THE NEW OFFICE

The towering skyscrapers, the rush to the elevator and the morning greetings, the office was a defining structure of our times. However, times have changed and in a short few months the office-era has been put on an indefinite pause. This year has been a year of extra ordinary changes and one of the biggest change to have already happened is the end of the office life as we know it.

Being a banker, the #workfromhome life is new for me and honestly not as rosy as I thought it would be. Sure, I don’t miss my morning commute but working from home has brought its own set of challenges. Over the past couple of months, I’ve bounced around all over the house with my so-called office setup, fallen in the “I’ll work in my bed today” trap and “just one more episode of Friends” trap. While my beginning might not have been smooth but after 101 mistakes later; here’s how I’m navigating the new normal.

Find a Little Daylight

Over the past few months, I’ve worked in all kinds of home-office settings; bedrooms, dining table, kitchen counter and in front of my television unit, but what has truly worked for me is a secluded spot in my living room near my bay window which bring in the right amount of sunshine to lift up my mood. While working out of your bed may seem inviting, it is probably not the best of ideas. Having a separate work station away from my bed has helped provide a bit of structure to my daily routine and while investing in a fancy desk set-up may not be something I’m looking at in the moment, I’ve invested in some orthopedic foam (here) to help with some much-needed back support. A little rearrangement of some succulents (here) and picture frames (here) has given my temporary office a little more character and makes it much more inviting.

Dress Up or Dress down

When working from home you either fall into one of two camps. Firstly, there’s the ‘I need to put proper clothes on to feel productive’ contingent, then there’s the ‘I’m going to wear the most elasticated outfit possible’ crew. While there are no rights and wrongs, comfort is the key for me. Changing out of my night suit (here) and into a different set of lounge wear gives some structure to my day and is the pick-up I need to being my day. Working from home has given me the chance to invest in some comfy-but-put-together lounge wear (here) and (here) which makes me feel a little less of a slob.

Eat Well and Often

This one is so important and it took me a month of basically just eating cookies all day to learn. One benefit of working from home is that we have a complete kitchen at our disposal to cook lots of tasty food in, however, due to increased work pressure and the absence of a meal plan resulted in me skipping breakfast and lunch and eventually over-snacking on something unhealthy. Eventually, I’ve made some conscious changes in my routine. I try to have a hearty breakfast to keep me going – something like yogurt with blueberries and granola – that’s quick and easy to put together. I bought an electric frother (here) to make myself some decent coffee in the morning; just mix some sugar and coffee in equal proportions and beat till thick and fluffy using the frother and store in air tight container to be used throughout the week, I use a couple of spoons of this mixture in some hot milk throughout the day to keep me going along with some sliced fruits in air tight containers (here).

Not a big water drinker, I also bought some infuser water bottle (here) which helps me to complete my water quota for the day. I usually add some cucumber and mint in the infuser to make my water a little more interesting. Then for lunch I like to make a chicken salad or a soup, but prep all the individual components at the beginning of the week, so I can just combine them come lunchtime.

Establish a Routine

While flexibility might be the best part about working from home, it is also important to have a routine in place. After falling in the pit with “I can work with the TV in the back ground” I’ve realised I am better off with minimal distractions. While having the phone with me is unavoidable, I do reserve other distractions like television and Netflix to after hours or at

least limited to my lunch break. I do enjoy having some music playing in the background and to that extent I’ve been putting my speakers (here) to good use.

Depending on your work structure and personal preferences, design our own workday routine. The must-have points in your structure? A daily alarm (whatever time it is), a time slot that includes movement of some kind, working hours that suit your own personal energy flow (I’m more productive in the mornings so will always get the bulk of my load done then), a proper lunch break where you step away from your laptop and a definitive end time.