Our 2021 Exec’s Top Tips for Working From Home (without losing your mind)

Give yourself tangible goals.

This is really important to keep you focused and on track. I find really quantifying your goal helps you to be productive – for example, you could be like ‘I want to get X number of pages of reading done today’ or ‘I want to write 500 words for this essay’. It makes it so much easier to feel like you’ve really accomplished something.

‍Soo Hahn, Vice-President Creative

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Write a to-do list in the top of your margin every morning (or in your planner of choice – the lovely BLOX Stationary are currently offering 15% their 20/21 academic diaries with code ‘DUCFS15’).

That way you can always see what you need to get done.

Liv Tomlinson, Creative Marketing Director

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Divide your day up into clear ‘sections’ and allocate those sections of time to specific tasks.

Divide up your day and take breaks in between to re-set. It’s really important not to just keep powering through because you ‘have to get it all done today’ – you’ll burn out and actually end up being less productive. The 15-minute break is so worth it.

Caragh Taylor, Head of Marketing/PR

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Try to keep work and chill space separate.

As far as possible, have a dedicated space where you work and a dedicated space where you relax, even if it's just the difference between your desk and your bed.

Georgia Taylor, Head of Fashion

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Stay focused and on track by using large weekly or monthly schedules which you can stick up on your wall.

This helps you to keep sight (literally) of both short-term objectives and longer-term goals without losing track of time.

James Curtis, Treasurer

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Take real time for yourself. Active rest is one of the most productive activities to keep yourself happy and healthy.

Active downtime, and consciously setting aside time for this downtime, is arguably just as important as the other things you do during your day. Do something you enjoy.

Rose Harman, Creative Director

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Stay motivated by constantly reminding yourself why you’re doing something and why we should often be grateful for opportunities.

It’s so easy to focus on the future and not take time to consider what you have actually achieved and how lucky you are to have the opportunities you do. Write down 5 things you’re grateful for if you’re feeling uninspired or unmotivated. Remind yourself what you want long-term and what you’re doing in the present to get there. Take a moment to be thankful for the opportunities you have.

Odi Oladuji, Vice-President Operations

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Talk to your friends during work breaks. Watch something mindless – Desperate Housewives with the girls is my go-to.

Let your brain switch off.

Sian Gibbons, Product Sponsorship Director

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Get up at a reasonable time, shower and get dressed as if you were going to lectures/the library!

What you wear can seriously affect your mood. Get dressed like you mean it – you’ve got this day under control.

Ellie Smyth, Womenswear Director

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Relax: go for a walk, play sport. Take a long bath.

Exercise is seriously key – so is recovery relaxation. Find balance in all aspects and it’ll help you to be more productive.

Eve Howarth, Financial Sponsorship Director

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Write down all your upcoming social events in your planner – even if this can currently only be a dinner out with your house!

Having fun things to look forward to makes it so much easier to focus on your work. Productivity is driven by finding balance.

Niamh McGuinn, Product Sponsorship Director

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