Working from home? 8 ways you can take care of yourself
With lockdown 2.0 well under way, if
you are self-isolating, working from home or staying taking care of others, it’s
important to look after yourself too.
There’s
plenty of healthcare guidance online – both official and anecdotal – and we’re
not health experts, so we won’t try to be.
But we do have a lot of customers who are small business owners, who may
be affected by the on-going unprecedented situation we find ourselves in with
coronavirus or COVID-19.
As small
business owners themselves, our franchisees serve the people in their local
communities and many of them will feel involved in the lives of their
customers. We’re all trying to help each
other, while keeping abreast of the evolving advice and guidance from the
government and NHS designed to help contain the spread of this pandemic.
Whilst
you’re staying indoors this winter and simultaneously juggling your business, remember to look after your mental and
physical wellbeing as far as possible.
Here are a few tips that might help:
Stick to a routine
Try to get
up at a certain time each day. Have a
hot drink and some breakfast, take your shower and do whatever it takes to make
you feel ready for the day. People who
usually work from home will tell you that sticking to a routine helps you make
the most of your time and – importantly – it helps you feel positive and
empowered.
Take regular meals
Tempting as
it might be to get up late and sit for hours in your PJs, catching up on social
media with a cup of tea, it’s a good idea to ensure that your routine includes
regular meals, just as you would on a normal working day. This can help if you’re looking after others,
too, as people welcome having a structure to their day.
Stay hydrated
Sipping
water throughout the day will help keep your brain alert as well as boosting
your circulation, which could become a little sluggish if you’re sitting in
front of your laptop all day.
Move about
Remember to
get up and move about every half-hour or so – particularly if you are working
from home. It’s easy to forget to do
this when there’s no need to walk to the post room, pop into a colleague’s
office or walk between buildings for meetings.
Get some exercise
If you’re
lucky enough to live near a park or in the countryside, go for a brisk walk or
run every day. If you need to stay
indoors, there are some great exercise videos online to suit all levels of
ability. If your home has stairs, you
could even walk up and down them a few times to get the blood pumping!
Stay in touch
We are lucky
that most of us can stay in touch with friends, colleagues and family through phone
calls, email, messaging, social media, and the occasional walk if your loved ones who live nearby. Keep up those conversations with those that you’re unable to see,
and consider using apps like Skype, Facetime, Google Hangouts and Zoom so you
can have face-to-face contact too.
Create boundaries
If you’re
working at home, create boundaries between your work and home lives. If possible, set up a desk in a spare room or
an area that you don’t use for other things. This is particularly important if
there are other family members and young children at home. You need a quiet, dedicated space to
work. And at the end of the working day,
switch off the laptop and move away from your work area. That way, you keep a sense of rhythm and
proportion that can be lost when your usual work-life pattern has to change.
Reach out
In the first
lockdown, we saw many communities and business groups set up Facebook pages to
help each other get through this difficult time. Whether you just need a bit of local advice
or want to offer your help, it’s worth looking out for any groups you can
join.
Business continuity
can be hard to maintain when you’re confined to your home, but remember that
your local MBE store can help by receiving your post and parcels, and we can
arrange for them to be sent to your home address or anywhere else that’s
convenient. We can also collect post and
parcels if it’s difficult for you to get to the store, and you can send us your
print and copy jobs via email too. Our stores are staying open to help serve customers who will need their
support more than ever at this time. Remember, we’re just an email or a phone call
away.
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