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Writer's pictureManuela Toteva

5 lessons from my first year working from home

Updated: Nov 29, 2022

Different emotions arise in my mind when I recall March 12, 2020. The first e-mail from the management, which declares that working from home is becoming the number one priority. Picking up my laptop and notebook, the informal "goodbye" to my team mates, and marking the company card on the exit - it felt like Friday night, which continues to date.

Although I look with sentimentality at the pleasant conversations with colleagues in the coffee corner, the pleasure of being alone in the car with loud music on the way to the office or back home, I realize that working from home has several positives.


Time for you


Getting to the office was fun in the early years of my career, bringing me action until it became a routine and later not so welcomed component to fit the family man's bloating schedule. I currently save about 90 minutes a day, which was dedicated to office preparation and travel. I save these kept minutes for a relaxed drink of aromatic coffee, news, exercise, or other invigorating activities for the day. And let's not forget about the reduction of harmful gases in the atmosphere and the sustainable effect of moving without a car.


Productivity


I am one of those people who are extremely keen on socializing and communicating with colleagues and new people, but in terms of my work, I need concentration and well-insulated headphones to be effective. The environment is also very important. It took me a while to realize that working from home would take more than a week or a month to finally decide to equip a comfortable corner, with enough light, live plants, and the necessary peace of mind. See the most important elements of productivity in the following infographic:



Meditation


I've always been a fan of listening to music, especially playlists for concentration or meditation. In the last year, I have appreciated the positives even more and I offer you several tracks that you can try at work:





Nutrition and activity


I went back to the motto "Live healthy". Due to the long-term closure of the gyms in the region where I live, I had to furnish my bedroom with a piece of professional fitness equipment, weights, rubber bands, and - suitable new sportswear to further motivate me. I train at home 3 times a week, and every day dedicate 30-40 minutes for an intense walk or running at noon. In terms of nutrition, I recommend the so-called intermittent fasting, which brings me energy with an interval of 16 hours without food. The great application I use is Yazio, the free subscription is enough to start, and the paid one is 22 euros per year:




Organization


We can relate this part to productivity. While I used to work at the kitchen table, and most often from the sofa, with the extended work from home I began to feel the need for my corner and organization of the equipment related to my work. Here is my workplace today:



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