At huunuu we are a virtual team who work from home and we have some great tips that we practice every day to stay manage stress and anxiety. Our routines can help stay in control of our workload as well as our mental and emotional wellbeing and are a vital part of working virtually.
Virtual Cuppas
More often than not you share a little of your personal life with your colleagues who become friends. One of my favourite things about remote working is to have a cuppa and a chat for ten minutes to break up my day. It’s not uncommon for a WhatsApp message to go around saying ‘pop the kettle on.’ Checking in and chatting with your colleagues is key to maintaining wellbeing at work even if it is an online chat.
Move
Remember to move around during your day. It’s very tempting to stay in one position (hunched over a laptop). Remember to stretch and get some fresh air every so often. A lunchtime walk to clear your head is actively encouraged at all times! The benefits of any physical activity is that it helps relieve anxiety as well as help manage your emotional wellbeing. We also encourage a bit of a dance around or with your colleagues over Zoom! We all know that exercise is good for the body and mind, so include some in your routine. Even if you are isolating, you can still do some stretches, yoga or dancing as these all count as 'mood enhancing activities'.
Mental Wellbeing
Alongside virtual cuppas, and exercise, taking care of your mental health can work wonders if you are isolating or working from home as a matter of course. We’ve introduced ten minutes of meditation to our mornings which really does work a treat. You would be surprised how it can help your state of mind, clearing away unnecessary thoughts and focusing on the task at hand. You can find self-guided ones on YouTube or we would recommend the app Head Space if it doesn’t come naturally.
Music
I find that a bit of Classic FM keeps me in a good frame of mind and isn’t too distracting. Some of the team prefer a chillout playlist, it will depend on the person but having some music in the background can be very beneficial. Fancy a sing-along? We’ve all been cheered by recent videos of Italians singing whilst in isolation and we had a ‘virtual sing’ last week to You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon, sorry for the earworm! If you aren’t blessed with a great singing voice, sing to yourself and of course, ‘dance like no-one is watching.’
Routine
This can really help with making you feel ‘at work’. This can be done by setting yourself tasks in your calendar such as ’15-minute coffee break with Clare at 11:30’. Having your lunchbreak at lunchtime – this one may seem obvious, but it can be easy to let it slip! Invite someone to a virtual lunch to ensure you take some time and break up your day. Mentally these little routines help us feel in control by giving our days some structure. We’ll write more on the benefits of routine in our next working from home blog, which will have tips on how to remain focused.
Stay well folks x
