Yesterday I ran a workshop for one of my corporate clients about how to stay healthy and happy when working from home during (and after) this pandemic. It was amazing to have a discussion about a topic so on top of people's minds at the moment and which has suddenly become the 'standard'. The main questions: were we really ready to work from home full time, what has this sudden change done to our physical and mental health and will this become the standard after this pandemic? Let me share my insights with you!

Is working from home a good thing?

#1 As a result of this 'forced' working from home environment, it's finally starting to get clear to the world that work and life are not two different things. We only have ONE life, and that includes work, family, health, selfcare, all of it...and if we create a balanced lifestyle where there is space for all these elements, we are happier as humans and more productive and focused in our working life.

#2 Most companies were sort of 'ready' to let their teams work from home from a technical / logistical point of view. But were their employees ready too? Did they know how to take care of themselves while working from home? How not to let work and private life intertwine all the time? How to stay productive and focused? How to not go insane spending all your days in the same house/room with the same people? Not so much...So it's key to educate and support your teams how to do this.

#3 More than 60% of employees (research under employees in Europe) experience great benefits from working from home, such as a better work life balance, more control around how to plan their days, more quality time with their family, more time to cook healthy and exercise, more productive and less interruptions from colleagues.

#4 The most commonly experienced downsides of working from home are, obviously, the fact that we have even more 'screen time' than before. In addition, the lack of personal connections with colleagues, the constant mixup between work and private life and insufficient home office set ups don't help. Plus, there's a large group of people who doesn't experience the benefits as such. And it's that group we need to watch out for and help even more. Because those are the people who will experience a significant increase in anxiety, stress, loneliness (especially those that live alone), depression potentially and physical health issues because they just cannot seem to find a good routine around food, sleep and movement.

#5 More than 80% of employees would love to keep working from home at least partially after the lockdowns end. However, they want more support in setting up a better home office space (screens, headsets, chairs, you name it) and want to feel more engaged and connected to their colleagues.

Want to become a badass at working from home and feel productive, focused and happy again?

My best tips for becoming a badass at working from home? Here below! They may all sound like the 'obvious' things to do. And they are. It's not rocket science. But be honest with yourself, are you actually DOING all these things? Probably not ;-) So here is just a little reminder. And now go and do it.

Create structure and routines around work, self care, exercise, social life, rest etc. Humans are creatures of habit. Routines provide anchor and a framework from which to live our lives without too much stress.
Create a routine for getting into and out of work and decide in the morning what time you will end work today
Get out of your house EVERY damn day and try to change up your work space
Move your body EVERY damn day. Some days that's a proper workout, some days it's a yoga class or a slow walk. It doesn't matter what you do...but move!
You have some extra time on your hands now, so no more excuses not to cook yourself 3 nourishing healthy meals a day
Create a regular mindfulness practice to manage stress, anxiety and increase your focus and productivity
Get good quantity (minimum 7 hrs) and good quality sleep, to help your immune cells, hormones and brain cells rebuild and make you more resilient to stress
Stay connected with people, including your colleagues. Have that 'coffee machine chat' virtually and find creative ways to stay in touch

Take control

But even more important than any of the above...YOU ARE IN CONTROL. So know what YOU need in order to have a productive, fulfilling and happy day while working from home and create a daily routine around that. It's not about the hours we put in, it's not about ticking the box of having worked 8 hours today. It's about the results. If you deliver the same amount of work with higher quality in 6 hours because you went for a gym session in between and made yourself a good lunch for fuel, then don't you think your boss would prefer that too? Let's be realistic here, and be open to step away from this 'old' framework and focus on results instead of an ordinary 40-hour workweek.

Will we keep working from home after this pandemic?

My guess is that working from home will become just as much 'standard' as working from an office. I believe we need both. Because like Brené Brown says "connection is why we’re here: it gives purpose and meaning to our lives". Just as convenient and great working from home can be, the value of meeting each other in person and having this friendly chit chat by the coffee machine or making cool plans for the company for the future with an ordinary white board and markers cannot be underestimated. What's your take? Share in comments!

But when we make this change into a hybrid workplace, I believe it's important to educate people HOW to work from home and reap the benefits. It will improve your productivity, focus and performance and decrease stress and anxiety. You'll feel healthier and happier and more in balance. And isn't that better for both the person and the company?

Want to educate your people how to become great at working from home?

Reach out if you could use some help to educate and support your people how to become great at working from home and together we can create the perfect program for your company. More info on https://rooted-lifestyle.com/corporate.

Love, Myrthe

P.s. By the way...If you want to have a good laugh today: just type in "working from home bloopers" in Google and I'll promise you, you'll laugh your ass off ;-)