Setting and maintaining habits is always something I felt I had been good at. I like knowing what I am going to be doing each day and try to be as organised as I can.
As someone who had just started my final year of university at the beginning of COVID-19, the days of forced solitude in my house did not go down well with me. I initially found it very difficult to stay motivated and keep on top of all my work, as I had no idea what each day would bring and wasn’t able to leave the house for anything besides essential activities.
Not only this, but I was also feeling anxious about my future career prospects, as there were so many redundancies happening around me and students were completely in the dark about how long restrictions would go on for.
In all honesty, the first semester of university this year was quite a struggle for me, as I had no routine or structure, which left me so out of whack and without any habits in place to keep me maintaining my studies and other aspects of my life. To help curb some of that anxiety and give me a bit more structure, I sought out an internship with Agent99 which helped me add more routine back into my life.
As my internship has been 50% WFH and 50% in the office, I decided it was finally time to sit down and work out some everyday habits that I could keep consistent, regardless of whether my working situation continued to change.
So, these are my top tips to maintain habits during this ever-changing year.
1. Cut The Distractions
This pandemic has our world in a constantly frenzied and erratic state, so if you think working from home is hard, try being stuck in a noisy share house with five other Uni students!
When I found that working downstairs was too noisy, I decided to go to my room and close the door.
This was not a great idea, as I soon got cabin fever and my work levels decreased as I wasn’t motivated. I then found a place that had some sun and the breeze flowing so I didn’t feel as trapped. Very soon I found that cutting out the distractions and finding a nice place to set myself up, ensured I could work for longer periods of time and feel happier and calmer.
2. Be Intentional With Your Breaks
When having a break, I found that I would need to leave my computer completely and talk to people in my household or call a friend over the phone. As a social person, I found that I needed to communicate and connect with people as much as possible.
It’s very important to find moments of connection. If you don’t have roommates, you can go grab a coffee, check in on your neighbours etc. Find ways to intentionally surround yourself with things that will energise you.
Also being at the office one day a week, I needed to adapt to ensure my routine at home was similar to the office. I always pre-made myself lunch to take into the office which helped me feel organised and prepared, and kept my routine as consistent as possible between locations.
3. Don’t Let Changes Scare You
It is very easy for habits to be thrown out the window when something unexpected comes across your path. Early on, I ended up not being able to go into the office due to being in close contact with a Covid-19 case, which understandably added extra stress on me, as I was not able to keep my routine.
I needed to ensure that when I worked from home unexpectedly, I kept as much of a routine as I would in the office. If you develop good habits early on, they will benefit you when things come from out of the blue.
4. Put Your Phone Away From You During Work
Phones can be the biggest source of habit destruction! While you normally wouldn’t use your phone in the office, once you’re at home, it can become a huge distraction and decrease the levels of effort you put into your work. By putting your phone to the side as you work, you can actually get tasks done one time and stay focused.
Your phone is an endless distraction, with hours of YouTube, TikTok and Instagram feeds to pore through! So, treat whatever location you’re working at like the office and keep that phone out of sight, out of mind.
5. Keep Exercise Consistent
Exercise has been my absolute lifesaver this year; I don’t know what I would have done without it. With work requirements continually changing, it is important not to let your health slide or to let bad habits creep in. While it is slightly easier to exercise while you’re working from home, I found it quite difficult to get into a good routine factoring in office hours. So, if that is my stumbling block, I make sure I double down on exercise when I’m at home and try and work other things such as lunchtime walks into my daily routine at the office.
As I have been working from home more often than not, I have found that these specific habits I’ve developed have helped reinvigorate my working attitude and have kept my health and wellbeing top of mind.
Because of these habits, I have felt I’ve been able to put more effort into my work, enjoy its benefits and keep growing as an individual.
While it is a challenge some days, building habits is the best thing you can do to stabilise yourself and keep productivity high, even in ever-changing work environments.
By Intern Agent Gabi
Agent99 is an award-winning PR and communications agency based in Sydney. For more information about our services, contact us at info@agent99pr.com.
Further reading:
Things I Learnt While Doing an Internship Online
From India to Australia: My Experience as an International PR Intern
