Working from home has become the new normal due to Covid-19. It may seem like a blessing, but we know it isn’t. It has been 10 months that I have been working from home and I know it isn’t easy. There are days when we sit in front of the laptop working at a stretch, not eating or taking a break and by the end of the day we are extremely tired, hungry and on the verge of breaking down.
There are few things that I have figured out and is helping me stay sane while working from home which I would like to share with you.
1. Block your calendar for lunch break everyday for an hour: When we go to work, we spend time commuting and have lunch breaks as well. However, while working from home many a times we forget that taking a break is important. Block your calendar for an hour every day for lunch, so that others cannot block your calendar for that never-ending call. Use the break, prepare your lunch and have it somewhere away from the laptop and relax for a while.
2. Take short breaks: Remember taking coffee breaks and restroom breaks while at office? It shouldn’t be any different. Do not sit for hours straight, it is detrimental to both your mind and body. Get up, stretch yourself, take a 10 min break and then start working again. I cannot stress enough the importance of short breaks. Constant staring at the laptops, weakens your eyesight, makes you feel exhausted and is major cause of back ache among people at a very young age.
3. Do not keep any official apps on your phone: I have seen people installing Outlook and Microsoft Teams and some official applications on their phone. They tend to check these even during breaks, holidays and odd hours. Keeping official apps on your phone only increases your anxiety and makes you restless.
4. Once office timing is over it is Over for the day: Many of us, including me, are guilty of stretching ourselves to complete that last piece of work that may not be important. Sometimes we tend to open our laptop, check mails and work even on weekends. Don’t! I have learned it the hard way. It is your time. If it is 9 to 6 and 5 working days, make sure you stick to it and do not raise unnecessary expectations, it only gets worse and overwhelming.
5. Take up a hobby in your free time: This really worked for me. I used to love sketching and painting, however somehow I did not pick up that brush and colors for quite a long time and it became a thing of past. However, this lock down made me revisit my hobby and now almost every weekend I sit down to sketch and this makes me calm and happy and office is the last thing on my mind. Taking up a hobby which makes you happy really helps you unwind.
Working from home might continue for longer than we expected and going to offices might become just an option in may companies. However, our health-both mental and physical should always remain our priority which shouldn't be compromised with in any scenario.
Comments