Thousands of people are now working from home perhaps for the first time in their working careers due to the coronavirus outbreak. For about 1.5 million, it's just like any other week. So in this challenging period of self-isolating and working remotely, here as some top tips on the best way to stay efficient and keep our spirits up while we work from home!

Work from home

Get dressed. Showering and getting dressed will not only improve your state of mind, it will psychologically prepare you to start work. Whether you need to change into business attire depends on the type of person you are and the nature of the job you have. Some people find that dressing formally helps especially when on video conferencing calls! Establish boundaries where possible. It’s hard to find your space and corner in a houseful but do try and make an office area that you can leave to one side at the end of the working day. Start work around the same time as you normally would to maintain routines and help with sleep patterns too by going to bed on time and waking at the normal hour. Stay connected with office colleagues, managers and team-mates. Pick up the phone or dial up with Skype or Zoom and chat through work and news. Working from home can be a bit lonely but use tech’ to stay in touch. Take in some fresh air by getting outside in accordance with government guidelines and social distancing. A different perspective will help recharge the batteries, undo mental blocks and give you a fresh pair of eyes for today’s tasks. Take regular breaks and keep moving and exercising. Don’t be glued to your screen all day. It's important to take regular computer breaks and get up from your desk and move around just as you would in the workplace.

Stay hydrated

If you are lucky to have a water cooler in the office or a fountain or a multifunction instant KettleTap then access to fresh drinking water as you like it is second nature and you probably have developed some very good habits. Working from home your office might be in the spare room upstairs away from the kitchen, so make sure you refill a reusable bottle or glass and keep drinking water while you are working throughout the day. Create the work from home hydration habit. We have some great offers for bringing water into your home whether it’s a plumbed in or bottled coolerto save you buying single-use plastic water and having to shop for it. Hydration is vital for your health and wellbeing, but it’s also important for success at work too. Dehydration can affect your concentration, reaction times and mood, which will have a knock-on impact on your work. Feeling tired and irritable from dehydration will not only slow down your pace but will hamper performance. Staying hydrated while you work will help you stay focused with a clear mind and a positive attitude towards your team and achieving your goals.

Healthy eating is vital

Choose some great hydrating snacks of fruits and vegetables with a high water content to see you through your work from home day. Bananas, raisins, avocados, spinach, sweet potato, coconut, beans and lentils are all high in electrolytes. Apples, pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, melon, cucumbers and celery all have a very high water content and help you maintain your daily water intake. It goes without saying to avoid processed foods such as ready meals which contain excessive salt, sugar and fat compared to fresh food. Consuming excessive quantities of salt and sugar speeds up dehydration.

How to drink enough water

Health guidelines tell us to drink 2- 3 litres of water a day, so keep a reusable bottle or glass of water topped up at all times on your desk. The 8 x 8 rule is a good one to think about. Drink eight, eight ounce glasses a day! Drinking chilled water helps to keep your core body temperature down, plus chilled water tastes great and helps you reach your daily intake targets. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty because this is a sign that you are already dehydrated. Keep drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day and eat more water! Many fruits and vegetables come with a built in high water content to avoid becoming thirsty in the first place. Jazz up your water to help drink the required amount. Avoid fizzy cans of pop and flavoured water with added sugars and flavourings. Sugar and other additives have a dehydrating effect on the body. We like to add fresh wedges of mint, lemons, limes, herbs and fruit to our reusable bottles. Cucumber infused water is also very popular. [caption id="attachment_1837" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]add-fruit-to-water-hydration add fruit to water[/caption] Many of us are joining in virtual online exercise classes to boost wellbeing and our mental health, or jumping on the bike and cycling for fresh air. Be sure to drink before and during your exercise and as a guide drink an additional 500 ml of water to replace the body fluids lost through the workout. And maintain your social distances.

Refill not landfill

Hydration is extremely important, and there are plenty of easy, natural ways to make it even more valuable to your body. A water cooler may be just what your family needs! Make sure your home or office, if you are still at the workplace, has chilled and filtered fresh water on tap with a plumbed-in water fountain or dispenser. We are still open and delivering. refill a reusable bottle A plumbed-in water cooler helps save single-use plastic. Over 7.7 billion single-use plastic drinks bottles are bought in the UK every year and contribute to the plastic pollution issue that pollutes the planet. A staggering 57% are not recycled and end up in landfill, the environment, and the beaches and oceans. So help turn off the plastic tap and refill a reusable bottle, such as Chilly’s or a SHO, that keep hot drinks hot for 12 hours and cold water chilled for 24! Stay safe and look after yourself and your families.