This has been my first experience of working from home, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
Initially I thought it would be great to have more freedom, and the convenience of being at home. The circumstances that we are in have meant that I was also relieved to be lucky enough to have the option to work from home, and stay safe.
Upon starting working from home, everyday has been different and there have been lots of different hurdles to overcome, that I hadn’t really thought about.
The first few days there was still a lot of panic about the coronavirus and I felt that the big change of not being around my support system, the girls in the office, made coping hard. At times I have felt alone and the house has felt very quiet, something that I am generally not used to in my life!
However after getting past the first initial few days and adjusting I have felt much more content in myself and my routine. And I think that is the key – Routine. I’m getting myself up and getting dressed, starting my day with exercise which has made a huge improvement. Keeping myself hydrated, making sure that my work station is comfortable as well as functional, and making sure that I have regular breaks. It’s funny that I thought I’d have more freedom, because in reality I’ve been getting up a lot less during the day at home than I would at work and at the end of the day I’ve had stiff legs! So I’ve been trying to move around every hour and having a half an hour walk at lunch.
Having a daily video call with everyone in the office has been so great to keep that support system in place, even if it is virtual! As well as work related updates, we get to see each other and catch up everyday with how are day is going. This has really helped normalise the situation for me, especially with not being able to see my family and friends for support
I feel a lot more settled into this routine after a week, but I am looking forward to our office reunion when this is all over!