This remote work from home thing is like chewing on a pound-large bar of Snickers. Diabetic euphoria in the beginning but your jaw muscles are fatigued from all the chewing and the sweetness gets a little sickening towards the end.

If all goes well, we should be able to regain some sense of normalcy with our work in a few weeks. Who knew we would miss the ASMR noisy keyboards, the cold battle among colleagues for the air conditioner remote control, and face to face meetings?

You’re not the only one who misses the office – more companies and teams are reporting their team members burning out as a result of blurred lines between work and play and the repeated “can you hear me’s?” at the beginning of every video conferencing call.

However, it looks like working from home will be the new norm, as we prepare for phase 1 of post Circuit Breaker; some handy tips on how you can avoid burning out by balancing day to day routines at home would be great, wont it?

Before the spread of Covid-19 and the circuit breaker, we’ve never really noticed the different areas we had for different activities. We worked at our desks in the office or dined at our favourite restaurants, cafes. 

As a result, many of us are ironically burning out from work at home. There is a possibility of more lockdowns or circuit breakers as the virus is expected to rise and come in waves, here are a few areas to set up at home and how to best utilize them. Your apartment is more than just four walls.

The Exercise Station

Like a polishing stone to a dull knife, exercise does more than just keeping that tummy in. Especially aboard spaceship ‘you’, your mind has to be kept focused and sharp so to emerge from this pandemic better than your previous self.

Only a small space is required for regular exercise. As there’s no need to sculpt your body into Chris Hemsworths’ – just a small space to do push ups, sit ups or even jumping jacks – anything to break a little sweat.

This space could be your balcony, or if you don’t have one, in a spacious area such as the living room floor. Set up a routine (I usually like to do it right before my morning shower) and stick to it!

With a routine and a dedicated space for exercise, you’ll find yourself much more motivated to do your body weight exercises easily and frequently.

The No-Sleep Pod

The next thing I look forward to daily, after breakfast.

In my days as a college student, my room was a cave – my cave. I ate, slept, exercised and did my homework in a 2m x 2m bedroom. 

However, I found myself unable to fall asleep and had to poke at my phone until 2am. Back then, I didn’t know that it was because my mind wasn’t able to switch between ‘on’ and ‘off’. Now that I’ve learnt this secret, I keep my bedroom pure and free from other activities – only for sleeping and naps.

As a result, my room is much cleaner (spend less time in the bedroom) and smells only of fabric (from no eating/drinking).

I’ve found myself falling asleep within just minutes! Pro tip, if you sleep in an air conditioned room, keep the temperature down to 15 to 19 degrees celsius to get the best benefits from sleep. It’s backed by science!

The Chilling Corner

Ah, the couch.

The timeless and multipurpose feature in households since the 19th century.

You snack on it, you play games on it, browse your phone on it. The possibilities are endless! Yet if wielded improperly, the Couch will morph into a black hole that will suck you into an abyss of unproductiveness.

If we do not respect the sanctity of the Couch, such as taking work calls on it, or using it as an exercise bench, you’ll find yourself unable to unwind and relax when it’s really time to do so.

You won’t feel it initially, but will eventually find yourself restless and tense whenever you are lounging in the living room. You don’t want that!

The Place to Create

Probably the newest addition to spaceship ‘You’, the home office or your creation station requires some getting used to. Once only exclusive to your desk at the office, now a benign tumour in your home.

At the beginning, I’m pretty sure you weren’t productive at home. You’re at work yet… at home. You’re not alone though.

To keep this tumour from spreading across your home, you need to confine it to a desk, an area or a room. With a fixed location, this gives you the chance to ‘escape’ the confines of that specific area whenever you need a break. By assigning a work station, this keeps you productive whenever you’re in ‘work mode’.

That’s it folks. Just 4 different areas for 4 different activities. It may be difficult in the beginning especially if you’re living with a partner or housemates where space is limited. But the principles should apply. Technically, one could separate a 2m by 2m room into 4 parts too.

If space is an issue, why not get more?

Serviced apartments and residences are the perfect work/home alternative. Usually furnished amenities like wi-fi, air-conditioners, fully equipped kitchens, these residences are homes away from home. 

Especially if you are returning to Singapore and in need for a home to set up your Temples as you serve out your stay-home notice, a fully furnished serviced apartment would actually be a good option!

There is enough space for work, play, rest and exercise! All the space you need to go through this circuit breaker season.