Struggling with WFH? Try these 5 tips to help

Working from home doesn't have to be a drag when there are so many small ways to improve each day, like a steaming takeaway hot chocolate (Picture: Costa Coffee) — Working from home doesn’t have to be a drag when there are so many small ways to improve each day, like a steaming takeaway hot chocolate (Picture: Costa Coffee)

Not many of us expected to still be working from home 11 months after the OG lockdown was announced in the UK last March.

We never thought we’d miss the familiar strangers on the AM commute or a smile from the barista who knows you wouldn’t skip your morning Flat White – no matter how late you are to the office!

But it hasn’t all been bad. We’ve settled into convenient new routines, like working in our pajamas or streaming TV shows in the background, and there are plenty more tiny work perks that make it all seem a bit easier.

Costa Coffee’s doors are still open for a hug-in-a-takeaway-cup any time you’re having one of those days. One of their rich and creamy classic Hot Chocolates certainly wouldn’t go amiss for a morning meeting, nor would a Salted Caramel Brownie for an afternoon walk with a podcast.

So, the next time you feel that working from home slump, try these ideas for making the day go faster.

At Costa Coffee, an unbeatable selection of pick-me-ups include the Classic Hot Chocolate and a rich and creamy White Hot Chocolate that's truly irresistible with a dollop of whipped cream on top (Picture: Costa Coffee) — At Costa Coffee, an unbeatable selection of pick-me-ups include the Classic Hot Chocolate and a rich and creamy White Hot Chocolate that’s truly irresistible with a dollop of whipped cream on top (Picture: Costa Coffee)

1. Shake up your space

So, you spent 2020 working from the kitchen table. Well, 2021 could be the time to give your work space a rethink – if only to spare the chronic back ache! Since experts believe we’ll be working at home until at least the spring, maybe it’s time to switch rooms, welcome some calming house plants or invest in a better desk chair.

For best WFH practice, ergonomics specialists recommend an optimum temperature of 21-24°C, adding plants, flowers and artwork for a connection to nature that improves productivity, as well as switching on some ambient music or white noise to help your concentrate (1).

2. Grab a tasty hot chocolate with *all* the trimmings

Adding a treat to your next comfort break is a sure-fire way to break the monotony. At Costa, aside from serving millions of cups of great quality coffee every day, their rich and luxurious hot chocolate selection is the ideal antidote to a dull day at the home office.

If you’re a fan of their original Hot Chocolate (you know, the one with the chocolate dusting and mouthwateringly creamy taste) then you’re going to love Costa’s indulgent White Hot Chocolate, a tempting twist on a classic. Though something you won’t find anywhere else is Costa’s Limited Edition Ruby Cocoa Hot Chocolate & Cream, a hot pink drink made with Ruby cocoa beans and topped with whipped cream and red shimmer curls, while stocks last.

Whichever hot choccy choice tickles your fancy, stopping into Costa Coffee could be the best decision you make all week.

Or if you're looking for something truly treat-worthy, Costa's Ruby Cocoa Hot Chocolate & Cream, finished with red shimmer curls, is the kind of pick-me-up you won't want to put down (Picture: Costa Coffee) — Or if you’re looking for something truly treat-worthy, Costa’s Limited Edition Ruby Cocoa Hot Chocolate & Cream, finished with red shimmer curls, is the kind of pick-me-up you won’t want to put down (Picture: Costa Coffee)

3. Boost your lunches

Not only is lunchtime a rare highlight of the working from home day, but it gives us the opportunity to take a screen break and refuel for the afternoon.

Yet 41% of homeworkers recently said they were working through their lunch breaks at home (2), while a third of us admitted to skipping it altogether (3) so as tempting as it might be to meal prep for the whole week and take it back to your desk, studies show that productivity could be greatly improved (4) by taking a proper break.

Even getting outdoors for just a couple of days a week could help. Your favourite Wiltshire Ham & Cheese Toastie from Costa or an irresistible British Pork & Bramley Apple Sausage Roll could be exactly the kind of boost you need for a supercharged afternoon.

4. Share your downtime

Around a quarter of remote workers are currently struggling most with loneliness and missing colleagues (5). Of course, we’re used to the water cooler chat and sharing our lunchbreaks with our desk buddies but nowadays, it’s easy to go a whole WFH day without any meaningful chats.

That’s why adding the social side back into our everyday WFH home routines has never been more important. To find more face-to-face in your usual day, why not schedule a digital lunch date with a friend to boost you for the afternoon and even though it might seem small, co-ordinating your breaks with your household could hugely improve the positive social interactions you find in your day.

5. Maximise your routine

It was recently revealed that home workers are most productive Tuesday-Thursday, between 10:30am and 3:00pm (6), which can only mean one thing: Mondays and Fridays deserve a little boost!

If you find the struggle hardest on the weekday bookends, make time in your schedule for more walks and more treats – or, both at the same time – because imagine how naturally boosted you’ll feel after a hot takeaway from the nation’s favourite coffee shop (7) first thing on a gloomy Monday.

There’s a reason why Costa Coffee has been voted the best branded coffee shop in the UK & Ireland for 10 years straight and even if you can’t sit-in right now, they’re still here to put a smile on your face during the working week, whether it’s a delicious Caramel Muffin made with Munchies or a Heinz Beanz & Cheese Toastie that’ll turn an average end to the week into a very happy Friday.

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