It’s no secret now. The country is in lockdown for…no-one knows how long, which means that many of you are working from home and are only going out once a day to exercise. 

So there are 3 challenges that we’re all facing as a result: 

• Staying productive while working from home
• Keeping healthy during the lockdown 
• Trying not to binge Netflix while you’re supposed to be working

We can’t really help you with the 3rd point there. It’s especially difficult with absolute bangers being on Netflix like ‘Tiger King’ – if you haven’t watched it yet, it’s wild. 

But the other two points are exactly the things that we’ll be addressing in this article. We’ll also offer you tips on how to keep your brain and body performing at their best in this situation. 

Stay Nutritionally Fuelled

It’s all good organising or scheduling your day for productivity, but if you’re not giving your body the fuel it needs to stay energised…then I’m sorry to say that it’s all a waste of time.

Here’s the good news: multivitamin supplements can help keep your energy levels high, while also being able to provide support to your immune system. The best multivitamins in the UK contain at least 100% of your daily values of vitamins and minerals – some micronutrients, such as Vitamin D, can be difficult to obtain naturally, especially while we’re all in lockdown indoors. 

And let’s face it, not everyone wants to meticulously plan every meal of every day, in order to intake all essential vitamins and minerals. A study referenced by Newcastle University pointed out the fact that Vitamin D has proven to boost energy levels. This is a prime example of how micronutrients really can make a big difference in your life. 

So to avoid feeling fatigued or tired, keep yourself nutritionally fuelled daily. I prefer to do so by popping a few multivitamins instead of obsessing over every meal.

 

Don’t be afraid to take short breaks

You hear some rustling in the bush outside your house. Don’t worry, it’s probably your boss checking if you’re working or not…

…Just kidding, hopefully.

You might feel that your boss is keeping an eye on your work productivity more than ever now that you’re WFH. But that doesn’t mean you have to work several hours without taking a few short breaks. After all, you’d still take a lunch break while working in an office, right?

Realistically, it’s very difficult to perform optimally at your job without any breaks. So, go ahead and take short breaks. It’s also important to make the most of your lockdown daily allowance of going out to exercise once per day. 

Make sure to go for a walk or run to get some fresh air. Those extra calories burned might just make up for the extra chocolate you’ve been eating while WFH…admit it, we’ve all been adding a few chocolate bars to our diet. 

 

Try not to become reliant on caffeine

Ahhh coffee. That lovely drink that allows us to get up and work every day…

We all know how easy it is to rely on coffee (or tea) to keep us alert. But the bad news is that becoming over-reliant on caffeine can lead to issues. This is because consuming too much caffeine can ultimately lead to energy crashes. We’ve all had this issue when ‘risking’ that extra cup of coffee we knew that we shouldn’t have.

After all, what comes up must come down – and this is especially true with any caffeinated beverage. An energy crash will make you want to back to bed and have a nap, which isn’t ideal for work productivity. 

Instead, try natural nootropics for studying instead. Nootropic herbs such as Bacopa Monnieri have shown to improve speed of visual information processing, as well as learning rate and memory consolidation. 

Bacopa Monnieri isn’t a stimulant either, so while it’s capable of enhancing your mental performance – it won’t lead you to an energy crash like too many cups of coffee would. 

That doesn’t mean you have to avoid coffee, though. Keep drinking 2-3 cups per day if you want to. But when you’re hitting the 5+ cups of coffee daily mark, then you should probably admit you’re deep into addiction, my friend.

 

Loungewear is okay, but not PJ’s 

Mentality plays a big role in everything that we do. 

For example, if you go to the gym unmotivated then your workout is going to suck. We all know how that feels, don’t we? (I know I do…) Similarly, if you start work not being in the right frame of mind, then you’re not going to perform at your job very well. 

Staying in your PJ’s can keep you from getting ‘into the zone’ for work; you associate PJ’s with sleep, not with work (unless you’re lucky enough to sleep all day and get paid for whatever reason – if you are, hit me up in the comments section and get me a job pls). 

As a result, it’s a good idea to get changed from your PJ’s before you get down to business…no, not that kind of business, Sharon. Gosh. 

We mean down to business, as in ‘going to work’…as in office work. Now, we’re not saying that you have to dress in a suit every day like Barney Stinson. Although, who wouldn’t want to be Neil Patrick Harris...

Loungewear is still okay. As long as you get changed from your PJ’s, then you should be able to focus more on work rather than crawling back into bed. 

 

Try to avoid junk food

We mentioned right in our first point that it’s important to stay nutritionally fuelled in order to perform at your best, physically and mentally. 

Eating junk food all the time can lead to the same fate as drinking too much coffee – energy crashes. That’s because simple carbs spike your energy levels. And remember, what goes up must come down. 

Eating healthier may not only keep your energy levels high, but it could also prevent you from packing on the pounds during the lockdown. 

 

Conclusion

Many of us are being forced to work from home for the first time in our lives. And with great powers come great responsibilities, Peter Parker. 

The above quote from Uncle Ben (may he rest in peace) is true in this lockdown scenario; it’s all too easy to switch Netflix on or go for a nap, forgetting you still have a job to do. 

By following our tips, you’re giving yourself some extra chances of success in terms of working from home.