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In this time of uncertainty, where there is global panic around the Covid-19, we need all the help we can get, I hope some of these pointers, which we can adapt when working from home will resonate.

Anxiety upsets our immune system, when one is anxious one doesn’t want to exercise or eat well, our immune system loves calmness and positivity. One can’t fight fire with fire or fight panic with panic!

1. Keep anxiety down by keeping a routine, get out of out of your PJs and make your bed.
2. Open a window, let fresh air in and circulate.
3. Try dry brushing before showering, it is a natural energy boost.
4. Start the day with a stretch routine. The Yoga practice, ‘The Sun Salutation’ is great to mobilize your body, your muscles will retain more of their functionality.
5. Try to exercise for 30 mins every day, movement releases blockages & it massively boosts your immune system.
6. Rise from your chair at least once every hour.
7. Do your best to support your last line of defence – your immune system. Ensure you are well nourished; limit fine sugars, junk food, preservatives & additives, these are hard on your system.
8. Eat foods that that make your body feel good. Boost your immune system by eating vegetables, Vitamin C. Herbs and spices like oregano, sage, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, ginger and turmeric help fight viral infections. Alliums like garlic and onion also stimulate protective immune cells.
9. Limit caffeine as it triggers anxiety
10. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate, our bodies are composed of ~ 60% water.
11. Get out in Nature. Get as much sunlight, Vitamin D as possible. Trees are known to balance the nervous system. Go barefoot!
12. Raise your awareness, take in your surroundings, live in the now.
13. Pay attention to your posture, ensure your head is directly over your shoulders and your back is straight. When your skeleton is aligned, it reduces the amount of strain on your bones. When you hunch up over a computer, you are physically reducing how much space all of your internal organs have. One of the benefits of good posture is that your digestion will improve.
14. Pet an animal, animals absorb negative energies.
15. Continue to connect with people by phone, zoom or skype or even write a letter. We need connections.
16. Respond to events rather than react to them, how we react to a situation is the situation.
17. Give & Support each other, giving has its own rewards.
18. Surround yourself with positive people.
19. Practise self-care e.g. salt baths (cleanses negative energy), reading, singing, playing or listening to music, do what you enjoyed as a kid, the more intense the day the more self-care needed.
20. Meditate regularly, as you meditate you are healing, simply be, watch a sunset, listen to the sound of the ocean or smell the scent of a flower
21. Make the best use of lifestyle strategies to optimize the well-being of your body so you’re not so susceptible to attack.
22. Practice deep breathing. Deep breathing reduces the release of the stress hormone, cortisol.
23. Try The 4-7-8 breathing technique, also known as “relaxing breath,” which involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. This breathing pattern reduces anxiety and helps to get one to sleep.
24. Control your thoughts, your thoughts control your feelings, your feelings control your actions and your actions control your events, in this time of uncertainty the one thing you can always control are your thoughts.
25. Be proactive rather than inactive.
26. Take a break from the news and social media
27. Start daily Journaling, there is a therapeutic benefit to committing thoughts to paper.
28. Repeat Positive Affirmations, Louise Hays one for viruses is ‘I lovingly allow joy to flow freely in my life’.
29. Practice Gratitude, what’s great about your life? Each day is a chance to start all over again.
30. Connect to a higher power.

We are all facing this pandemic, it is time to reflect on our interdependence and our interconnectedness.
We all love the idea of some time for ourselves, we never have enough time. Now time is forced upon us, so use that time to sort out your house, start to learn something new, read those books, do an online course or activate your creative side.
The past is history, the future is a mystery or anxiety and this moment is a gift
This Too Will Pass!

• How did you feel getting back to the workplace after being out for a period of time? Apprehensive at first, but adjusted back quickly.

• Did you suffer imposter syndrome? No, working on a huge project, where there are constantly new starters so never made to feel like that. Everyone made me feel welcome.
• What was your preparation like? Interview prep and revised notes on previous projects I had worked on. Also got a home office organised.
• What was your greatest challenge? Finding a good childminder who I was happy with, once I had that sorted I felt I could properly focus on the role.
• How was it getting back? Great, felt good to restart the brain, get back onto Linked In and feel motivated each day.
• In hindsight What would your advise be? Enjoy your time away from work with your family, Take as much time as you feel suits your particular situation. When returning to work, get your home life / kids etc sorted first, and then everything else will seem easier. Only take on as many hours as you can cope with, don’t overcommit.
• What are your hopes going forward? Continue to work in CSV roles, hope to keep the level of flexibility that my current role offers me (part time, from home). Continue to build my CV.

The last 6 weeks are starting to take their toll on many of us, as we’re trying to navigate a new way of living and working.

This time is unprecedented, it is hard to comprehend that not only are all age groups in our local area affected but they are also affected across our county, our country and the world! Deserted roads, shuttered businesses, closed schools, absence of social interaction. So many things have become the new norm: social distancing, avoidance, hermit living, House Party, excessive hand washing & face masks. It’s hard to take it all in. Life is paused, how long for is the question? Will our world & working life be changed forever?

Work is changing for all of us. It can be hard to balance working, contending with others working in the same space, teaching kids, being at home with family and making time for decluttering, downtime & feeling pressure to make the most of this time…and feeling guilty & anxious when we don’t. We are trying to do the best we can with what we have in this moment. This makes for a new and very different work dynamic.

Though I have had flexible and remote work options since Independent Solutions was formed in 2006, it is now common practise. I have made a few changes, rearranged my desk to face a window, so I get natural light. Hardwired my internet to stabilize video calls and presentations rather than relying on WiFi.

At Independent Solutions we’re doing the best we can to continue business as usual during these extraordinary times. Fortunately, we are adapting well using the technology available to us, not forgetting the phone, which can be a welcome change to the overload of video calls, as well as a chance to get out in the elements.

We are used to having teams in other locations, we’ve always utilized video conferencing to stay connected in real-time. However, with social distancing restrictions in place, we have had to rely on video conferencing in the hiring/recruitment process. In spite of COVID-19, we’ve continued to move ahead with virtual interviews. Although the 1:1 connection cannot be replicated, virtual interviews are a close second when assessing a job candidate.

During COVID-19, companies need project management expertise more than ever. Independent Solutions brings you experienced resources with skills & knowledge who can handle remote work with ease. Whether it’s pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices or med tech, we can assist with your resource or skill constraints our project management, validation, risk assessment, auditing experts will get your projects done.