Working from home - a blessing or a curse?

The moment I am writing this article , I have spent exactly one week at home. The only time I went out, was a quick walk to the local grocery store (#againsthoarding).

The aim of this article is to share best practices and ideas on how we could all make the most of our involuntary “working-from-home” situation.

Ergonomic "working-from-home" (wfh)-setup

I realized (painfully) how important it is to have as much of an ergonomic set up as possible. Starting with a comfortable office chair with sufficient back support, up to a lifted screen and external keyboard & mouse. If you don’t have a second screen or you cannot get your TV working as a provisional 2nd screen, get yourself a laptop kickstand so your head is not always looking down onto your laptop. (Your neck muscles will thank you for this big times! 😊) Getting up in between calls helps as well to avoid back pain.

Find your daily routine

The importance of finding a daily rhythm is currently more important than ever.  As an example, I am starting my day with a short morning yoga session (The 5 Tibetan Rites) when I get up. For me it’s a way to be grateful starting a new day and stretching my body by moving muscles and fascias.

When my official work day finishes, (I have put a fitness blocker into my calendar 🗓) I continue with an evening exercise.  The advantage of wfh is that I can quickly change it into my sports clothes and join the home gym.  Using an App like Nike Training or different Youtube channels are a great help.

I also like to practice mindfulness sessions on a regular basis. The app Oak has a version of “loving kindness”meditation which helps me to give the current situation of social distancing a better purpose and understanding the need of staying home.#FlatteningTheCurve

With these new habits that I am implementing at the moment I am able to structure my day, give it a frame and it allows me to have time focussing on my wellbeing as well.

Dressing up in your work outfit

My advice is to get ready as if you are going to work. This might sound a bit weird to some people but I am dressing myself up by selecting nice clothes, putting on some light make up and jewelry. By creating this mindset and a boundary at the same time I am manipulating my brain. That way, the working part of my day can start.

On a scientific note, it is proven that you speak in a more professional manner, it impacts your productivity level by helping to keep the focus and it acts as visual reminder  for other people in your household.

Active usage of the video function

Turning on the video in any call makes a huge difference for everyone in the call.  Not only that you are paying full attention to the call, you are showing a signal of sitting in the same boat like everyone else at the moment by sharing a bit of your personality. Teams for example has the “background blur” function, which is a great tool to focus on you, instead of your paintings on the wall. Don’t be ashamed if your children or pets are turning up – this is a very unprecedent situation and everyone is hit by it. So rather embrace it as the new normal as we are going forward.

Instead of texting on WhatsApp, I record little videos and send those over- to me it really makes a difference in communicating, especially in  times of social distancing.  I think once we keep evolving with the situation, we will find more ways to communicate to each other.

Virtual Coffee break

Schedule 10, 15 or 30 minutes with your colleagues on a regular basis. This enables social interaction as we would have had at the office’ coffee dock. I have heard of some teams and friends that they use video calls to have mutual breakfast/ lunch or dinner sessions together. It is important to not underestimate the impact social distancing has on our mental health. So connecting with friends and colleagues, sharing your thoughts and concerns will improve the bond of the relationship with each other. #wearenotalone

Embracing breaks

Scheduling breaks, being nurtured well & healthy is crucial to my wellbeing.

🍏  “An apple a day,

keeps the doctor away!“🍏

By that, I also want to point out to eat consciously and not necessarily in front of my laptop.

Join net4tec’s Virtual Morning Session

Some of you might know that I am very engaged at net4tec. We have set up a weekly virtual morning session starting Thursday. It is our contribution to this situation where we can all learn from each other. Feel free to join our digital networking sessions and share your thoughts and ideas with us. Both, women and men are welcome. Learn more about the topics & sign up here.

Have fun & be creative

People get more and more creative when it comes on how to remain social. Meeting up virtually with friends and colleagues to run game nights, movie nights, virtual dinners, karaoke nights (… the list goes on) helps to keep up the good motivation. Necessity is the mother of invention.

CALL TO ACTION!!!

I would love to hear from you what your best practices are. I am curious about learning your tips and tricks on how you cope with the situation. Let’s learn from each other. I invite you to share your stories in the comments below. Sharing is caring ❤