When a third of the world went into lockdown because of Covid-19, many of us started working from home for the first time.
There are lots of working from home tips on being productive. My favourites include still getting dressed for work in the morning (be in leggings if you want to but PJs are not helpful!), making your bed, sticking to a set routine, and creating a dedicated workspace to help you ‘switch on’.
But I want to look at it slightly differently by giving you some ideas to help you ‘switch off’ after your working day. Stress can be a trigger for acne and the ability to separate work time and home time can be key in managing everyday stress.
When I first started working from home, I found the day quickly disappeared. I’d still be working when it was dark outside, having completely lost track of time and usually missed a sensible time for dinner. A healthy work-life balance becomes even more important when you’re working from home.
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Separate work time from home time
My commute, I realised, helped me to switch off. I usually listened to an audiobook on my drive home. Without that commute, it was hard to forget about work. I’d often go to bed with my day still fizzing around me.
A stressful day, late-night eating routine, and poor sleep is not a great recipe for good skin.
I needed to get better at separating work time from home time.
Getting in the habit of marking the end of my workday helped me to switch off, enjoy my evening, and sleep better.
Write tomorrow’s to-do list
I chose to mark the end of my workday by writing tomorrow’s to-do list. This is a double-whammy that also helps you to be massively productive.
Here’s a quick video from Marie Forleo on this.
If you’ve got kids at home and are currently trying to balance work with homeschooling this end of workday ritual will help. It’s such a great habit to end your workday you’ll want to continue it once you’re back in the office.
This is the planner I use. It’s included as part of my Focus & Productivity toolkit.
End of workday rituals
If you’re new to working from home, starting a little end of work ritual will help your mind to transition from work time to home time. You’ll be less stressed and more present for family time.
Get in the habit of logging off your computer and doing something small to mark the switch.
Here are some examples of healthy habits to end your working day:
- Write tomorrow’s to-do list
- Change your clothes
- Light a candle
- Burn some incense
- Take your dog for a walk
- No dog? Go for a walk by yourself (if you’re not self-isolating)
- Have a cup of herbal tea
- Practice some yoga stretches
- Do a HIIT workout
- Listen to a podcast whilst making dinner
- Sit in your garden for a few minutes
- Use a meditation app
- Turn any big lights off and use your lamps instead
- Call a friend or family member just to say hi
- Play some music
It doesn’t need to be fancy or time-consuming. It might even be as simple as closing your home office door and not opening it again until tomorrow.
Being able to switch off when working from home is the best working from home tip. Pick one thing now and try it. It really does help.