Michelle Battersby: Seven ways to survive working from home

With weeks and potentially even months of isolation ahead of us, figuring out our new normal has never been more important. Luckily, there are lots of easy ways to feel good, writes Michelle Battersby.

COVID-19 has certainly forced many changes on us over the last month, and although we are all experiencing this together, everyone will be impacted and deal with their individual situation differently.

What’s important is that we don’t judge anyone for how they choose to manage (unless it’s those who continue to go to the beach and hang out in groups – all judgment can be directed at them!).

Like many of you, I am struggling to adjust. Being confined to my home and to not being able to move at a million miles an hour, like I’m used to, is challenging to say the least.

But a few weeks in and I have started to find my rhythm. One really important realisation I have had is that you don’t have to be overproductive during these times or achieve more than you would pre-COVID-19 restrictions. Now is the time to take the pressure off yourself as we adjust to this unprecedented new world.

These tips work for me and, I hope, give you options to prioritise your own wellbeing, mental health and maybe find joy in areas of your life you may not have had before.

Regular exercise and breaks are essential for our health and wellbeing. Picture: iStock

• If you are still working it’s important to remain motivated. Your daily task list may have shifted, your work schedule flipped, and your priorities muddled. But offer yourself a moment of creative freedom to rework some of your strategies, take time each morning to think about what the future of your work may look like, and implement regular breaks. It’s so important that we don’t burn out.
• Set up a productive workspace. Given we could be working from home for months to come, allow yourself to change this up and find what feels right. Above all, make sure you have a good chair for posture and a stable desk or table for your laptop – slouching on the couch will impact your productivity.
• If you’re someone who thrives on routine, look for ways to create a new one. Exercise is a great way to break up the day and take a moment for yourself while you switch off – and you don’t need to be good at it to try something new. Keep it Cleaner is offering free workouts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday on social media, so if you need motivation get online and participate with thousands – I promise you will feel better for it!

With weeks and potentially even months of home life ahead of us, it’s important to stay connected. Picture: Supplied

• Allow yourself to maintain afterwork activities or weekend plans. It is still so important to define your work week versus after hours or the weekend. Now is as good a time to explore new hobbies like colouring, puzzles, learning to meditate or starting a veggie patch.
• Stay connected with friends and family, and make sure you are chatting to your network regularly. Physical distancing doesn’t also mean losing complete social contact, virtual connection is more important than ever and video calls are a great way to make it feel a little more “normal”. I’ve seen the KIC Facebook community really come together during COVID-19 to talk about their experiences with the support of one another.
• Start practising gratitude. This will unlock so many little pockets of joy around you, even if it is running over a list before you go to sleep, I always seem to go to bed feeling a little lighter if I make the time to do this.
• Allow for self reflection and re-asses what’s important to you. This time has already served me many lessons I didn’t realise I needed. I want to ensure I remember those things, so it’s important to register what emotions you are experiencing. If that is one thing we all take from this crazy mess then at least we will all come out the other side far more considered, empathetic and appreciative.

And of course, if you feel joy sitting on the couch all week watching Grey’s Anatomy, then I am totally in support of that too!

Michelle Battersby is the CMO for Keep It Cleaner.

Originally published as Michelle Battersby: Seven ways to survive working from home