How We're Looking After Our Wellbeing While Working From Home.

Working from home is a mixed bag. On one hand, there’s a time saving with no commute and a sense of flexibility (Video call?attire anyone? Professional on?top, pyjamas on the bottom).

On the other there can be a feeling of disconnection from coworkers, challenges with collaboration (how many more Slack messages can we take?) and a lack of boundaries between work and home life.

The majority of our team is?office-based, with only a couple of key team members working remotely. During lockdown, we’ve been checking in with each other to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves.?Where possible, our normal ‘walk and talk’ meetings have been replicated?with a walking phone call.

One of the things we’re big on is knowing our own personal values and proactively looking for ways to fulfil them, both at work and in life. I asked our team how they’re looking after their wellbeing while working from home.

Here are 11?ways we're looking after ourselves.?

1.?START THE DAY WITH MOVEMENT

“I am cycling around the block in the morning before I start work instead of cycling to work.?There is very little traffic which is an added bonus.

It's important for me to keep fit and I prefer to make it part of my routine so it does not get forgotten.?I enjoy the peace and quiet at the start of the day and it allows me to relax and think about the day ahead.?And I often think of solutions to problems I am working on while cycling.”

Simon – IT Lead, aka the Security Sensei, who is quiet and thoughtful yet incredibly competitive during our annual steps challenge.

2.?CREATE ENERGY THROUGHOUT THE DAY?

"Running in the middle of the day gives me a boost of energy that follows me into the evening, and overrides that 3 pm crash I usually feel. I also feel I'm having have more positive thoughts, and can be more rational instead of emotional when reacting to things.

Getting Vitamin D - Sitting or walking outside when the sun is out gives me gratitude. I continue to feel more appreciative of the little things after I get some sun on my face (with spf50 of course!) It's definitely another mood booster.

Eating nutrient-dense food -?I now have my full kitchen to cook colourful lunches rich in fruit, vegetables and protein. This I would normally struggle with if I were in the office. My dad always taught me growing up to listen to my body after meals, so now that I have better access to cooking I'm taking the time to build energy-boosting meals.

Meditating -?Working from home can be hard without physical interaction, it can feel confined and at times, quiet. You can get inside your head if you're not careful. So I've been meditating once a day to help clear negative thoughts and be more grateful for my situation.

Pro-Tip: Radio headspace on Spotify has also been a great listen in the background while completing tasks -?it's soothing and helps me focus."

Scarlett – Communications and Visual Design, aka the Data Diva, who has the lowest power bill on the South Island and can be seen sporting Doc Martins and an oat milk flat white most days.

3.?CREATE A SENSE OF CLARITY AND CALM WITH ORGANISATION AND BEING OUT IN NATURE

"Every morning I write a schedule for the day. The whole family contributes and it includes the kids homeschooling activities. There are no set times as we all decided this would be too difficult, but just a general list of what we are doing. If I don’t have it done by 9 am the kids are asking where it is! I do this because I am a methodical person and work best using lists in my day-to-day life. I now think the kids are hooked as they consult their list all day and tick their items off. (I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing?)?

At the end of the day, I go out for a walk in the hills, with or without the family. We have some beautiful tracks around us and it gives me a chance to relax and process what has gone on that day. To go a bit further afield we take a family bike ride. It’s particularly nice getting outside to see all of the spring flowers and blossoms."

Sally – Content Creator, aka the Challenge?Queen, who can be found ticking off her to-do list, managing her family remotely via Trello,?or starting some healthy banter.

4.?DO THINGS YOU ENJOY AND THAT REPLENISH?YOU

• Walks/runs - Fresh air helps me keep a clear focussed mind, I think I solve my biggest design problems when I'm walking around my neighbourhood. It also helps me sleep.
• Playing - Mainly memory because cards is all we have on hand, it gets pretty competitive and always ends in laughter. I need to laugh every day.
• Workouts - Helps me sleep, clears my mind. Most importantly it allows me to have chocolate!
• Cooking - I love cooking, it relaxes me. It's also how I show appreciation/gratitude to people around me.

Brenda – Visual Design Lead, aka Chef Extraordinaire, who makes a mean Smoky Lentil soup and can be seen doing deep work with a cup of tea and mint headphones on.

5.?TRY A MICRO-WORKOUT

“As a way of trying to scatter movement throughout my day and also take off the pressure to find a chunk of time to exercise, I try and incorporate the idea of micro-workouts.?

This can be either picking a single movement or a short mini-circuit and doing it in a specific frequency throughout the day (ie. every hour).?For example, 10 x chin-ups and 10 x bodyweight squats every hour.?

It is a great way to get me to step away from my screen and get the blood flowing but is all done in a couple of minutes.?If I then don’t get time before or after my workday to do a proper “workout” then I’ve still managed to clock up a bit already throughout the day.”

