These are unusual circumstances and we’ve all had to adjust quickly to a new working environment. This is my first opportunity working from home since I’ve always worked in customer-facing roles. I want to make the most of this experience.
It has now been a week and I’ve settled well into a new routine. The initial challenge I had was to maintain my work-life balance whilst working from home. Having read some tips online, I converted one of our rooms to be my new temporary office. I ensure that after a working day, I avoid entering the room again until the next morning. I’ve also borrowed some of my day-to-day items from the office such as my coffee mug, water bottle, stationary, even drawings that I had up around my office workstation – all my usual ‘office stuff’ helps remind me that I’m still at work!
Working from home means saving time on commuting. By getting up at the same time I get an extra 30 minutes in my day! Whilst staying in bed longer in the morning is a big temptation, I have decided to use this time wisely. I meditate every morning for 15 minutes before starting the day. This puts my mind at peace, and it is a new habit I intend to keep when life returns to normal.
Immediately after work, for my thoughts to focus on something else I do a completely different activity for 30 minutes to one hour: going for a walk, doing my nails, DIY crafts etc. I can then go on with my personal life.
Our team communicated well in the office, so getting used to working alone was hard at first. Thankfully we have a daily meeting to see each other and talk about what we have been up to. We also have a live chat constantly open to stay in touch as much as possible and help each other. It would have been difficult without them!I’ve come to embrace the situation, and consider it a perfect occasion for personal development, to know more about myself and my working habits. It will be interesting to discuss more of our experiences when we return to the office. Can’t wait to see real people again!