The power of routine and significance of small pleasures
Whether it’s the impossibly ambitious schedules of free classes and tutorials doing the rounds, or the more realistic communal goals being set by individual streets, villages and housemates (like the one my daughter shared me into from her temporary home in Sydney), it’s becoming clear that finding a routine that works for you provides a vital sense of structure and a semblance of control and normality.
Some begin their day with a process Medieval monks might recognise – prayers of gratitude and health infusions (one angst-ridden friend swears by the calming properties of Magnolia Rhodiola Complex, £28 victoriahealth.com) – others get stuck into emails.
What’s emerging: exercise is crucial, Groom to Zoom is a new dress code and marking out a work location is the route to sanity. Members of the Telegraph team have invested in a self-assemble, ugly but useful, wallmounted standing desk by Sobuy, £29.95 (ebay.com), and an ingenious ipad/iphone stand from Slyk.co.uk (£29.99) that turns a pillow or cushion into a desk.
What else? Small pleasures (earrings, flowers, walks) have taken on huge significance, and the slippers versus proper shoes debate rages on.
So how are others doing it and what lessons have they learnt?
Taking stock and adapting: Alice Olins, career coach and founder of The Step Up Club, mother to Pearl, eight, Tallulah, six, and Monty, four months
As someone whose professional purpose is to help women excel at work, I’ve had to stop, take stock and adapt as quickly as I can. This is what I’ve learnt: solo exercise is vital, boundaries need respecting and slippers are absolutely fine when you’re conducting important Zoom meetings.
A 45-minute jog around the park in the morning is life-saving, because it cuts through the mayhem. I can think about work in peace, and it puts credit in my endorphins bank.
In terms of who works when and where, the only way through is via honest communication. My husband and I have had some pretty tense conversations around our separate professional demands and have created a schedule of sorts that allows each of us to work in chunks of time, safe in the knowledge that the other is doing phonics with the kids.
We also agreed that all work gets done in the home office. For me, having a familiar environment in which to do my work is vital. If that’s not possible, carve out a space for your work and stick to it. Make it feel as familiar as you can and commit to not letting your work spill into the rest of the house.
I do my work calls in the evening now, which sounds depressing but feels like a holiday compared with the daytime madness. Changing your expectations around how your days are going to unfold is another important tool for coping in these uncharted waters.
Usually, I have defined work and chill wardrobes, and use the transition between the two as a way to emotionally decompress before getting stuck in with the kids. That sartorial division feels futile these days, so I’ve found a middle ground: some neat jeans and a crisp shirt doesn’t feel overdressed for at-home school time but can easily be notched up with a velvet headband and some gold hoop earrings if I’m required on Zoom. Yes, I’m missing all my lovely shoes, but
I’ve bought two new pairs of trainers (God bless online shopping). Casual doesn’t mean not taking pride in how you look, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sometimes crack out my fluffy slippers, because dressing from the waist up, and not needing to cripple your feet, is a welcome perk in the mix.
Embracing new technology: Melanie Clore, former chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and co-founder of Londonbased international art advisory, Clore Wyndham
I’m not naturally a morning person, so I’ve endeavoured to keep to a routine that’s as close as possible to life before lockdown. Starting my workday with a 10am zoom video call with the Clore Wyndham team (above on Zoom) is an incentive to dress and make-up for work as normal.
Like a newsreader I’m focusing more on everything from the waist up. The good news is that the office is five metres from my bedroom, so I go via the kitchen where I grab a coffee and prepare for the call.
I love speaking on the phone to clients and friends throughout the day and into the evening to those in New York. So much art world business is done in this way. The constant new requests for video calls are still a novelty for me and I’m learning to be 100 per cent prepared so that no one catches me in my pyjamas.
I’ve built into my schedule a 45-minute walk midafternoon together with my husband, which helps clear my head and compensates for the fact that I’m currently unable to be as active as I was. In the evenings, reading and watching The Marvelous Mrs Maisel provide a welcome relief from
News at Ten and Newsnight.
Keeping up those sartorial standards: Polly Mcmaster, Founder of The Fold, a label specialising in work wear
By the end of that first day of hunkering down and working round the clock, I was rebelling against the slobbiness – it affected my confidence, my energy, my pace of work. By day two, I’d assembled a trestle desk, was smartly dressed and showered, and felt like a different person.
It’s also about small pleasures: an oil diffuser with an uplifting essential oil or scented candle, good coffee, a few fresh flowers on the desk. I’ll resort to random twigs from the garden if I need to.
