We recently looked at the challenges of trying to ensure our employees’ wellbeing during particularly stressful periods, with the impacts on mental and physical health. Now, nearly a month into the UK’s Covid-19-driven lockdown, we focus on the adjustment to working from home, and the benefits and difficulties it brings.

Whether you live alone, with a partner, with family or even a pet, working from home inevitably brings a range of positive opportunities.

Removing the commute – be it 15 minutes or two hours – means you may be able to sleep in a bit later. In theory, you can eat more healthily when you’re working from home, since you don’t have the temptation of snacks from colleagues, vending machines or workplace café. Additionally, you have more time to plan and cook healthy meals. Furthermore, if you factor in the amazing feeling that exercise, moving and being able to get outside at whatever time of day suits you can bring (while social distancing of course), surely it’s got to be a win-win situation?

The reality, however, can be very different – and no more so especially now, when many of us are being forced into combining work and home life in the same space.

We know that working from home is not for everyone. For some, the freedom and flexibility of being in familiar surroundings with no co-workers in their line of sight to distract them, can be ideal. For others, who enjoy face-to-face interactions and ‘a laugh’ with colleagues, less so!

And at this time of global crisis, when we are all living under strict rules about how, when and why we can go out, it is easy to see why working at home can give rise to feelings of anxiety and not being in control.

We also know that while for some working from home can be incredibly productive, for others it can be really distracting – not least because it is a significant change of routine.

And even though distractions like colleagues stopping at our desks, or the hum of people chatting around us is not there, there can be lots of opportunities for procrastination, as well as new distractions, at home!

But here’s the good news – staying mentally and physically healthy when you work from home is not rocket science.

During the lockdown, we have published some practical and easy-to-implement strategies and solutions in the following areas that can help you stay active, eat well and get your work done, while continuing to adapt to the change in circumstances:

• Your Working Environment
• Consciously structuring your day
• Living Mindfully: Making time for you
• Meal Prepping – Setting Yourself Up for Success
• Exercise? It’s surprisingly good for us!
• Closing down for the day

See what can work for you!