Adapting my home environment to work remotely full-time was a massive task for me. Due to the nature of the health crisis, none of us had time (and/or the funds) to prepare a crisp fully-equipped home office. Hopefully you have been supported to obtain essential equipment and managed to snap up a second-hand office chair from Gumtree before they all vanished.

(Note: I want to be upfront about my own circumstances. I live alone with no dependents and have a flexible employer. Everyone is in a different situation which I totally appreciate. But this ‘How to’ hopefully does have some universal learning.)

What I want to pay attention to are the transient things that have changed – the routine, the transitions, the psychological shift.

And let’s just take a moment. This change was/is SUPER WEIRD. It’s huge.

Channelling my spirit-sister Lesley Knope (TV show Parks and Recreation reference. Search for ‘Lesley Knope gifs’ and you’ll immediately get my vibe), day one of working remotely, I held a COBRA meeting. With myself. I continue to have regular Lynn-COBRA-meetings to map out what my ‘life’ looks like. I can confirm that all those invited keep turning up.

I over-researched working-from-home-advice, resulting in 32 pages of top tips for myself. Don’t worry - I have signposted to some below in case you don’t fancy curating your own 32 pages.

I’m weary of adding to this noise, but I feel it is important to pay attention to the ‘softer’ things. My over-thinky head means that I pay lots of attention to detail. So here’s some of my little-details which might help make the next few days/weeks/whenevers, a little brighter.

1.      Set a new commute

Airlocking your work days is important. For me, I start the working day by pulling up my standing desk, setting up my laptop and filling a bottle of water (I noticed I was drinking a lot less water at home as I didn’t have my flask constantly refilled). To close the day, I tidy everything away, wipe down the workspace, go for a walk round the block and buy a newspaper (old school, I know). I get home and it smells lemony fresh and ready for some leisure time. Confession: some days my commute home is a nap. And that’s okay too.

2.      Get yourself an ‘office’ mug

I have a ‘work mug’ at home which I only use during working hours. Small and silly, but this really helps me feel like I’m ‘at work’. (Funny mugs make me smile – just make sure that they are video-conference friendly)

3.      Get ready the night before

Just like you used to pack your schoolbag, get everything ready on a school night. Make up your lunches, look out your outfit, write a to do list. This makes the evenings feel a lot less long, and saves loads of time during the day.

4.      Collage motivational quotes

A really soothing activity for me at the start of this crisis was collaging quotes about coping with change (see images in article). I have the images I created magnetted to my fridge so if I feel a bit wibbly, I can read something uplifting and instantly feel a bit better. Why not save your favourite quote as your phone background?

5.      Find out when your local shops are quiet

If you have flexibility around your breaks, then use them when queues are quiet. It saves so much time.

6.      Stretch it out

There are loads of guides online for people to take a quick stretch at their desk – i.e. deskercise (har har). Do this. Seriously, diarise it. Or, try having a group guided stretch at the start of a meeting to get everyone in a better mindset.

7.      Stand up

Naturally, I’m a little restless. I’m fortunate to have a standing desk at home, but I’d recommend finding other ways to stand occasionally while working – at a side-table, on top of a box, kitchen worktop? This makes me feel more alert. You’ll be amazed how fresh that report looks from a standing position.

8.      Change up your backpack

I normally carry a lot of stuff - but when close to home all the time, there’s no need. Clear out your handbag/backpack and you’ll instantly feel lighter and have better posture.

9.      Don’t have too many Zooms…

I’m sure you will be aware of Zoom fatigue by now. Try and pace your meetings across the day and week. If you do have a day of Zoom-over-indulgence, take 5 minutes to yourself – stand at the door for air, head to the toilet, touch your toes, sing a country song - before clicking ‘join next meeting’. If your colleagues are in the same situation as you, encourage them to do the same. Culture change happens one country song and cup of coffee at a time.  

10.  ….But don’t have a day without any humans

If you, like me, thrive on social interaction, make sure you have a little contact with colleagues during the day. Your days and to-do lists won’t seem as long when you spice it up with some interaction. A quick boredom and loneliness buster.

Hopefully you have taken something - just a wee something – from reading about my own adaptations.

In case you have not had access to advice on working from home, here are some links:

For short and snappy tips: ‘If coronavirus means you have to work from home, here are some essential tips from people who do it all the time’

For self-care, morale and communication: ‘23 Essential Tips for Working Remotely’

For a few fresh ideas: ‘Get Organized: 20 Tips for Working From Home’

What have I missed? Are there any particular resources that have been helping you? I’d love to know.

Enjoyed this read? Please do share it with a colleague, peer, manager or family member. We all need to chip in and learn from each other.