Working or studying from home?
Leaders are adaptable and open to change. We know working or studying from home is a little different from what you’re used to, but we want to help support you in these changing times! After one week in self-isolation, we asked some of our volunteers for their biggest tips about how to make the most of your time and your new set up at home. (And remember, your decision to stay at home is saving lives, don’t underestimate that!)
Your new routine, thanks to our yTeamers.
Space set up… Since you’ll be needing a makeshift office from now on, it’s important to differentiate home from work.
- Separating my study space (desk in my bedroom) from my relaxation space – Andreea QLD. If your bedroom also doubles as your work space, be sure to find a way to seperate the two spaces. Avoid things like working on your bed, or scrolling at your desk. Utilise different places in the house for different kinds of thinking, e.g. bedroom desk for uni, kitchen table for work, bed for sleep.
- Planning my day the night before, super simple but it holds me accountable – Ella QLD. I also love to set goals and intentions for the day so I can still stay productive – Jess QLD. I live by an app called Todoist which helps me to set simple goals and tasks that I want to achieve for the day and the week! – Ash VIC.
Morning routine… Even though it’s an easy roll out of bed and into your desk chair, try and stick to the same morning routine that you have if you were heading out to work or uni.
- Get up and head to the beach to watch the sunrise… that’s a wake up clock I can’t sleep through – Billie VIC.
- Mum and I attend an outdoor bootcamp – Andreea QLD. You may be a gym person in the morning, don’t let their closures stop you! Heaps of gyms have taken their programs online, or you can look up a YouTube video, strap on your runners and get sweaty.
- I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to walk my dog down the beach every morning. It’s virtually deserted (easy to keep social distancing from others) and it puts me in the right frame of mind – CC WA.
- Get up by 8am, get dressed and eat breakfast, ready to start studying by 9am. I found that following my high school’s bell times was a really good way to keep myself on track – Caitlin VIC.
Work connected… In an office or at uni, you’d normally be interacting with all the people around you. Now your four walls can seem a little lonely.
- Schedule lots of calls and virtual coffee breaks – CC WA. Set yourself a timer for ‘work time’ then pre-arrange a 10min call with a friend to break up your work, hot beverages or drinks of water are encouraged. But remember, you wouldn’t chat over a coffee at your desk, so get up and change your space.
- Facetime someone every day… physical distancing, not social distancing – Billie VIC.
Break time… Think about all the times you’d have a mini breather from studying or work – getting up to stretch your legs, or having a chat. Don’t get sucked into the screen, breaks are important too!
- Enjoy some time outdoors, we have a hammock which is perfect for a break (even a little snooze) – Andreea QLD. Getting fresh air and vitamin D is super important – head into your yard and soak up the sun! (Or maybe clouds if you’re down south – same applies, still try and get some air each day).
- Working from home means every excuse under the sun not to take a proper lunch break. I’m currently booking in virtual lunch dates for the rest of the week. Start and end time are necessary though! – Liv VIC.
Switch off… Now that your home doubles for both work and relaxation, it’s important to establish a way you can switch off each night.
- Going for runs definitely clears my head so I’ve made a list of different runs I want to go on in my area – Ella QLD. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a longer run, heading out of your house for 30min-1hr helps you switch off from the work day by the time you return home.
- No work talk past a certain time. Set a cap on when work is done, e.g. 6pm. After that it’s time to leave the work lingo alone and enjoy the company of your family/housemates/pet/plant.
