The way we work has recently been forced to change beyond all recognition. People are working from home who never have before, and other people who are used to working from home are now doing it with partners, children and animals in the way. Your boss has probably recently discovered Zoom, meaning you now see his or her lovely face daily in your living room, sometimes for hours on end. On top of all of this, we are all dealing with an unprecedented, everchanging and scary situation which (naturally) brings a lot of anxiety and concern.
None of this is a great recipe for concentration and productivity, so we here at Shu Da thought we would put together a list of top tips to help you focus a little better.
- Routine
Having a daily routine during lockdown is so important. Although you now only have to commute to your living room, wake up with enough time before work (at the same time everyday) to get yourself mentally prepared. This will give you time for a nice shower, a healthy breakfast and maybe a pre-work home workout or yoga session. All of these things will help you to relieve stress, which will ensure you’re in front of your laptop at 9am with your coffee in hand, raring to go.
- Environment
Make sure the place where you’re working is clean and uncluttered. You can’t come up with amazing new ideas or get your work done well when you’re distracted by your messy living space. Every day before you start work, take 5 minutes to make sure everything is in its place, and that your working environment is the nicest it can be.
- Self Care
Make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Be careful to not skip meals- sometimes at home the day just whizzes by in a blur of fevered typing in your living room, and before you know it it’s 5pm and you’ve only eaten a couple of slices of toast and a twix all day. Set alarms that remind you to take a break for lunch and snacks, and make sure you’re getting up from your desk regularly and going for a quick walk (whether it’s round your garden or up and down your hallway) at regular intervals throughout the day. You wouldn’t spend all day sat at your desk in the office, so why do it at home? Try to make sure your meals are healthy and nutritious, and make sure you’re drinking enough water. Hydration is key to productivity.
- Stay focused on your goals
Just because we are locked down currently, it doesn’t mean we can’t emerge from this better than we were before. Still set work/ life goals, and continue to work on them. Force yourself to not give up and keep moving forward.
These are difficult times for us all, and we hope you find these tips useful. To do our bit, Shu Da will be donating 10% of each sale to the NHS Charities covid-19 urgent appeal, to support our amazing NHS who are doing such a fantastic job.
What are your favourite ways to stay productive? Let us know in the comments below.
Love,
Shu Da