Working from home during Corona: this is how you keep working effectively

1. Prepare your lunch

If you are used to preparing lunch in the morning and taking snacks to work, do the same when you work from home. Then you don’t have to spend time in the kitchen around lunchtime and your daily rhythm remains as normal. This benefits your productivity, because it keeps your focus on your work and reduces distractions.

Take a break from your workplace to eat your lunch. You shouldn’t be sitting at your computer at work. Also, don’t put on background music if you don’t normally do that, because that can be distracting. Especially if there is news and advertising in between.

2. Get up from your chair every now and then

When working from home, it is tempting to stay seated all day and only get up for coffee and lunch. Being in the same position for a long time can make you dull and sleepy. Not really conducive to your productivity.

Get up from your chair regularly and move around. For example, stretch just as well. Drinking water is also helpful. This means you have to go to the toilet regularly and then you are active again.

Take a glass of water with every cup of coffee and refill your empty glass, then you have some movement again. Use the time you normally spent traveling to get away from it all. Think of a workout or up and down the stairs a few times. Then you go back to work with a fresh head and that improves your productivity.

3. Provide fresh air

Although you can go outside with your laptop, you often spend more time indoors while working from home. Providing fresh air for this will improve your productivity.

Open a window or get a breath of fresh air outside. Think of a coffee or tea break on the balcony or in your garden. Also take a lunch walk and go for a walk after work. That is also good for your resistance and therefore for your health.

4. Take your distance from work after working hours

If you work according to a certain timetable, it is best to keep this at home. If you work from nine to five, make sure that you are also working during this time. Then turn off your computer rigorously and get up from your workplace to do something you would do at home. This way you really leave your work behind and you prevent that work and private time get mixed up.

If you are struggling to separate work and private life, then literally take a distance by taking a long walk or cycling. Do not continue working because you are afraid that colleagues think you are going to cut corners. Also, don’t crawl at the computer in the evening to show that you are really working. If you prefer to use the time after work for rest and recovery, you can get back to work fit and productive the next day.

5. Support in the back

In this uncertain time, it may well be that you are afraid of getting sick or losing your job. That can keep you busy and affect your productivity. Seek support from your loved ones and colleagues. Everyone is in the same boat, so talk about your feelings. Then they have less control over you and you can concentrate better on your work. Here you can read how you can arrange communication (and collaboration) with colleagues.

In stressful times like this, getting some more magnesium can also help. We then need more of this mineral. So put the following magnesium-rich foods on the menu more often:

• avocado
• cereal products
• dark chocolate
• nuts
• legumes
• green vegetables
• seeds
• banana

In addition, a supplement in the form of magnesium bisglycinate can be nice if you can use some extra support. This form of magnesium reaches the brain more easily, so that it has a positive effect on your concentration and mood. Sleep problems due to tension can also be reduced by this. This also has a positive effect on your productivity.