Cabin fever is no joke. Ever seen The Shining? We don’t want any ‘Here’s Johnny!’ moments going down in your living room.
With a larger and larger percentage of Aussie workers confining themselves indoors and working from home, there’ll be considerations of wellbeing that go beyond effective work practices.
Let’s not all go stir-crazy, hey? So, what can you do to break up your workday?
Not only will this help you work better and more productively, it will also keep your spirits up – very important in and of itself.
1) Grow an indoor garden – herbs perhaps?
If you have a balcony, backyard or even a sunny windowsill, give your green thumb a workout.
Not only do plants have a well-known positive effect on productivity, they provide a great natural distraction to keep you centred.
The oxygen and greenery provided by indoor gardens is also a wonderful antidote to stress and a lack of concentration and creativity.
What are some benefits of cultivating a garden?
- Boosts your mood
- Enhances concentration and memory
- Provides clean, oxygenated air
- Lowers risk of illness
Better yet, if you concentrate on growing herbs and edible plants, your lockdown ‘pasta and passata’ dinners will that much tastier. The simple sense of satisfaction and pride you get from growing plants can’t be ignored either.
2) Visit an online gallery or museum
Looking for some entertainment and education on your breaks? Instead of resorting to Netflix or game consoles, try doing something different online or through your smart TV: museum tours!
A large number of such tours already exist and seem to be multiplying at a rapid rate in this climate. Many of the world’s largest, most interesting and iconic museums and art galleries are onboard and there’s an astounding amount of interesting knowledge to absorb.
Check out the following online museum/gallery tours:
This is just the tip of the iceberg, so get Googling and target your favourite topics. I’m confident you could find a month’s worth of 360 degree tours and online galleries in no time.
3) Indoor exercises
Time to get creative! Exercise is absolutely vital to all day concentration and does wonders for energy, mental health and stress levels.
Now more than ever, you should be very mindful of keeping your exercise up. If you’re working from home a lot you may find yourself over-snacking – a common issue with being indoors all day next to the fridge, so let’s keep those extra calories off as well.
However, the obvious problem arises: social distancing and self-isolation simply must be adhered to.
If you’re used to running in groups, doing bootcamp, surfing crowded breaks or playing team sports, you clearly need to change your habits.
Try some of the following ideas:
- Online or in-app yoga classes
- Living room dancing (good for the soul too)
- Weights (use water buckets or bottles if you don’t have any)
- Step class videos
- Pushups, sit ups, planks, squats, lunges and crunches
- TheraBand (elastic cord) strength exercises
4) Attend an online event
The beauty of living in an online world mean we are in the best position possible to remain social and involved in arts and culture from a distance.
Live and teleconference meetings and events are a fantastic way to build and maintain community while easing social isolation and stimulating the mind.
Let’s take a look at some examples, shall we?
- More and more bands and musicians are beginning to do live concerts as social isolation prevents the ‘real’ thing.
- Used to Friday night drinks? People are increasingly having beers and cocktails with their peers, colleagues and friends through video chat services.
- Live games – not just video games, but also any board game you could think of – why not play your mate at backgammon with a chat service on?
- Think and search creatively and you’ll even find things like live theatre and activities such as online pub trivia
So, as you sit in your bubble and continue working, make sure you’re nourishing the mind and body to keep you on an even keel and prepared for anything.