Martin – Global Partnerships Lead, aka the Connection Wizard, who can go for days without eating (if needed, although he loves his food!)?and is currently sporting a very mature looking beard, grey stripe and all, but not for much longer…

6.?KNOW YOUR PERSONAL VALUES?

“I have implemented a range of lockdown wellbeing strategies to help promote our ‘10 Healthy Habits’.?To help ‘Get Strong’ I have a kettlebell in my office.?This allows me to do a large range of weight-bearing exercises each day.?To assist ‘Move Slowly Lots’, I only ever talk on the phone while walking. I typically find myself walking up and down on the driveway which also allows me to also ‘Get Adequate Sunlight’.

My key strategy, however, is to regularly review the degree of value fulfilment I’m achieving while in lockdown (‘Engage Yourself’). This allows me to make adjustments to my week to ensure I fulfil the things most important to me. This has the biggest impact on my engagement and overall motivation levels.”

Brad – Managing Director/Head of Sales, aka the Sales Sizzle, who can often be found mountain biking or reliving his cameo on Survivor.

7.?USE EXTRA TIME TO SPEND WITH FAMILY

“I haven't done much, to be honest, the only thing that's different now is that I'm going for a walk around the block with my daughter after work. It's like a normal day at the office, same routine.”

Cauê?– Senior Developer, aka the Guy With All the Answers, who only shaves and cuts his hair once per year and is currently sporting some fierce mid-year growth on both face and head.

8.?MAINTAIN A GOOD ROUTINE

"Cover the basics and prioritise the essentials:

• Have a good chair
• Have a small glass of water by your desk, this means you need to fill it up often, meaning you're spreading your legs more often
• Set a routine as best you can
• Don't over Zoom. No more than four 30min+ sessions.
• Reach out to your friends during the day. They are also in the same boat.
• A cider at 5 pm"

Michael - Client Relationship Lead, aka Sharry/Poff, a retired Russian athlete who can be found drinking vanilla soy milk by the litre. Enjoys riding his moped, eating KFC and has a love affair with?his dogs.

9.?CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES PRODUCTIVITY

“It helps to have a beautiful home office with an expansive view. I have a favourite comfy chair where I can start the day with a brief meditation, diffuse essential oils and play inspirational music to get into a creative flow.

Having a decent workstation set up makes a big difference, as does taking breaks to stretch and foam roll my upper back to combat the stiffness from sitting.

Going for a run or doing a quick yoga session in the morning and a walk at lunchtime are great ways to get moving and get fresh air and clear my mind.”

Robin – Content Lead, who thinks everything is AWESOME, has excellent feng shui and can often be found drinking a dirty chai while banging away on her very loud keyboard.

10. STAY FLEXIBLE

"Don't stress about every detail. Pick a few non-negotiables (anchor points) and stick to them.

For example, we get up at our usual time each day, everyone should be dressed by 7:30, two hours of schoolwork each day, we eat lunch together, 30 minutes of exercise each day, everyone in bed by 9:30pm. Then you can let everything else in the day be a bit more fluid."

Kara - Client Experience expert,?office all-rounder, often found wearing activewear, and chauffeuring her children to several activities while slurping on coffee number ten.

11. CONNECT WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS

"Here's how my days seem to be rolling at the moment to best look after my wellbeing:

• Walking every day on the beach with my music on loud. Depending on the mood I wish to be in on that walk e.g. energised, reflective, happy,?helps me determine which selection I make.
• Laughing and sharing jokes online with my friends and family. Trying to see the humour in the situation where appropriate. Connecting with those around me and online over a coffee or a wine.
• Learning what I can that helps my own and my kids' personal development. Podcasts, writing, cooking something new and creating stuff (not always a successful result but the journey is great).
• Spending time outdoors just being in my own environment at home. Embracing the odd jobs that give me satisfaction and choosing to mostly ignore the ones that don’t.
• Embracing what interests my pre-teen/teenagers have and learning about them, taking the time to sit, be and listen.
• Fueling myself with good food, good coffee and good thoughts.

On the flip side:

• I have discovered I have a slightly over competitive streak when playing Yahtzee so I have been taking some time to reflect and evaluate after each game the need I have to do a happy dance around my children whilst gloating loudly.
• Missing my hairdressing appointment has not added any personal growth to my life, just re-growth.
• There are only so many ‘tween’ movies one mum should have to endure…surely?"

Amber - Presenter, aka Workshop/Webinar Wonder Woman, whose?quick-witted humour keeps you on your toes and who can often be found with a glass of wine and dishing out some cheeky banter.

What are your go-to wellbeing strategies while working from home? Share in the comments!