Working from home - and how to thrive not just survive!
Updated: Mar 20, 2020
I have been working from home the last year as an online tutor whilst also practicing my herbal medicine, so i'd like to share my takeaways about working from home especially in these uncertain times when a lot of us are at home and not sure for how long.
For some this is going to be a bit daunting whereas for others they are probably cherishing the thought of it, no matter what your thoughts, i'd like to share my 2 pennies worth.
To start with when I started working from home I realised there were quite a few adjustments that were needed to be made so here goes. At first, and because it's new, it's so exciting and you feel so happy, your like skipping around your living room, shaking your booty, arms raised in the air 'Look at me, working from home' I ain't ever going into an office again, ain't no one going to tell me when and where I should be working no sirree, not me, you can safely say you are very happy, my life, my terms! oh yeh!
BUT with this new found freedom comes your first adjustment or at least your first realisation YOU still have to have some kind of routine, otherwise you could end up sitting on your arse all day dunking tea in biscuits for fun or procrastinating so bad that you end up cleaning the cracks in your bathroom tiles with a toothbrush ANYTHING to distract you from the task at hand.
With that first BIG adjustment aside lets get going on all the wonderful things about working from home - YES you can look forward to rolling out of bed that little bit later and take your time about it, no more rushing around lets face it commuting to work takes time and even more so if you have children to get ready too....this was quite an adjustment for me as usually the start of day involved a lot of rushing around, screaming at my child to get ready for school, doing the school run, making it into into work with moments to spare looking very flustered, annoyed and clearly looking like I had had a bad morning! not a good start to the day.
The funny thing is I thought that I liked living this way, what was the point of sitting around in the morning, taking my time, allowing myself to wake up properly, this was not how I rolled, I used to scoff and my mum, boyfriend the way they would sit around taking about 2 hours just to wake up, to me that was a waste of sleep time. I thought I preferred the manic time in the morning...WTF! I had done this for years that was until I worked from home.
If this has been you then you can now look forward to starting your day in a much more harmonious way. I learnt that it is much more preferable to allow yourself time to wake up properly, otherwise you find yourself stressing about this and that (mum's you know what I mean!) instead you can find a routine that consists of something much more energising.
My suggestion is laying awake in bed for at least a few minutes, gather your thoughts, think about what is needed to be done that day, get up, make yourself a nice warming drink (my fave is warm water with lemon and then a spicy bullet proof hot cocoa for a bit of zing) then choose do a few stretches, dancing, listening to music, yoga, going for a walk anything that puts you in a good mood... You don't want to be called the one that got out of bed in the wrong side do you now?! believe me you feel SOOOOOO good and ready to start your day. OH YEH!
Another benefit of homeworking is that you can take breaks whenever you like, just make sure that you keep a balance of them - not too many but have some, you choose .... My biggest bug bear working for some companies was you only had a break (lunch aside) if you smoked (luckily I did!) but it wasn't fair for the rest of the staff AND you know they say you need to move every hour if your stuck in front of a PC well the good thing is your not limited to just walking around your stuffy old office, I don't care how modern your office is, it's still full of fake lighting and there is no fresh air unless you smoke, err the irony! you end up pretty much indoors all day long... when your at home this just isn't the case, pissing down with hail and rain maybe the only exception to not getting outside (but that's only temporary, oh hang on this is the UK!), other than that, just step outside even if only for a few minutes and not only because coronovirus is going around (at time of writing this article) but is it is vital to get outside, i'm not saying in a crowded place, but we need fresh air for our immunity and our health and mental well being. MOVEMENT is key to your health and well being, plus if your getting a bit bored you maybe tempted to go dip in the biscuit cupboard, so get that pretty arse up from your seat and go move it in someway if anything at least for a distraction. Actually I should add this is a great time to have a little clean, you only need a few minutes for each room, so you can space that out throughout the day. Double bonus!
You can Wear what you want ... I have to wear a red polo shirt but that doesn't stop me from wearing my pygama shorts if I like as I am only seen from the neck line up and yes that means I don't have to wear a BRA and ladies I am sure you agree that is the best thing EVER! I would say though that it's a good idea to get ready, put some make up on (if you wear it of course) get dressed otherwise you can turn into a bit of a slob think Waynetta ... not a look to go for ! so do show up like you are going for work or going out of the house you will feel a lot more better about yourself.
You get to make a dedicated work space for yourself - Now this can be great fun, keep your space tidy, be near natural light, make it your own - You may not have this opportunity in a normal working situation so this gives you the opportunity to create a nice working space for yourself. Think flowers, photos, gadgets, you can get pretty inspired looking on pinterest for ideas of how to create a beautiful working space so that it is nice and comfortable and creates a productive environment to work in.
Your home already when you've finished work - Now surely that beats being on the train, bus, car journey home - If you like cooking then you have time to create some new exciting recipes rather than a quick dash to the packed shops after work. You won't be in the pub spending your hard earned cash every night (if that's what you do) instead you can get a nice bottle of wine and drink it at home.
Another thing about working from home as an extraverted type, meaning I get my energy from mixing with others, I need to be able to mingle with people, there is only so much time I could spend on my own or with the same company day after day SO it is very important to have a social group, a support group, someone that is a kindred spirit, your mates, family whoever that is that you can spend time with AND if your the introverted type meaning you need solo time to re-energise then having all the family at home in these times can be way too hectic for you, so make sure you have an outlet where you can chill on your own. Your own dedicated space where you won't be interrupted.
And one more thing - we really are all in this together, be kind, be healthy, be safe, look after each other and try and make the best out of the situation. This really is a time to take stock of our lives, out with the old with what no longer serves us and in with the new what serves us better. Things have been changing for a while now and it is apparent with the way the establishments, education, rules, hierarchy is all being broken apart and you can either hold onto it and keep in this state of fear or run with it and trust that it will be ok. I know what i'm doing.
Please feel free to look at my other articles, especially now that we have with all this time on our hands .
P.S NOW if you have kids, some of the above applies to them too.... I will be writing another article soonish so please follow me on Instagram wildling.ways for updates...
KEEP HEALTHY AND WELL YOU LOVELIES XOXO
Love you long time XOXO