TUMI CHILOANE’S TOP TIPS FOR CREATING A HEALTHY WORK FROM HOME ENVIRONMENT

ESTABLISH A ROUTINE

Even though you might not be going to a physical office space, this is crucial. Get dressed every day – at least, change out of your pyjamas – and set standard times for your office hours versus your private time to create structure. Your workfrom-home setup must also be effective.

SET BOUNDARIES Boundaries are overwhelmingly essential to productivity. Set a healthy limit between yourself and those you live with. Also, avoid eating lunch at your desk. Try to step away to clear your head and unplug. You’re your best advocate, so make sure you set reasonable boundaries to avoid pent up frustration or confrontation.

OVER COMMUNICATE WITH LOVED ONES Leaning on your support system is more crucial now than ever. Create a shared calendar, so you know when your loved ones are busy with work or personal time. In the long-run, over-communicating helps to avoid burnout, frustration and isolation.

PRACTISE

SELF CARE

Set aside time to be kind to yourself. Take one to two hours a day to read, workout, walk, run or engage in your favourite hobby. Getting involved in activities unrelated to work can help you excel at your job. For example, reading a book could spark an idea, or a workout could help decrease stress and increase productivity. Focus on what you can control and the things for which you’re grateful.

NETWORK CONSISTENTLY

A good way to avoid work-from-home burnout is to network. Try to spend at least one hour per week networking outside of your company to learn about your industry’s best practices. Learning from other people right now will benefit you and have a positive impact on your career. It’s also a fantastic way to share your ideas on topics you’re excited about. Engaging in a passion project that doesn’t relate directly to your job instils a sense of purpose. Aside from external networking, catching up with co-workers one-on-one via Zoom to talk about topics unrelated to work is an opportunity to check in with people whom you might not usually engage. Ask them how they’re doing and if there’s anything you can do to help.