Moving back to London after five glorious months in Oman has dealt a few shocks to the systems. Coupled with a heavier workload and injury, this has meant a lot of time sat at home at my desk.
This is not something with which I deal well.
Here are some tips for those struggling to stay sane whilst working at home and for anyone else experiencing cabin fever…
- Eat all of your meals outside. I have a garden. If you don’t then I am sure there is a park, a bench or some green space within walking distance.
- If you can’t work outside then draw back the curtains and open all of your windows.
- Find alternative places to work. Whether that’s a library, shared work space or just your living room rather than office, variety all helps.
- Walk around the block before work. Find a nice cycle loop to do in the mornings. Pop to the shops first thing. Anything to help draw a line between the start of the day and the start of the working day.
- Plan stuff in the evenings. Waking up at home, working at home all day and then staying home in the evening is a recipe for depression.
- Exercise every single day. No commute = no exercise so us home-workers need to take action. I tend to find excuses to cycle places, do some circuits in the living room or just go for a jog.
- Talk to other people in similar situations or Google the topic. It helps to know you’re not alone.
- Take an hour for lunch, turn your computer off and do something.
