Anthony T. Hincks, the writer of “An Author of Life” once said: “When you work from home there is no such thing as a holiday.”
With the current working from home situation, we want to change that. If you’re going to be working from home for a while, it’s important to make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of an all work-no life balance.
Here’s what you can do:
1. Take breaks
We can’t say this enough but you don’t have to be sat in front of your computer for every second of the day from 9-5 when working from home.
It’s important to take breaks during the day. In the office, you’re making coffee, walking over to someone else’s desk to catch up, or heading out for lunch, so make sure you take the same time at home.
If you drink enough hot drinks, then step away from your desk while the kettle is boiling and use this time as a break. If not, set an alarm for every 30 minutes and get up from your chair and do some simple stretches when it goes off.
2. Listen to something
No office is silent during the day, so if you’re able to listen to something while you work, it could be a solution to filling the silence.
Whether you like the radio, pop music, classical music, or podcasts, there are a lot of options for all tastes and preferences. We’re big fans of a wide variety of things here, from 50s jazz and musicals to Australian punk and ELO!
3. Get outside
Even though the current situation makes going outside a little more regimented, if you have a garden or a front porch, take advantage of the space and get some fresh air during your day. Even opening the window can help you feel more connected to the outside world.
If you choose to head out to do some exercise during your day, this can be a great break and give you more of a routine to get into.
4. Get moving
We’ve already mentioned exercise briefly, but you don’t have to go outside to do it. You could find a YouTube video of a gym class you enjoy or take part in a fitness instructor’s video classes, such as Joe Wicks’ personalised playlists.
To start your day off on a high note, why not even have a dance when you get up in the morning? Florence Pugh, star of Little Women, revealed in an interview with Glamour that her dad told her: “we have to do things that keep us happy, keep us bubbly and keep moving.” We couldn’t agree more!
Put on some music, shake your body and start the day with positive endorphins.
5. Attend a virtual lunch
It’s easy to feel disconnected from your team while working from home, especially when the only conversations you have are based around work. It’s harder to just chat or catch up with someone when you’re not in the same building.
So, why not change this by organising a virtual lunch with your team? Have everyone video conference in at lunchtime and chat while eating. An atmosphere like this will make it a lot easier for people to steer away from work when talking and you can all share in an experience, which is psychologically proven to make people feel closer.
Check out our blog on remote meetings to find out the best video conferencing software to use.
6. Get into cooking
Being at home to work has one big benefit, you’re much closer to a fully functioning kitchen. Step away from the sandwiches and salads you would usually take into work and brush up on your cooking skills instead.
Not only will you be able to try your hand at a number of tasty lunches that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to have, but you’ll also be able to keep the skills you’ve gained and use them beyond the current situation.
7. Start a hobby
An hour lunch break is the perfect length of time to pick up a new or continue with an existing hobby to help break up the day.
There are a number of hobbies you can try that aren’t too material or labour intensive, such as embroidery, painting, knitting, cooking, practice an instrument, read a new book, and much more.
We hope this blog has given you lots of ideas to help make your working days more fun while you’re WFH! If you have any other ideas you want to share with us, please share them on social media by tagging us, @ibtmevents, and using the hashtag #stayconnected.
We have also just launched a virtual resource hub, IBTM Connect, which is packed with videos, blogs, and will also be hosting a series of webinars, to keep us all connected in the events industry. Enter the hub here.