Many of us may be feeling unsure how they are going to cope as we head into this new phase in our lives where many of are us are working from home. Over the coming days and weeks, we will share techniques to better support you with self care tips for working from home.
We kick off this series with the following tried and tested self-care tips that our friends, family and colleagues have recommended to keep your mind and body active and healthy.
1. Check in with your friends and family
Working from home and social distancing means that maintaining human contact is now more important than ever. So pick up that phone to call or face time an old friend, your gran or your parents for a good old chat!
2. Check in with your colleagues
At AWA we use the Check In protocol at the beginning of team meetings to take a temperature check on how everyone is feeling. My husband, who is a university lecturer, now runs his sessions online and has started to use the check in protocol with his students. “The students were really receptive… it means we not only get to share concerns but also positives too and brings some normality to the situation.”
3. Take time out
So much of our time is spent on screens. Make sure you have a good break every 30 – 40 minutes to get up, walk around and stretch. Use the pomodoro timer to schedule reminders when it’s time to for you to take time out!
4. Get your body moving!
Whether you are golf lover, yogi or gym regular, you can maintain your exercise routine at home. Plus with the daily commute now on pause you can fit a daily walk into your schedule by doing as Anders Ivarsson suggests and adding a “fake commute” to the start of your day. This is one of the most important self care tips for working from home and can help combat depression.
5. Create zoom or google hangouts and “do lunch”!
Gary our amazing sales and account manager has scheduled a daily slot with his mates. People join as they can for 1 hour to chat each day. Gary says “we have a bit of lunch to snack on and chew the fat. This give you a bit of energy and helps to segment the day and have energy to go again in the afternoon.”
6. Practice meditation
Make time for mediation to reset, revitalise and renew the mind and body. It’s great way to kickstart your day even if you wake up feeling sluggish. Join Sam Kiani’s online meditation circle at 6:30am each morning here.
7. Take the “Science of Well-Being” course by Yale
Nearly 900k people have taken this free online course with over 98% of people giving it a thumbs-up on Coursera. This course will engage you in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. Check it out here.
8. Create a yay list 🙂
Practice gratitude and abundance by creating a yay list. This will help you recognise things going right in your life instead of focussing on the negative.
9. Practice a mantra for anxiety/calm
Charli Sparks – founder of YogaRhythm.org – reminds us, “Remember you control your mind, don’t let the mind control you. Use this simple affirmation to reduce anxiety… Repeat out loud ‘I am calm, I am relaxed’ on the exhale for 20 minutes. This helps the mind reset, calms the nervous system, bringing you back into mind over matter. This simple mantra has helped me personally deal with nausea as well as anxiety.”
10. Create small but achievable goals
Take some time to consider and write out your goals for the next few days, weeks and months. Things might seem a bit up in the air now but life still marches on. Come up with a mantra that will help you get in the right mindset to start thinking about what it is you want to achieve in small bite-sized chunks.
11. Make a vision board
Manifestation is a powerful way to bring forth what you desire and helps you focus on the positive. Charli Sparks says vision boards are also are “a great way to be present and in the moment. Simply create without thinking. Find any old magazines etc, go through them and cut out anything that inspires you. You may be surprised to see the inspiration that unfolds.”
12. Invest in your continuous professional development
We have hit a natural pause and now is the perfect time to INVEST in personal and professional development. For example, my step-mother has signed up to an online course in horse nutrition. Something she has wanted to do for years!
13. Subscribe to Positive.News
It’s important at times like these to limit the amount of news you are consuming. This gives you more time to focus on positive and better things. That said, there are more positive news outlets out there. I have subscribed to Positive.News for the last few years so I can receive their weekly digest on all the GOOD and POSITIVE things that people are doing around the world. Sign up here.
14. Give yourself structure and live with intention through a journalling practice
Be intentional about how you choose to show up each day, how you will connect to others and what the 3 most important things you will get done each day are. This will stop the day from blurring and running away with you. Ask Sam Kiani if you want an awesome set of journal questions to experiment with.
We’d love to hear how you are looking after yourself and if you have any more self care tips for working from home. Post your suggestions below and we can add them to part 2. Feel free to ask us any questions on how we can help you and your teams stay centered and connected.
Finally, if you enjoyed this article, you might like to discover how to help yourself learn more effectively.