Hi, my name is Deborah Winks and I’m the Family Support and Parenting Manager for Flying
Start Wrexham.
I’ve created 10 top tips to support you when working from home. I’m a mum myself
and I have been increasingly working from home over the last few months and know how
difficult it is to balance everything.
I’m hoping to share these top tips with you in the hope that you’ll find something
in there that you can take away and support yourselves in your own homes.
So, number 1 is to create a ‘to do’ list to keep yourself focussed.
I would recommend starting the week with a ‘to do’ list, prioritise and keep to your
list so you know what you’ve got and what timings you’ve got available.
Number 2 have a defined start and end to your day.
I would recommend making sure you do everything you would normally do in the morning ahead
of starting work.
Get your breakfast, get dressed, sort out everything in the house, keep to your start
and end times and make sure you absolutely do this to keep into your normal day to day
routine.
Number 3 remember to take a lunch break and step away from your workspace to do this.
So important. Treat yourself to a really nice lunch and take some space away just to recharge
your batteries and give you a little bit of ‘me time’ in the day. It’s really, really
important to try to do this.
Number 4 use video technology when you can. Working from home is really, really tricky
and we’re used to seeing our colleagues on a daily basis. Sometimes now, working from
home, a lot of people aren’t having the same interactions on a day-to-day basis.
I would really recommend creating a Zoom meeting or a Teams meeting, or whatever platform you
use, to have a catch up with your colleagues.
It doesn’t have to be work-related, in fact I would suggest just a catch up and a coffee
over a lunch break can make a massive difference in the way you’re feeling in the day.
Number 5 try and make a small office space so that you can separate work from home.
Now I know this isn’t practical for everybody, a lot of people don’t have the space to
do so.
For me, I’ve made a tiny little office under the stairs and I’m really trying to utilise
that for all of my work day-to-day things.
For those of you who can’t do that, I would really recommend sitting in the same spot
every day and maybe finding a little box where you can pack everything into that box at the
end of the day so you’re definitely having an end to your day and then your home life
can begin.
Number 6 acknowledge how hard the change to home working can be. It’s a really difficult
time for all and I think that everybody is feeling difficulties for one reason or another.
I think you have to accept that it’s ok to say I’m finding this really difficult
right now.
You’re not alone in finding it difficult and I think everybody needs to be kind to
themselves and recognise that you are doing the best that you can.
Number 7 take a walk at the end of your working day.
This is something that I’m really, really trying hard to do.
Normally, I would probably have about a 20-minute drive home from work which would be the time
I have the safe space to reflect on the day, think about the challenges of the day and
put to bed work Debs ready for when I walk through the door as mum Debs.
This is something that’s really difficult now when a lot of us don’t have the opportunity
to do it.
I’m desperately trying at the end of every day to go for a quick walk around the block
just to give me some head space and to make that transition into my home life again and
it is really making a difference, so I would definitely recommend just spending 2 or 3
minutes walking around the block ready to begin your evening.
Number 8 pack away your workspace and turn off all work-related devices.
This is something that I find particularly hard with working from home, and if I’m
not careful I know my work and my home life can blend in much quicker than I’ve realised.
I’m really making a conscious effort at the end of the day to turn off my work mobile
and my laptop because it’s really important for my own wellbeing to know that I’m not
available in the evenings.
Number 9 actively support your mental wellbeing.
This is one for me that’s been the biggest learning curve over the last few months.
I am actively taking steps to be kind to myself and actively doing one thing each day to remind
myself of the positive things that I’ve got in my life. It’s a difficult one to
begin with, sometimes it might feel a little bit false, but I would recommend maybe looking
at some positivity quotes or thinking about something that’s made you smile that day.
Eventually it’ll become a habit and it’ll be something that becomes part of your day
and makes you see things a little bit more positively.
Number 10 don’t suffer in silence.
This is the one, again, for me that’s probably the absolute most important out of all the
10 tips. It’s really difficult and there absolutely is no manual in what we’re supposed
to do.
It’s really difficult and it’s a difficult time for absolutely everybody.
I recognise that for me, it’s really important to talk to my friends and without my friends
I think my wellbeing would definitely suffer. However, sometimes I’m my own worst enemy
and I don’t always do that.
I recognise that it’s ok not to be ok, but it’s definitely not ok not to ask somebody
for help. People are worried sometimes about asking for help, but I think that everybody
feels exactly the same and just having a really nice conversation with your friends, or your
manager or a family member can make things really, really change for you.
I’m a manager and I know that for me my absolute priority is making sure that the
staff I manage are ok and I am always available for a phone call and to help, so just reach
out to somebody if you need to.
I really hope these top 10 tips have helped you.
I know for me they’ve really helped me to feel better about things and I know that for
myself and for my son that a happy mum definitely produces happy children. And remember that
don’t have to be perfect to be good enough.