Home Working Tips

Decide on your daily 'routine' and try and maintain this. Include everything from when you are plan to wake and go to sleep, to your work plan, relaxation, and the social contact you will have through digital/phone calls. Routines help keep us focused and productive, as well as settling our anxities. A daily routine might look something like this:

Here is an example day routine. 

We recommend you treat your research as a 9-5 job. This does not mean that you have to work 9-5 everyday, but that you should work for around 7 hours a day over 5 days if you are full time, making sure that you include time for a lunch break away from your desk. You can manage your working days and hours around your preferences and other commitments.

We also recommend that you wear what you would normally would to the University, this may seem that it makes no difference if you stay in your dressing gown for example, but it does help with your mindset. 

As you may no longer have a commute to work some say walking around the block before work and treating it as your 'commute' can help you get in the right mindset. You can then do the walk in the reverse direction as your 'commute' home at the end of the day. For some this helps with keeping boundaries between work and personal life. 

Try different things out and once decided stick to a routine that suits you!

Digitally connect with others - set up a WhatsApp or Facebook group (if you have not already got one) with other researchers from your office/research group/discipline/social circle. Make time for social communication with friends and family. Reach out to friends you might not have spoken to in a while or if you don't hear from someone, why not check in on them?  

Decide your working day - this might be e.g. 8.30am - 4.30pm so that you don’t end up drifting into working all the time from 7am to 10pm. Limit yourself to a set number of working hours a day so that you don’t overwork without realising it. Monitor this by writing it down. Divide the day into chunks of time. This might be 30 minutes to an hour. Have breaks. Get up and move. 

If you are struggling with motivation, set a timer for 25 minutes, decide you are only going to work for 25 minutes and then take a break. There is a pomodoro technique which some home workers use to keep them motivated through the day, and have been very popular with our writing groups!

Look out on the Researcher Development webpages for online writing groups which will help structure your writing and day, as well as giving you a chance to connect with other researchers.

Set Goals

Setting goals (even small ones - preferably small, achievable ones) will help you to keep focus. You can do this in writing groups, with your supervisor or with a small group of researchers. You can then check in with each other for accountability, or use your supervisors as accountability partners. 

Once you know what your goals are, then make a short list of 2 things you want to do in the day towards them. Don’t set yourself too much to do. Once you have done the 2 things, then you can move on and set a new target. Use this time to think about how long it takes you to do a task. Congratulate each other for a good days' work. If you are struggling, talk to supervisors ASAP. 

This is probably one of the more important things to do when working from home, as it can be too easy to keep working when the commute is removed. Schedule and ensure that you take regular breaks throughout your working day, and have a proper lunchbreak. Use one of your breaks as an opportunity to get some exercise, go for a walk, or to simply get away from your home ‘office’. 

Make sure you have a mix of relaxing and entertaining things to do as well as your work. Read, listen to music, experiment with crafts that are easy to hand (e.g. origami!). BUT try and switch off. 

This is especially difficult if you are working and living in one room. Maybe create a ritual at the close of your woking day that you physically clear your desk space and hide your work. Bring it out the next day. 

Have screen free time to rest your eyes. 

Limit unhelpful interactions on social media. Limit reading too much news! It is very easy to become overly anxious by reading about the current/other situations. Decide how to manage your exposure. Think about how it affects your mood and adjust. There is a fine line between helpful and unhelpful communications. 

Exercise

You might need to find an online fitness video that you are interested in following. The NHS have some 10 minute workouts videos which you can do from the comfort of your home. You need keep your body moving, as desk based working is terrible for our bodies. See the Uni advice on setting up your desk - you might be able to follow some of the advice, if not all.

Mindfulness

You might also find it reduces anxiety to practice breathing or meditation. There is an introduction to mindful meditation podcast information video from the Uni wellbeing website by John Danvers (lower right side of the screen). And the wellbeing page has these Relaxation and Mindfulness audio clips. There are apps like Headspace and Calm which some people find useful, and are providing free content at the moment. 

Fresh Air

If you can get out at least once a day to get some fresh air. If you are unable to get out, open the window in your house and let the fresh air in!

Desk set up

Making sure you have the correct desk set up while working from home can help reduce the risk of discomfort and injury. 

The DSE self-assessment is a checklist for both staff and students to use to ensure that workstations are set up correctly to reduce the risk of pain and ill health that can be associated with the use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE). The health and safety team have set up a Home Working Self-Assessment Form (COVID 19 version) to support both students and staff who may be working from home. If when completing your DSE assessment it flags any issues please note that the Health and Safety team will still be able to advise on adjustments that can be made to make you more comfortable. 

‌‌Drink enough water (in whatever form you like) to stay well hydrated - you will know what your best hydration level is. Likely around 1.5+ litres litres a day. Keep eating fruit and vegetables to keep yourself healthy. Measure out the fluid you need to drink so you know you are drinking. 

• Taking Control of Working from Home Temporarily by Glenn Fleishman
• Supporting Your Mental Health While Working From Home by My Whole Self
• Keeping Healthy and Productive 'Sway by the University of Exeter
• Keeping Healthy and Productive Yammer discussion group, where staff and students are sharing tips on homeworking
• Keeping emotionally fit for the long term- starting now