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![Yogurt, granola, seeds, fresh, dry fruits and honey in bowl]()
Have a morning routine and stick to it
Get up at the same time, shower, exercise, have breakfast.
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![overhead view of businessman in burgundy sweater checking time at wristwatch in office]()
Get dressed
Some people swear by putting a suit or smart clothes on. We’ve even heard of people walking around the block and back into their home workspace. Do your hair and makeup if you would normally, it’ll help for the surprise video calls. Slippers are always acceptable.
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![A young girl in glasses sits in the office at a computer desk and is talking on the phone. Before her on the table lie folders with documents.]()
Have a dedicated space and time
Don’t let your work hours slip over into your leisure time and try to keep your workspace separate. If you are using a shared space like a dining table then pack your things away at the end of the day.
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![Modern workplace with open laptop computer]()
Work in comfort
Ideally, you should have good lighting and it should be ergonomic. If necessary invest in a new chair and a screen or laptop stand. Plants and flowers are a bonus.
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Set up your tech
Excellent WiFi, a laptop or computer with webcam, headphones and some neat software and apps (see below) are the essentials.
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Silence is golden?
If you like background noise then put the radio on and if you need silence, have earplugs to hand. Or maybe you need noise or music that doesn’t have any talking or singing? Of course, you can change this up depending on what sort of work you’re doing.
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![Person on couch in front of TV]()
Don’t touch that remote
Don’t turn on the TV. Ever. Period. Limit yourself when it comes to checking social media and the news too.
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![Green deciduous forest on a sunny day.]()
Move it
You’re much more likely to move around in the office to go and talk to people. Make sure you still get up frequently at home. Go for walks, top up your water and stretch.
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![Close-up picture of women's hands writing down something in notebook]()
Set goals
To-do lists rule but don’t overwhelm yourself. Focus on your priorities and set deadlines for all of your important tasks. Ask yourself if you only got one thing done today, what would it be and do that first.
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![Mum and kids on iPad]()
Talk to people
Not over email, Twitter or WhatsApp. Pick up the phone or jump on a video call to chat and collaborate.
How to get the most out of yourselves and each other
There are an overwhelming number of tools to support you so don’t try to implement them all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Not all projects need to be managed through task-management software and not all tasks need a conference call. Look at what integrates with what you already use and ask the other people who will be using it what they think and what tools they have experience of.
Support the well-being of your teams as best you can to keep people happy otherwise productivity will suffer. Give project-based work with clear briefs and make sure your employees understand what they’re doing. Encourage collaboration and provide regular feedback.
Don’t just use these tools for work, they also are great for having virtual fun like team drinks, ‘pub’ quizzes and ‘employee of the week’ presentations. Get creative and get social (at a distance). By Jove, we need all the positivity we can get right now.
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