Two weeks down and I’ve stuck to this new routine – I’m still wearing my Fold silk blouses at my desk and I’ve rejected slippers for dressy flats. The morale boost reminds me of my grandmothers, who even when they were in their retirement homes, always made an effort. Even if you can’t go out of the front door, you should dress for yourself and your own self-belief. Dressing as I would for the office makes me feel more like I am at our office – which is how I need to feel. I miss it already.
Pivoting a business: Melanie Press, designer and owner of Press, an independent boutique
Stumble bleary-eyed from bedroom to the yoga mat, dog follows (pros and cons). Press the button on ipad for Headspace and/or Calm app. Try not to look at phone. Say a little prayer or write a bit in a gratitude notebook. Walk dog around the block in a fabulous coat over pyjamas. Shower, and put on de Mamiel Exhale Daily Hydrating Nectar SPF30 and Dr Hauschka Translucent Bronzing Tint. Then, log in.
As a shop owner and designer, I was often out and about. Now it’s team meetings on Zoom, polishing our website and communicating with other neighbourhood businesses to support each other.
I’m making three-minute videos of
How To Hand Wash… eg silk, lamb’s wool (I love a bit of vinegar with baking soda in a bucket full of vintage whites). They’ll be on my Instagram (@melaniepress) next week. I’m also curating selections for clients who are curious about the WFH wardrobe protocol.
The body and soul routine: Joy Yaffe, founder of Reset, a platform that provides solutions to Modern Stress Management
Routine is key to feeling good and getting things done. A few mindful practices first thing help me approach the day with an open heart and mind. That said, I’m an early bird so I check my overnight messages first, briefly scan emails and check the top stories on Telegraph online.
Next stop is the kitchen to put on my tea, followed by an invigorating shower, first lovely hot water, then cold to get the circulation going, usually with Radio 4’s Today for company. I decide on a daily basis whether I want to hear even more news.
My favourite part of the day is when I take out my yoga mat. I start off with my prayers and gratitude practice, followed by EFT (selfadministered body tapping that can relieve stress; Youtube has demonstrations) and meditation. Then my yoga, integrating breath work. My practice always gives me courage and clarity. It sounds time consuming, but it only lasts 15-20 minutes. I’m looking forward to doing longer at the weekends.
Balancing tech and health: Jacqueline de Rojas CBE, president of techuk
The brilliant weather and bright mornings see me up at 6am to walk the dogs with my husband – a moment of togetherness I want to hold on to forever.
Our village community has a Whatsapp group where we’ve signed up for a 30-day fitness challenge. We share tips and experiences and declare when we’ve completed our daily challenge or need support. It’s all about getting that green tick, consequently I find myself in gym kit until midmorning then I throw on a dress and some lipstick ready for my video calls for the day. I feel the need to dress for work in order to bring my best self… at least the top half of me.
I have a home office but gravitate to our lounge for personal calls on a combination of Zoom, Facetime and Whatsapp, plus a cuddle with the dogs – probably my way of separating work and home. A new kind of tolerance is emerging as I get to grips with sharing bandwidth, which is less than perfect in rural locations.
Regular breaks have started to matter much more and sitting down for home-cooked meals with my husband and our daughter is important for building mental health. I’m learning so much from her podcast creations and social media skills.
Health, happiness and balance are rising to the top of my agenda. Life is changing forever and I’m looking to see what good can come out of it.
Swapping the barre for the radiator: Francesca Velicu, first artist, English National Ballet
I try to plan the day the night before so I wake up ready to start. I think it’s good to wear my usual ballet or warm-up gear so I can find a bit more familiarity within this situation.
So far, I’ve tried to do a ballet class every day. I’ve done Tamara’s class on Youtube [Tamara Rojo, ENB’S artistic director, has been recording classes for professionals, and the ballet curious, around the world to join in with]. I like to combine different classes as they each work my body differently. I’m doing class with other English National Ballet dancers, video-calling my friends Alice and Ivana in the company. It’s so much easier to work with a friend, it keeps it more fun.
We usually have Sundays off but as we aren’t working much now, I’m trying to do something every day. Last Sunday I did a Pilates session over the phone for an hour with my instructor, Laurent Liotardo (that really is his name). It’s amazing what’s happening in the ballet world at the moment. I’ve never seen so many dancers sharing their own experiences. My tip is to try to absorb as much as you can from this opportunity and use it to grow further.