Lockdown is slowly easing across the UK with more and more businesses starting to open. This means a lot of us are going back to work for the first time in months. After working from home for so long, the prospect of going back to your old routine can seem a little strange.
Carry the essentials
It’s helpful to carry the following when going to and from work:
- Face masks
- Antibacterial gel
- Hand cream
- Antibacterial wipes
- Tissues
Minimising close contact with others and keeping general areas (and yourself) clean are the best ways to minimise your chance of encountering or spreading coronavirus at work. It’s best to avoid touching anything out in public if you can help it. Sometimes you do have to touch surfaces in public, for example, when you need to hold onto a pole on the train or press the button at a crossing. In these cases, it’s good to have some antibacterial gel to hand to sanitise on the go. Antibacterial wipes are also handy for wiping down your desk or toilet facilities before and after you use.
Wear a mask on public transport
Driving, walking or cycling to work is the best option, if you live close enough to work to do so. For those that must use public transport, it’s now required that we all wear masks.
There are many different kinds of masks available, both online and in-store. Many corner shops now sell disposable face masks in multipacks, as well as supermarkets and fashion retailers. You could also use fabric face masks which can be washed and re-used, as an eco-friendly alternative.
How to stop your glasses fogging up
If you wear glasses, then you may have already experienced your glasses fogging up when you wear your mask. The fog happens because as you breathe out, warm air from your breath rises towards your cold glasses, creating condensation.
A mask with a mouldable piece on the bridge of your nose is the best option because this will ensure the mask fits around the nose tightly. This will stop the warm breath from reaching your glasses, therefore stopping the condensation. If you’re wearing a cloth mask, then you could try adding some double-sided tape to the inside of the nose bridge, to help create a better fit.
You could also try washing your glasses in soapy water; you can either leave them to dry naturally or use a cloth to dry them. Washing your glasses with water and soap leaves a film over the lenses, which helps to reduce condensation.
Protect your eyes
It’s important to protect your eyes all year round, even on cloudy days, your eyes can be affected by the harmful effects of UV rays. With a fashionable pair of sunglasses, you’ll be protected from the sun; they can also provide an extra layer of protection outside from coronavirus, which typically enters the body through the nose or the mouth, but can also do so through the eyes.
Plan your lunch
There will inevitably be fewer food options available wherever your work. If you’re someone who usually always buys their lunch, this might be a great opportunity to put all that extra cooking and baking you did during lockdown to good use. Homemade lunches are more affordable than eating out, and sometimes they can taste even better than takeaway alternatives.
If you just can’t let go of your bought lunches and breakfasts, try to support the local independent cafes, deli’s and coffee houses which are really struggling at this time.
Choose an outfit you love
This sounds trivial, but what we wear can have a strong emotional impact on our mood. When we wear clothes that we like and feel good in, they make us feel more prepared for the day and give us a little lift. You don’t have to arrive at the office in a tuxedo or ballgown (unless you really want to) but even just wearing a shirt (especially if you don’t usually) can help you to feel a little more positive.
Start going to bed a little earlier
Or perhaps go to bed a little later, if you’ve changed your regular working hours to a later time. On average, we need about 7 hours of sleep, but this can vary from person to person, some may need more, others may need less. Sleep doesn’t just help you in being productive; it improves your ability to solve problems and allows your cells to repair overnight. It might even stop you from making that third cup of coffee later in the day.
