BY ELLA WARD

1. Start the day right

Up and at ‘em!

Start your day like you do when you’re going into the office. But, going into the office the way you do in your dreams. No scrabbling around trying to find car keys. No bellowing, ‘Put on YOUR SHOOOOES!’ whilst madly ironing something that has an oil stain on it (a stain you won’t notice until 11am).

No. Start your day by stretching, smiling, doing qi gong at the window. Maybe play some classical music. Make some tea (herbal), kiss your loved-one gently on the forehead. Sigh happily. You have an entire day without traffic! You literally cannot be late! It’s time to do some joyful humming!

Once you’re up, make sure you shower, get dressed and brush your teeth. Dress for the workday, give or take a few items. But repeat after me: underwear. isn’t. optional.

2. Fresh air

… and then, go for a walk. Getting out of the house for some fresh air can really help re-set the day from ‘home’ to ‘work’. Even if it’s a walk around the block. If you have a dog, this is a good time to stretch their legs too. If you have a child, ditto.

So, while you can, leave your house and get that morning air in your face.

3. Build your mini office

When you’re working from home, it’s really important to compartmentalise between ‘work’ space and ‘I need to do another load of laundry’ space. Without the physical distance of two buildings, you’ll need to create a separation in a different way.

Depending on your setup, this may be a laptop at your kitchen bench, or at a desk in a separate room. Either way, attach physical markers that signify the beginning of your workday: light a scented candle, drink coffee from a special cup, use a particular notebook (I am always one for new stationery opportunities). You can even play ambient noise if the sound of your fridge humming is making you feel creepy.

That way you can ‘enter’ your virtual office … but most importantly, you can leave it at the end of your day, too. Just don’t forget to blow the candle out.

4. Schedules are good

Build one yourself, or with your team. Communicate the intention. 10am - 12pm might be for thinking / writing / concentrating. 2pm - 4pm might be for team catchups and emails. Bigger brain work should be done earlier in the day. You’ll be amazed at how much you get done without talking shit with Betty in Accounts.

If you’re offline for lunch, or a walk outside, make your team aware. Give yourself space and don’t feel guilty for taking it when it’s appropriate.

Whatever your diary ends up looking like, make sure you have a defined end to your day when you switch off.

5. Distractions are … what was I saying?

Most of us will probably find we’re more productive at home than at the office. But for those of us who find the siren call of the gossip sites, or the filthy shower grouting too hard to ignore, help is out there.

· The Pomodoro Technique - an oldie but a goodie, and a great way to break down a long day into manageable chunks.

· Or if you need more self-control, there are a tonne of distraction-limiting websites out there ranging from the gentle (SelfControl) to the really draconian (Cold Turkey - this one scares me).

6. Share the Childcare

It’s looking more and more likely that not only will the grown-ups be working from home, but the kidlets will be here with us too. Yay … ?

If you have a partner at home with you, define blocks where one of you is on kid-duty, and one is working. If you’re both trying to do kids and work, nothing will get done.

If you don’t have a partner to split the childcare with, try and arrange your work-time to coincide with naps (littlies) or screen time (biggies). Oh, did you hear? One of the few upsides of Coronavirus is screen-time limits have gone out the window. Huzzah.

Also, get some noise-cancelling headphones. For you.

7. Be healthy

Besides the obvious pandemic-related health intel, there are just some basic rules that we shouldn’t let slip. Gyms may end up closed, but there are a million free exercise routines you can follow online. Keep breathing in that fresh air, prioritise sleep and eat proper food at the right times (not half a jar of Nutella at 11am followed by cold pizza at 4pm … I mean WHO WOULD DO THAT NOT ME WHAT ARE YOU SAYING).

Also, be kind to your mind. Even if you don’t have a history of anxiety or depression, this is a headf*uck of a time. If you’re finding you’re endlessly scrolling through corona-graphs and horror hospital stories, take a break and watch some cute animal videos. The one of the drunk panda is my personal fave - slide into my DM’s if you need the link.

8. Give yourself a break

And others. In fact, let’s just give the whole world a break. This is, literally, unprecedented. We’re sailing into unchartered waters with the whole world by our side. Let’s keep talking and stay kind.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ella Ward is an Aussie mum, wife, advertising boss lady and also (unfortunately) one of Those Cancer People. Previous examples of Ella’s writing can be seen in Frankie, Lunch Lady, and The Sydney Morning Herald. She’s currently oversharing on Instagram @_msellabella ... and at ellaward.com.au come say hi!

The views expressed by the authors/contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the views of NotSoMumsy. The nature of NotSoMumsy is to provide a platform for mothers to share their own personal journeys and are intended for entertainment purposes only.

HOW TO WORK FROM HOME (UNDERWEAR ISN'T OPTIONAL!)