Three Tips: Working from Home, During Quarantine

Right now, the internet is rife with funny memes about Coronavirus and social distancing. For those who are working from home for the first time, this is a great opportunity to slow down and recharge. However, for many, the loss of daily structure and the isolation from others, can be emotionally taxing. 

As I’ve been working from home for the past 2 years, here are some tips to help you make it through the next few weeks:

1)Maintain your routine:

I would recommend waking up relatively close to your normal time, give or take an hour or so.  If the gyms are closed in your area, try a home workout (there are a wide variety of free tutorials on Youtube). Then, take a hot shower; have a cup of coffee or green tea; eat breakfast and put on comfy work attire. As my patients can see me from the neck up, I've continued to do my hair and makeup, despite working from home. Try to create a designated space in your home to work. Also, you should strive to  maintain your regular eating habits. For example, take a true lunch break around noon, before resuming your afternoon session of work. 

2)Resist temptation:

As I practice psychiatry via video conferencing, I see my patients throughout the day, which creates structure for my work day. Adversely, for those of you with self-paced tasks, it is important to avoid the comforts of home, during working hours.  I’d recommend not working from bed or with Netflix playing in the background. Also, for those of you who are prone to becoming a bit distracted, I'd recommend muting your social media apps for set periods of time each day. 

3)Maintain contact with loved ones:

During off hours, it's good to stay connected to those that you care about to decrease feelings of loneliness and depression. I'm a notorious texter. However, over the past few days, I've been reaching out to friends and family, by actually calling them (shock and horror!).

I hope these tips were helpful!

Dr. Cisse