Everything we do at Joseph Homes is centred around making life at home better for everyone. And right now, that’s more important than ever.
Because at this time home isn’t just where we eat dinner and sleep, it’s also our office, gym, pub and base of our entire social life. To carry on as normal when our lives are anything but might seem tricky – but doesn’t have to be.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide, packed with tips and hacks to help you live well while staying at home.
Living and working in a shared space
- Working from home can be challenging, which is why it’s important to set routines. Get up at a decent time and use your now freed up commute time to do some exercise or read a book. And if you sometimes fancy a lie in? Go for it, make it part of your weekly routine. For more on this, check out the Deliciously Ella podcast, Series 4, Episode 10: Morning Routines with Hal Elrod.
- Being at home doesn’t mean the fun should stop. Do more things together and think outside the box! Cook dinner with each other or for each other, try new time-consuming recipes or why not throw a full-on dinner party? If you have children, they could help out by making paper decorations like place cards and menus. Then pull out those old, dusty board games for some old-school fun.
Practising mindfulness
- Although mindfulness means different things to different people, guided meditation can be great for all of us. Try Deliciously Ella’s app which offers guided mediation for 99p a month, the free ‘Meditation Oasis’ podcast or why not give Headspace a go? It comes at a monthly subscription but gives you a lot for your money.
- Find mindfulness in the small things, like your tea break. Practice being fully present and focus on details. What does the boiling water in the kettle sound like? How does the colour of your tea change as you add water? Take notice of how the tea feels in your mouth and as it moves down your throat. Finally, add a thought of gratitude – to anything or anyone.
Reducing toxicity in your home (and yourself)
- Fill it with plants! At the JH office we love a company called Patch, here’s a list of their top 10 indoor plants: bit.ly/3e1dgj6
- Open a window or two – Fresh air is brilliant for the mind and soul and it also helps reduce toxicity when cooking with gas
- Also give some thought to the toxicity in yourself. Think about all the information you’re currently absorbing through various media. Is it getting a bit much? If so, try to limit your news intake to once a day and unfollow any account that affects you badly. And add some positivity to your social media feed:
www.instagram.com/ameliaflower
www.instagram.com/cannellevanille
www.instagram.com/emotions_therapy
The importance of exercise
- Exercising is as important for our physical health as our mental health. So, while we’re still allowed outside, make the most of it by going for a jog or walk. Just make sure to respect any social distancing rule. If you want to learn more about how exercise impacts our brain, listen to Series 1, Episode 7 of the Deliciously Ella podcast with Dr Brendan Stubbs.
- With all the gyms closed, our standard exercise routines have suddenly moved to our living rooms. Luckily, there’s a whole range of exercise sessions available online. Here’s a roundup of our favourites:
- Instagram live yoga classes with the option to donate via PayPal: www.instagram.com/steffywhiteyoga
- More Instagram workouts from 1Rebel and Barry’s: www.instagram.com/1rebeluk
- Virtual one-on-one personal training with TraindLdn: www.instagram.com/traind_ldn
The importance of nutrition
- When we first kicked off our Live Well programme, nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert gave us a brilliant wellbeing talk. She is a trusted and knowledgeable source we’d recommend if you want to learn more: rhitrition.com. A popular subject, there are also hundreds of podcasts. Here are our top choices:
- Food for Thought with Rhiannon Lambert, Series 5: Mental Health & Food with Fearne Cotton
- The Food Medic by Hazel Wallace, Season 3, Episode 3: Food and Mood with Kimberley Wilson
Isolating physically – not mentally
- With so many tools to choose from, communicating is easy. There’s Facetime, Zoom and Microsoft Teams only to mention a few, making it simple for us to stay connected and feel less isolated. At JH, we’ve even been doing shared tea breaks, or ‘positivitea breaks’. Always lovely to catch up over a cuppa!
- Take this time to get to know yourself better. Can some of your favourite hobbies still be done indoors? If not, this is a great time to find new ones. Either way, enjoy some well-deserved ME-time.
Friendly social distancing
- Stay social online and start a book club! Or any other club for that matter. Then catch up weekly via video chat with some nibbles and a glass of wine. Simple as that.
- Keep quizzing! Your local pub quiz might still be happening online and if not, find a new one. There are countless of links on social media, so find your new team and have fun.
Remember the community
- Stay social online and start a book club! Or any other club for that matter. Then catch up weekly via video chat with some nibbles and a glass of wine. Simple as that.
- Keep quizzing! Your local pub quiz might still be happening online and if not, find a new one. There are countless of links on social media, so find your new team and have fun.
Energy saving tips
- We know this is a tricky one as we’re now spending so much time at home, using our machines for work as well as entertainment. But there are little things you can do. Such as working in the brightest room of the house where there’s no need for artificial light.
- And if your laptop or computer has an energy-saving mode, use it. More tips here: bit.ly/2V8TGsG
Working with your team
- Now that we spend so much time communicating via text, remember that messages might come across differently in writing than in person. Easily tackle this by using emojis.
- Use video calls as much as possible and encourage others to do the same. Actually seeing each other’s body language makes a big difference. Also remember that a quick video call can save so much time compared to emailing back and forth.
We hope these tips and hacks might help you overcome the challenges of your new everyday life. Just remember that this is a hard, confusing and difficult time for everyone. So be kind, say thank you and most importantly of all –listen and share. Stay safe everyone.
