If in the previous post we were talking about combining confinement with your family and work, today we want to focus on the opposite situation, which does not necessarily have to be easier. We are talking about being confined alone, working remotely.
This might seem the perfect situation for a remote worker and also for the manager: no interruptions at all, all tasks can be done, calls and remote meetings can take place at any time. But the truth is that confinement by oneself can be really hard and, despite having work to do undoubtedly helps spend the days, there’s the risk for the person to reduce their life to just work and also to feel alone!
So, if this is your case, here are some tips not to spend 18 hours a day working if you are confined alone these coronavirus days.
Make a timetable
First of all, get up early in the morning and start your usual, pre-covid19 routine, but inside your house, of course. Whether it is exercise, breakfast, shower, whatever. Get dressed (come on, don’t work in pajama), open your computer and start your daily tasks. The beginning of the working day is a good moment to make a quick remote meeting with your team. Have a break in the middle of the morning, read the news, have a coffee or tea or even better, a piece of fruit, and keep working until midday.
DO NOT eat lunch in front of the computer.
It’s important to stop, to rest even if it’s just for half an hour. Try to talk to someone, maybe a video call with a coworker, friend or family and have lunch “together”?
Force yourself to stop every day at the same time.
f you work from home and have no social life (like these days, unfortunately) there’s the risk to be working until bedtime, as an escape route. Be effective during working hours, as if you were in a normal situation.
Try to keep the rule: 8 hours sleep- 8 hours work – 8 hours leisure.
Even if you are alone in your house, try to do things that you consider leisure: reading, watching films or series, exercise, cooking, being cool on Instagram…
Talk to people.
It’s not the same living alone than being confined alone. This means you won’t have contact or interaction physically with another human being for a while. This is why technology is important (can you imagine confinement without the internet??). Fortunately, you can video chat with coworkers, friends, and family and indeed, you should. Keeping social is key to overcome this crisis.
Stay safe, buddies!
