THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
A new year, a new you—and the same old restrictions. It’s fair to say that the beginning of 2021 has been especially challenging, compounding the usual dreariness of winter with continued curbs on our social freedoms. A great deal of us continue to adapt to new circumstances and new pressures, one of which is the adjustment to working from home. Although lots of people have already made this change, there will be many who are just starting, thinking about starting, or who wish to improve the way they operate and function within the confines of their homes. With this in mind, we at Hoogly would like to offer a few hints and tips for staying at the top of your professional game in these uncertain and stressful times.
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- Create a work space: Designate a location where you will be comfortable, uninterrupted (where possible!) and content. Sit and be still in this place for a while, sending a clear signal to your grey matter that it’s time to focus and concentrate. When you’re no longer working, keep away from this area, and resist the urge to ‘check in.’
- Get Moving: If you’re not a fan of being restricted to one location, then pick a few other quiet locations and designate them as office space. Allot yourself a certain amount of time in each space and then change location. This will help your muscles and posture, and also provide a neat way to organise and breakdown your tasks, allowing you to manage your time.
- Schedule: It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, but it’s a great idea to write or type a schedule for the day, giving yourself clear objectives and timeframes for each task based on priorities and importance. This will streamline your working day. Within your schedule, try to factor in what and when you will eat. If you can, stick to the same time each day as routine is as important for your body as it is for your mind.
- Break it up! One of the pitfalls of working from home is the tendency to make yourself available at every minute of the day. But in order to maximise the quality and quantity of your output, you must give yourself the opportunity to relax and recharge. Get away from your screen, go somewhere else, have a cup of delicious Hoogly tea—and enforce this break strictly. Even five or ten minutes each hour will be beneficial for your productivity.
- Check in: While there are a lot of plus sides to working from home (cheerio, commute!) it can also, for obvious reasons, be more isolating. Ensure you carve out time to get in touch with friends and family via video chat in order to get face-to-face human interaction, and if you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to talk about how the experience is affecting you to your colleagues and boss. A lot of people are in the same boat and it’s very helpful to get different perspectives, input and advice! If it suits the others, build your video calls or virtual coffee breaks into your schedule.
- Boundaries: As with all areas of life, it’s important to create and curate your boundaries, especially if you share your house with others—including children! Working from home is flexible, but it also has a plethora of distractions, so be sure to discuss your needs with everyone before you get started. Gently remind others that you will need quiet and focus, share your schedule with them so everyone is on board, and remember to enforce your boundaries at work where possible. Once you’ve logged off, stay logged off! You’ve worked hard, now enjoy your freedom!
- Be Kind to Yourself: It won’t all be plain sailing. This is an unusual and often disorienting situation, and it’s perfectly normal to find adjustment tricky. It’s important to acknowledge that your productivity might not be the same as before, and that any goals you create must be realistic and achievable. The most important thing is to look after yourself, and everything else may just take care of itself!
And if you’re looking for a spectacular way to reward yourself for a completed task, or at the end of a hard day’s work, then look no further than Hoogly’s latest tea creation: Blueberry Muffin Rooibos! This caffeine-free treat combines the unique taste of Rooibos with an infusion of sweet tones, making it the perfect brew for any time of the day or night! Once you inhale the sensational scent and take your first sip, you’ll wonder where muffin tea has been all your life! You’re welcome!!!
That’s it for now, Hoogly fans. We hope you all remain safe and well, and we wish you all the best for the new year!
Written by Chris Bedford