Since the days of lockdown, plenty of us have switched to a hybrid model or working – which means more time at home with pets and family, but also might occasionally make you feel a bit isolated away from colleagues in the office. If you’re lucky enough to be able to work from home, it can sometimes feel ungrateful to struggle with being stuck inside. But it’s natural to feel some burnout from being away from your usual social interactions, and feel a little tired of the same four walls. If you’re working from home but having a hard time with keeping your chin up, we’re here to help.
Here are our suggestions on how you can make the most of having more time at home, and how to create moments in your day to look forward to when you’re sick of being stuck inside.
Image source: Unsplash
Upgrade your morning cuppa
When you’re working from home, then you might be missing your usual Starbucks or Café Nero order – or maybe just the chat in the office over your morning cuppa. Well, we think it’s time to upgrade your morning caffeine fix.
Your morning cup of coffee or tea is an important part of the day, so make it a little bit more special and make it a fixed part of your routine. If you don’t already, get up with enough time to take 15 minutes to yourself each day – read the paper, listen to a podcast, or blast your favourite morning playlist while you enjoy your beverage. No matter what your drink of choice is, here are some ways to upgrade your experience.
Coffee fans
Try trading up a step with your coffee routine. If you only ever use instant, try upgrading to a cafetiere – and if you’re already enjoying French press coffee every morning, consider investing in a coffee pod machine.
If you’re sticking to a budget, you don’t even need to spend loads to improve your coffee – buy yourself some flavoured syrups to really boost your morning cup of joe, or a handheld milk frother to get that café-made coffee experience at home.
Tea drinkers
If you’re up for trying something new, try swapping from teabags to loose-leaf tea for a higher quality cup of tea. The ritual of letting your tea infuse and trying different blends will bring a little bit more mindfulness to your mornings.
Even if you’re a die-hard teabag fan, you can still make your morning cuppa a bit more exciting with a stylish new mug, or embrace the very classic British tradition of making your tea in a teapot. Just make sure you read our guide to what your brew says about you and get that colour just right!
Image source: Pexels
Make your daily exercise a bit more fun
Dreary British weather can make going outside an endurance test, with miserable rain, chilly winds and slippery pavements to contend with – and we’ve all had the nightmare experience of heading out for a walk when it looks sunny and bright only to be pelted with hail when the British weather decides to pull an Uno-reverse-card on you.
If you take a look outside and instantly feel like crawling back into bed, getting in your daily exercise might feel like a chore – so mix it up, with our guide to home workouts and these little tips to make things a bit more fun.
TV workout
Watch TV and still burn calories? Sounds too good to be true – but if you search for ‘TV workouts’, or even the name of your favourite Netflix show and ‘workout’, you’ll find hundreds of ideas for quick workouts you can do while watching TV.
Lots of these function kind of like a drinking game – albeit a bit less fun. There are tons out there, like an Office workout plan that will have you doing 15 crunches every time Jim looks at the camera (good luck to you). Can’t find one for your current obsession? Take inspiration from the examples online, and make a workout up to share with your mates.
Exercise in style
We know having ‘all the gear and no idea’ is not what anyone wants to be accused of – but if you’re finding it hard to motivate yourself into working out, tempt yourself with a snazzy new pair of gym trainers or some sleek workout clothing. No, new gym clothes won’t magically make you exercise – but if you feel good wearing them, you’ll feel even better once you put them to use.
Image source: Pexels
Put your commuting time to use
If you’re used to an hour long commute, it’s definitely tempting to use the extra time for a lie in each morning! But if there’s one benefit of working from home, it’s the extra time you get back each day.
Claiming back your morning commute will make it feel as though there’s even more hours in the day to get stuff done, and you might be pleasantly surprised how much better you feel. Having some time to ease from waking into work mode – or to go from work mode to relaxing in the evening – will help your mental wellbeing.
Listen to an audiobook or podcast
If you usually listen to audiobooks and podcasts on your morning commute, you might find that you’re not listening as much as you used to. Make an effort to pick back up with your favourite podcast – you could tidy round the kitchen each morning while listening, or just take time with your morning brew to sit and listen to an audiobook.
Limber up
We all know that you should be taking breaks from your desk, looking away from the screen, etcetera etcetera. But the reality is, away from the professional desk setup in your office, you might be struggling with your posture. Get a head start on your day, kick stiff muscles into touch and get the blood flowing by doing some simple stretches each morning.
Even if you’re not ready to break out a yoga mat and fold into lotus position just yet, even 15 minutes of stretching and limbering up can help improve posture and muscle tone.
Make a nice breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; the cornerstone of your daily nutrition – so you definitely wouldn’t skip it, right? Well, the fact is loads of us do (at least 47% of us in the UK, according to 2017 stats from Statista). But since we’re no longer hurrying out of the door to face traffic jams and public transport, there’s time to indulge in a proper breakfast.
Make your first meal of the day something a bit more special, and turn breakfast into a treat that you look forward to. That could be treating yourself to a porridge bowl topped with honey and nuts, a delectable platter of fruit, or even a healthy Moroccan-inspired plate of eggs and tomato shakshuka. It might sound like overkill, but taking the time in your morning for a proper start to your day will help with mindfulness and avoiding burnout.
Working from home can be trying at times, but it also gives you the opportunity for more mindful moments in your day. For more inspiration on things to do and lifestyle guides, check out the rest of the thortful blog.
Header image source: Unsplash
