Working from home, or perhaps not even being allowed to leave your home, is quickly becoming the new normal for an increasing number of us. With this in mind, I’ve pulled together some top tips on how to style out and survive this strange time.

As a writer who worked from home for over four years, and is now confined to her apartment in Rome, I have total empathy with and appreciation for how you’re feeling about the realities of executing every facet of your life from the same space. The overwhelm and anxiety is real and might at times seem, justifiably, insurmountable. All I can say is “you’ve got this!”

Try to remember that staying in is not inaction, but rather you being proactive in the best interests of yourself and your community. If nothing else, start every day with that thought. And then try these tips to keep on top of your mind, body, and soul to make lockdown work for you.

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IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU FRAME IT

Maybe the most important but also the most challenging is how to frame your newfound confinement. We could view this as the worst thing ever to happen, or we could use it as an excuse for reflection and a chance to find joy in the things we don’t usually notice.

Has your houseplant grown a new leaf that you’d otherwise have missed? Does the light in your apartment around 3 pm glow golden and beautiful? Can you now distinguish the different sounds of the birds outside of your window? Think of this time as a gift to slow right down and reconnect with every part of yourself and your life. We don’t often get permission to take a step back from everything and focus on ourselves.

And if that doesn’t work? Then perhaps ground yourself in your privilege that this feels so alien and unassailable. Spare a thought for those who are perennially housebound for reasons beyond their control. Think of the world you are temporarily mourning that is constantly kept from them because of age or illness or condition. Sooner than you think you will again be free to move. Let’s use this as a way to be more grateful.

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ZONE YOUR HOME - AND KEEP IT CLEAN!

The inclination to go full-on feral on lockdown is real! Lackadaisical at best or uncaring with the worst attitude that “it doesn’t really matter how bad this place looks as it’s only me and my mess” can be really damaging. Keeping your home clean and tidy will vastly improve your mindset, reduce your anxiety and ensure your space is one you actually want to be in.

Similarly, to keep your mind as unencumbered and focused as possible, zone your home into places for work and play. Even if you’re in a studio apartment, make sure you work at a surface and not on your bed. Keeping separation will be invaluable when switching ‘on’ to work-mode and ‘off’ to relax.

SWITCH OFF AND ENGAGE

While screens are vital in keeping us connected to work and social lives during this lockdown, it’s important we put a limit on our screen time. Having an arsenal of activities to do offline will be essential to stave off-screen fatigue, to keep regular sleep patterns (harder when you’re not out and about expending all your energy) and quashing the very real and scary prospect of total screen dependence.

Things like killer playlists, discovering new podcasts, rediscovering the radio, finally reading that stack of books, playing cards or board games, baking or tending to gardens or houseplants are perfect ways to engage your mind without a screen. If you’re not on lockdown yet and therefore have some time to prepare, don’t waste this chance! Buy those knitting needles, get that 5000 piece puzzle you’ve been flirting with, replenish your art supplies or start a sourdough sponge to be the self-sufficient producer of amazing bread you always knew you could be!

GET WASHED AND DRESSED

This one is a total game-changer. Trust me. Staying in pajamas, putting on the same clothes every day or washing only when it feels necessary will send you spinning into a Groundhog Day wormhole of repetitive despondency and despair. Dramatic, but true.

Get up and grab a shower each morning to wake you up and help things feel refreshed and revitalized. Put on clothes for work that strike the balance between total power dressing and full-on sweatpants. Go for something that feels comfy but also makes you feel potent and capable. Keep up with skincare routines and moisturizing - you’re going to want to look your best when you reemerge into the world am I right?

PREPARE PROPER MEALS AND KEEP HYDRATED

Staying nourished and hydrated is often something that is part of your routine. So, when that routine changes, it is important to keep on top of your sustenance. Just because you’re at home all day isn’t an excuse to substitute well-rounded meals for constant grazing. Planning and cooking nutritious meals will not only give you something to focus on but keep you healthy and energized. Similarly, drinking plenty of water is essential for both the mind and body.

STAY MINDFUL AND KEEP MOVING

While the idea of sustaining your usual fitness routine at your home might seem laughable, it is so important to keep active during a lockdown. There are many ways to do this including yoga, stretching to (re)connect with your body and at-home interval workouts. Moving will break up the day, give you those much-needed endorphins and help to boost your energy levels.

Similarly, keeping mindful will be the much-needed exercise your mind needs during this time. As well as yoga, connect daily with the things you are grateful for, be aware of your breathing and use apps like Calm or Headspace to find moments of peace in this unusually frantic time.

TAKE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS VIRTUAL

Is Tuesday night #winetime with the girls? Keep that date! Whichever platform you use to video call, make use of it to conference with a side of wine and gossip like you usually would. As I said, this is a “new normal”, not a total departure from how you would usually live.

If you live alone this is especially important. Make sure you talk to at least one person a day in a meaningful way, whether that is face to face or just a voice call. Equally, if you know someone flying solo during lockdown - check in with them regularly.

TURN NEGATIVITY OUTWARD, NOT INWARD

If you’ve had a bad day, remember … sh*t happens. You can’t be on top of your game all the time, especially when dealing with new boundaries or the ever-present disquiet of our current global situation.

Try not to internalize negative feelings. Instead, vocalize them, write them down or better still share them with friends or family. Chances are people are feeling similar anxieties to you, and together you can find ways to navigate them.

WORK OUT A WORKING ROUTINE

Routine will set you free - seriously. It will give you structure and purpose, and avoid days rolling together into one homogenous blur of lockdown lethargy. With this in mind, don’t lose focus by working endlessly just because - technically - you can. Keep a normal working day structure by having a start time, designated time for lunch and a non-negotiable finish time every day, muting notifications at this point so work doesn’t continue indefinitely. This consistency is especially important when we’ve lost the physical distinction between office and home.

When working, create lists with daily priorities, break your day into blocks of time to maximize efficiency and take regular breaks. Crucially, don’t avoid the challenges; they’ll hang over you and your productivity will quickly turn toxic because, no matter how much you achieve, you’ll still be hung up on that one thing you keep putting off.

FIND THE FRESH AIR

Trickier on lockdown rather than just working from home, when I’d say go for a run, walk around the block or spend your lunch break in the park.

Instead, let’s try opening all your windows first thing to get rid of the stale air and bring some good morning energy into your space. Make full use of a garden or balcony on the regular if you’re lucky enough to have one. If not, keep that window open and sit beside it, breathing deep and staring at the sky. This continued connection to the outside is invaluable when you can’t physically put yourself in nature.

DANCE IT OUT!

Music is cathartic and energizing and a huge mood boost. Dancing it out gets frustrations out, celebrations out and gets the blood pumping while, crucially, you have loads of fun! It might not be what you usually do, but trust me. Even when all this is over your break-time boogies will remain a permanent and necessary feature of your day.

LET THINGS GO

This is equally important if you live on your own or with other people. Things that you might usually pick up on and pick at quickly take on a whole new significance when you can’t get space from a problem. So, whether it’s with yourself or your partner/housemate, let it go. Magnifying the little things will not help with lockdown survival. Take the higher ground, be kind and breathe through the annoyance - it’s only temporary!

TREAT WEEKENDS LIKE WEEKENDS

Finally, remember that weekends are still your anti-work-week time. Stay in your pajamas on a Saturday until midday. Have two coffees in bed while you read the long-form articles you’ve set aside from the week or those three episodes you’ve been saving to binge. Spend four hours cooking Sunday lunch. Talk to your sister for two hours. Have a totally screen-free day. It is important to arrive back on Monday having had differences and distance from the usual.

The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Lockdown