As a onetime freelancer who worked from home *a lot* I have limited transferable skills. But I do have some knowledge of what most of us are going to be dealing with in the next few weeks/months. Here are 5 short thoughts on how to stay sane during coronatine.
1. Try to keep regular work hours. The temptation will be there to start later in the day or take the afternoon off and catch up in the evening. But then work time and rest time merge into one another and you end up being in constant almost-work mode. This is A Very Bad Idea.
2. If you can, set up a work space somewhere different from where relax in the evening. Working from the sofa is fun! Until you live on the sofa. See also point 1. Find somewhere with decent daylight (it keeps you sane) where you can focus (no TV nearby).
3. Shower and get dressed in the morning. Maintain basic grooming standards. It's fun/exciting to spend the day at home in your PJs and not to shave for the first few days. Then that becomes who you are, and it does weird things to you.
4. Take regular breaks, and try to get outside at least 1-2 times a day (while social distancing of course). Get fresh air and daylight. Do breathing exercises or actual exercises (if I am feeling blocked / trapped at home I sometimes do pushups to break the funk).
5. Take it easy on the coffee and snacks. You're going to be much more sedentary than before and probably a bit bored. Sometimes that leads to mindless eating and coffee making. Lots of empty calories and too much caffeine makes for anxiety and lethargy.
Also: talk to other people, your family and friends, on Whatsapp, FaceTime etc. Download a web blocker like Freedom to limit your messing-around-on-the-internet opportunities. And if you're at home with your partner / housemate / family / dog, remember to be kind.
