More and more people are having to adapt to working from home because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The promise of flexibility, more productivity and no commute are some of the highlights of having to work from home and let’s not forget saving that extra cash you’d normally spend on your lunches.
If you’re living alone and working from home, you might see it as a way to be more flexible and have fewer interruptions however, the loneliness will soon kick in and can get the best of us.
Here are four must do’s to make sure the isolation doesn’t get to you and cost you your well-being:
stay socially connected.
Keep in touch with your colleagues and tap into video calls and instant chat tools to stay connected. Living alone gives you the perfect setup, no awkward walk bys and complete control of your surroundings. Those small interactions with colleagues can make a huge difference - don’t make it all work and no fun, make sure to ask about your team's weekends and families.
If you need any tips on how to best carry out Skype/Google hangout/video calls from home see here.
own your workspace.
Every workspace looks better with a few leafy friends – not only will a plant brighten up your desk, a desk plant has proven to help lower blood pressure, boost productivity and attentiveness, and lower anxiety levels, amongst others, so there’s even more reason to go green.
Your work day will start off a little happier each day.
walk this way…
Working from home doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors. You’ve got that added oxygen from your desk plant but make sure you get some of the real, good stuff. Getting outside and moving, will keep you awake, feel refreshed and uplifted. Why not give a friend or colleague a call whilst on a walk? Just make sure you’re out walking on your own, or with one member of your household.
Getting out and about where you can is also good for your own mental health, which can be impacted by long periods of isolation on your own. For more tips on how to look after your mental health while working from home see here.
Alexa, play some tunes.
If you live alone, working in silence might not be the best thing, being alone with your own thoughts can be pretty scary. Studies have shown that the effect of music on efficiency, creativity and happiness so popping on a playlist through a speaker, can create a more conducive work environment.
If you are a client or candidate, a safe and healthy work environment should always come as standard.
