4 ways to make working from home work for you

Entrepreneur Shann Nix Jones, author Harriet Griffey and psychotherapist Kathryn Kinmond outline essential strategies for work-life balance in one environment 

1. Master your habits: ‘Use “stackable functions” – a term from permaculture that describes getting more value out of a single activity. For example, if you take the children to school every day, you could walk part of the way, which would give you family connection, time in nature and exercise. That way, you shoehorn more meaning into your schedule,’ says entrepreneur Shann Nix Jones.

2. Be kind: ‘Working with others virtually can be frustrating and there is often miscommunication. When you’re not sitting next to someone, you don’t know what issues they might be dealing with. Your colleague may be struggling with other challenges, such as caring for relatives. Kindness goes a long way,’ says author Harriet Griffey.

3. Dare to connect: ‘If you’re feeling lonely working alone, go for a walk and acknowledge the people you pass on the street. Making eye contact is beneficial. Finding small ways to interact with other people, in whatever way we can, makes a big difference,’ advises psychotherapist Kathryn Kinmond.

4. Get organised: ‘When you’re working from home, anything that helps you feel organised is good. I like to colour code my notebooks. Black is for business planning, green for clients, blue for private journalling and red for notes from classes and workshops that I’m taking,’ says Nix Jones. ‘Transitions are important and this way I’m sending my subconscious a signal that I’m moving from one type of task to another.’