After almost a year of on and off lockdowns and no sign of it returning to normal any time soon, are you prepared for another few months of working from home? We’ve perfected our home working set ups and physically have everything we need to continue to work remotely but how are your energy levels? It has been a year of ups and downs and our work and motivation have suffered along with the economy. Here are some of our top tips for motivation and keeping up energy levels while continuing to work from home into 2021.
Eat Well
First of all, go back to basics. Look at how your eating habits have changed since March 2020. Are you eating mote or less? Are you relying on sugary snacks to get you through the last few hours of the day? Are you enjoying less restaurant meals but more takeaways? Strip your diet back to its basic form and focus on getting fresh meat, fruit and veggies in before anything processed or sweet. Try to make a meal plan at the start of the week, stock up on fresh produce and stick to it as best you can. Eating well has a positive impact on our energy levels and mood.
Home Workout
It may be the last thing you want to do after a day of work but taking 20-minutes to an hour, a few times a week to stretch and exercise will make a big difference to your energy and fitness levels. Exercise means different things to different people. You might like to run a 5k on your lunch break and your neighbour might enjoy some deep stretch yoga poses in the evening. Whatever home workouts mean for you, schedule them as if you would an important work meeting and try to stay consistent.
Practice Mindfulness
We can look after our bodies with food and exercise but what about our minds. We need time away from a screen to refresh and get in touch with our bodies. Dedicating 15-minutes a day to mindfulness and meditation will make a big difference to stress and energy levels. Meditation has proven benefits for your health and mind including stress reduction, control of anxiety, emotional health, increased self-awareness and improved overall health. Take time to write down your feelings in a journal or follow a guided meditation session each day to check in with yourself.
Routine
It might sound basic but sometimes the basics are the first things to slip. Having a routine helps your body get used to the way things are and helps us cope better. Getting up 5-minutes before work and sitting in our pyjamas all day might give you a few extra minutes in bed in the morning but it frames the day wrong. You don’t need to wear a suit (or even actual shoes!) but dressing in a presentable top and comfortable bottoms will lift your mood and energy levels and help you get the work done. It also saves that dash when you see a video call coming in!
Keep in Touch
The main thing that we miss about office life is the social interaction. Working from home alone can be tough and very isolating and its important to keep up those connections with colleagues. That might mean scheduling a 10-minute coffee break in the morning or a virtual lunchbreak with a colleague where work is not discussed; anything to keep contact. A chat with a friend, or just having someone to vent to, will have a positive effect on your energy levels, giving you that push to carry on the rest of the week.
Give yourself a break!
A break should leave you feeling calm, refreshed and positive. Grabbing a cup of coffee and checking social media isn’t going to achieve this! Step outside and enjoy the fresh air, walk around the block or simply standing in the garden for ten minutes each day not only gives you your daily dose of Vit D, it also helps to clear your mind. Make sure to take your full lunch breaks, at a time that suits you each day and finish work on time. Its hard enough living and working in the same space, don’t let working and rest hours overlap.
Above all else, remember you are living and working through a global pandemic and you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. When the world returns to normal, Osprey Leisure Club will still be here to help you get back on track. We are looking forward to welcoming you back to our state of the art gym, pool and thermal suites when it is safe to do so. If you have questions about membership, contact our friendly team today.