COVID-19 has brought uncertainty that hangs heavy over our heads in these challenging times. Self-isolation and working from home might prove to be challenging for some more than others given that most of us are accustomed to a routine and having ourselves surrounded by an environment which dictates our hourly activities. Here at the studio, we work together but also practise remote working whenever we need to, and given the current situation, we have done this daily now. Here are some game-changing tips for those of you who are struggling with this:

1 – Scout for a good home working space ?

First things first, your workspace – Give yourself an area, if possible far away from the living room and not in the bedroom. A space that offers natural light. Declutter the space and leave only work-related material. A similar setup to what you have at work would be ideal. Make sure you have a comfortable chair and that you have the necessary equipment, printer, paper sticky notes etc.

2 – Organise your time

The good news is that you are no longer restricted to a 9 to 5 work schedule! This leaves us with a full day ahead of us, which if left unplanned can slip through our fingers in a couple of hours. It is important to organise and prioritise your work and ‘To Do’ list first thing in the morning and be sure to revisit the list frequently and adjust accordingly. Web-based task managers like Asana or Trello can help you maintain a good workflow with your colleagues without having to constantly call and keep each other updated over the phone/video calls.

Balance is key, so, include some house chores or something you love to do to keep your spirits up.

Tip: Set a timer if you tend to binge-watch Netflix! ?

3 – Connect with your colleagues

Working remotely sounds like a treat, but come day 3 and you quickly start to feel your motivation and drive slip away. A trick we found to help with this is stick to your regular morning routine. Get out of bed, have breakfast, don’t stay in your PJ’s – Super Important! Find 15-20 minutes to energise yourself, practise an online stretching class or take your dog for a walk, anything! And finally, schedule a daily 10 min morning call with your team before starting your days’ work. This should not be a long meeting but rather to catch-up and run through the daily priorities and tasks, nurture the sense of belonging from the comfort of your own home ?

4 – Guess who’s also loving this?

Yep, your pets, especially your dog! Suddenly, the weekend is every day and they get to enjoy your company for 24 hours, isn’t that great?! A great time to unwind and reconnect with them, it’s extremely beneficial to our wellbeing while they’re having the time of their life! – It’s a WIN-WIN. Just make sure that when this is all over and it’s time to go back to the work office you transition them slowly out of this routine.  Start to take shorter breaks and shorter playtime to reduce their separation anxiety.

5 – #snackercise, is real! ?

Old habits die hard they say and how true is that! Our harmless trips to the office kitchen for coffee, tea and water refills have become ingrained in our system to give us a short 5-minute break. The equivalent of that at home is our kitchen, which is loaded with snacks and food. One way to deal with this is to prepare your healthy food intake for the day out on the kitchen cupboard. This stops our incessant habit of opening the fridge and cupboards for boredom goodies. If you still find yourself on a snackcercise mission, make a list of all the food items you eat throughout the day, this will help you feel more conscious and aware of your intake.

6 – Slow Down 

Enjoy re-discovering what a slow-paced life feels like. Have a look at your daily routine and you’ll realise that you’ve just gained a couple of hours in the morning and evening from your daily commute which can be dedicated to something you never find time to do. This can be anything as simple as reading a book or decluttering a cupboard in your home. Anything that has a cathartic feel-good factor can be introduced to your daily routine to help deal with the negative energy self-isolation might bring along. #SelfCare and #KeepingTheCurveDown work very well together! ?