, concentration, mood and your sleep quality.
And now we can meet others outside, call a friend, go for a walk, grab a take away drink and enjoy spending time with others. It will do you the world of good, so go outside get your much needed dose of vitamin D and take in the fresh air, just don’t forget your keys, phone, card and mask!

Take up a hobby

If, like us, you went through the banana bread phase, if you were able to get your hands on eggs and flour that is, then you might not fancy continuing to bake as a hobby.
But Spring has arrived and it’s time to dust off the Winter hibernation feeling, put away the jigsaws and pick up a hobby. If you didn’t sort out your garden last year, now’s the perfect time, garden centres are open, the evenings are getting lighter and who doesn’t like to sit in the garden after a long day’s work relaxing with a cold beverage?
If gardening isn’t for you, why not try a couch to 5k? Or if you are already a runner why not try a new route, a change is as good as a rest as the saying goes.
You could learn a new language, take up knitting, try your hand at golf. Take up scrapbooking and make a scrapbook of the past year? You might not want to remember it all but it’s good to reflect on your experience.
Or if baking is still for you why not try something new, challenge yourself, make something you haven’t baked before, give bake off a run for their money!

There are so many hobbies, think about what you enjoy doing and go from there, try something new and if it’s not for you that’s ok, you tried. Why don’t you challenge yourself to do something new each month? Whether that’s reading a new book, trying a new exercise routine or challenging yourself to learn something new, have you tried coding?

We hope our tips will help give you a little rejuvenation while you continue to work from home. Whether you need to revive your workstation, need a little reminder to not forget to take breaks and get some fresh air or help to find a hobby you enjoy so you have something to look forward to outside of work.
And finally don’t give yourself a hard time, there will have been / will be days when you just about get dressed, leave your camera off for video calls and veg out all weekend while watching TV, you’re not alone in those days, we’ve all been there. But don’t forget we are all in this together and you’re doing amazing!

How can we help?