How to Look After Yourself when Working from Home

Right now, we are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic the likes of which many of us could never have envisioned in our lifetimes, or any other lifetimes for that matter.
The Coronavirus, AKA COVID-19 is sweeping across the globe, causing devastation in its path.
The good news is that, thanks to social-distancing measures such as self-isolation and remote working from home, we are now flattening the curve and we are beginning to get the virus under control.
With many of us being forced to work from home, our normal routines have been disrupted massively, and as we are human, some of us are struggling.
Right now, it is more important than ever to take care of yourself, whether working from home or not. Here are a few tips to help you do precisely that.

Create a work schedule
If you find yourself needing to work from home during this global pandemic, one of the most important things you need to do is create a work schedule. Remember, even though times are tough and everything is different at the moment, work is still work and if you are able to work, you must continue to do so. Instead of just doing a few hours here and a few hours there, create a work schedule and base it around your normal schedule. If you work Mon – Fri for example, make sure that you work Mon – Fri at home.

Create a comfortable work environment
In order to increase your productivity and keep morale high, another important thing you must do is create a comfortable work environment. Don’t just sit on the sofa in front of the TV with your laptop on your knee, and don’t just clear a space on the dining room table in the middle of the house. Find a quiet and clutter-free part of the house and make it feel as much like an office as possible. Consider a new desk or standing desk, as well as a lumbar supportive office chair and other similar accessories.

Don’t beat yourself up if you struggle to get motivated
Whether you live alone, or with your family, sometimes it will be tough to get motivated. With distractions from kids, pets, other family members, and general goings on in the world, finding the motivation to just block everything out and focus on working at the same tempo as you do at your office isn’t always viable. On days when you can’t get your head in the game, don’t be hard on yourself, just do what you can and tell yourself that tomorrow will be better.

Catch up on logistical work
Okay, so suppose there have been clients that you’ve been meaning to contact for several months before, but haven’t had the time due to a busy workload, now that things are quieter, use this time to catch up with said clients. Whether you need to send emails, print off flyers, make a few phone calls, promote work and business operations on social media, or anything else, use your downtime to catch up on the smaller logistical tasks that you kept putting off before the lockdown. Oh, and the same goes around the house. Use this quieter period to fix that wobbly doorframe, change that squeaky hinge on the kitchen cupboard.