March 2020 saw the start of self-isolation week for many people, as employers roll out homeworking in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
If you are new to working from home it can be daunting, so we've put together a few tips to help!
I know it's really easy to think 'great, I don't need to get dressed' but if there is one piece of advice I would say is the most important it would be to
get up and get dressed as normal! Doing this will help you maintain some kind of routine and normality which is vital for your mental health.
Best practice for working at home:
• Establish Boundaries - work/life balance
• Get out and about as much as you can (so long as not self isolating)
• Communicate - Keep in regular contact with your colleagues. Working from home does not have to be isolating
• Take your full breaks and make sure you are away from your screen
• Make the most of your space - Try and establish a specific work area and keep it clean and tidy
• Change position regularly - If you feel any muscles starting to pull don't ignore it. Look after yourself!
Most of us have never found ourselves in this situation before and it can be frightening.
Make sure you speak up if you need help and support, be it physically or mentally. We are all in the same boat and you will not be the only person feeling anxious, stressed or worried right now.
Finally, it is vital you try and
keep spirits up. For managers that means effective communication and contact with your team to keep up morale. For everyone else that means keeping focused on the job in hand, listening to managers and communicating with your colleagues.
If you have to work at home on a regular basis, you may be eligible to claim tax relief on certain household bills. If you choose to work at home though you cannot claim for anything. You can check if you can claim work related expenses here:
gov.uk working from home
We have put together a post on self isolation and mental health which may be helpful
Self isolation and mental health.
Since the pandemic began life has changed for most of us. Covid 19 has seen changes to the way that we work, some for the better such as no commute or less concern around mixing with people and catching covid. For others there is the worry over redundancy, less jobs available or not mixing with others. The NHS have put together a list of tips that may help:
7 tips to help.
Look after yourself and those around you.
