Working from Home with VML

When we first began working from home, countless blogs and articles were shared advising us on how to stay motivated and adjust to our new working environment. In our latest blog our team shares the tips that they have found actually work: 

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1. Get out for a lunchtime walk to get some fresh air and reduce screen time

2. Keep a jug of water by your desk to stay hydrated

3. Keep a good routine. Get out of bed at the same time you would have normally and get ready for the day. No sweatpants. You can even go as far as putting on shoes to get yourself in a good productive mindset

4. Try a gaming session or reading a good book to switch off

5. Respect employee boundaries and only contact them during working hours

6. Go to the gym in the evenings, it’s a great way to get out of the house for a change of scenery

7. Try to leave sufficient time between calls to reflect, think and avoid video call fatigue 

8. Place something interesting on your desk that brings a smile to your face so you’re not left staring blankly at a computer screen all day

9. Appreciate the small things - no commute means more me-time to do what you want

10. Have a comfortable working environment that’s not somewhere you usually relax e.g. your bedroom or living room. Splitting your working and living spaces will help maintain your work-life balance

11. Embrace the obvious WHF occurrences as talking points on calls e.g. your decor, children or pets going barking mad

12. Get involved with any wellness activities your organisation has planned such as walking challenges for some friendly competition 

13. Check co-workers statuses on slack before contacting them - in the office you wouldn’t bother someone when they’re on their lunch or a call so setting those is a good way for people to know if you’re free or not!

14. Dedicate time before or after work to your side projects, hobbies or new skills you want to learn. Some of our team have been practising the guitar and learning new instruments

15. Cook up a storm in the kitchen. This can be a therapeutic break from work, bonus points if you sing and dance while doing so! Working from home also opens up the option for trying new recipes and long, slow cooks

Most importantly, find out what works for you! Many of us have continually adapted our routines over the past year. Hopefully this list provides some inspiration for new things to try to help make working from home more manageable.

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