Top Tips Takeaway: Working from Home

As someone who regularly works from home, I wanted to share some practical tips on how to work effectively and how to stay sane, as many of us are now basing ourselves at the kitchen table for the foreseeable future.  So here goes:

• Create a pleasant environment to work in: keep it simple but have some natural light, maybe a plant, a few pictures of your favourite things or things that make you smile.  Never underestimate the importance of a comfortable chair!
• Make a list of things to do and prioritise - be realistic in your daily goal setting and don't get distracted.  You should find you can be super-productive working at home, as there are less people around to chat to!
  
• Resist the urge to work past your normal working hours otherwise you risk turning your home, where should feel relaxed, into somewhere you associate with constant work and stress - and your family won't thank you!
  
• Take regular breaks every hour or so,  get up and have a wander around, do a few stretches , make a hot drink, put some washing on, water the plants ( after all that's one of the benefits of being at home you can sneak in a few small household chores into your day).
  
• Take a lunch break in a different room, get outside for a walk, do an online workout for half an hour, do something in the garden, read a book - this should be anything that clears your head and gives you a mental and physical break from your desk.
  
• Eat a nutritional, light lunch.  As you have your fridge and cooking facilities on hand, there is no excuse to eat rubbish or be lazy.
  
•  Take some time to speak to colleagues via Skype or Zoom or a WhatsApp call, even if it's just a 15 minute coffee catch-up with a business associate.  
  
• Join webinars from your desk to interact with other people about subjects that are important to your job.

Hope this is helpful in making your working from home environment a little more pleasant and your practice more successful.  Wishing everyone love and courage in the coming weeks and months.