The adjustment to life in lockdown has been tough for everyone.
At Liberty, we have all been doing our part by following government advice to work from home. Remote working can make it difficult to connect with teammates and stay productive, while the wider measures in place to promote social distancing can make it hard to keep spirits up.
We thought we would share with you our thoughts on how to keep positive in these difficult times –so without further ado, here are our five top tips for surviving life in lockdown!
1. Routine, Routine, Routine
Waking up – Set an alarm and then get ready as you would for any other workday; it’s important to separate this from everything else.
Environment – Your environment and the way you feel will have a huge impact on how you work from home, so find ways to tailor your environment. Working to music can also be a great way to help lift the spirit and energise the soul! Create a favourite playlist, then tune in. It can also be useful to work and relax in different parts of your house (if you can!). Working in the kitchen or the lounge during working hours, before unwinding in your bedroom in the evening can help you to switch off.
Taking breaks – Try to take breaks to make sure you stay focused. Whether it’s taking time to eat lunch (away from your computer) or get some exercise, you’ll return feeling refreshed and focused.
2. Focus on the positives
In difficult times, it can be very easy to get wrapped up in what we don’t or can’t have, such as seeing family and friends (or having our favourite loo roll!) – it is important not to let this consume you and to instead think of those things which you are thankful for, such as being able to work from home and have access to essentials.
A little escapism can be very therapeutic during these stressful times. While staying updated on the news is important, try not to obsess over it. Watching classic movies is a wonderful way to tune out the barrage of troubling headlines that bombard us these days!
3. Get Active
Exercise is key! Make sure to stretch and exercise every day, either in your home or outside if you have access to a garden or don’t live in a densely populated area.
If you think a daily run might be overdoing it, perhaps just think of all the small journeys you aren’t doing as part of your normal routine anymore. These require a substitution – for both your physical and mental health.
There is always one other option… learning Tik Tok Dances?
4. Try something new
Your fridge may be bare, but never resort to eating plain pasta or tofu. Not even during the lockdown. With more time on your hands, why don’t you can try to cook something new every day?
Use up ingredients you’ve had in your cupboard or fridge for a while and cook varied meals every lunchtime. This will save you a lot of money bags in the process, as you won’t be ordering in takeaways and regularly cooking can be developed into a new skill which you’ll take with you well past this pandemic!
5. Stay social
It can be uplifting to take time to call, message, or video chat friends and family that you can’t see or haven’t been in contact in a while. It’s nice to see how others are handling things and reconnect. We all get caught up in our daily lives and how busy we are, so it feels good to take this moment to catch up with people and let them know you care.