Derval O'Rourke: My top five tips for being more productive while working from home

Try this tasty chicken and butternut salad when you're dining 'al desko'

Derval O'Rourke

Even with everything getting back to normal, there are a lot of things that have changed for good. Now, more than ever, people are working from home full-time or opting for the hybrid approach: one or two days back in the office and the rest from home. A recent survey by the CSO revealed that 80% of 35-44-year-olds who could work remotely would like to do so. And of that group, 60% of those would like it to be a mix between home and office.

This week I’ll chat about my approach to working from home; and recipe-wise it’s a delicious chicken and butternut squash recipe.

One thing I noticed when I worked from home a lot was how much less I moved in the day. Hours could go by before I would get up. The ‘commute’ between my room and the kitchen was about 12 steps! My overall step count was massively down and by the time the afternoon rolled around I felt really sluggish. I’ve started to adapt to a more productive working from home approach.

My top 5 tips for making working from home work for you:

1. Dress to Impress: Get dressed every day and use this as a distinction between home life and work life. I find this really helpful and it also encourages me to pop out for a coffee or walk during the day. Yes, the slippers are allowed but making the effort will help you feel good and energised for the day. I think we are all well past the zoom meetings with pyjama bottoms on.

2. Work/Home space: Set out a space in your home that is for work. When you’re there, you are in the zone. Try not to have work spill into your home life. Keep them separate. Ideally consider your work station — an ergonomically correct station will help reduce fatigue and discomfort. There are lots of resources available to show you how to set up an efficient home workspace on youtube.

3. Coffee à la Zoom: Just as you did in the office, make time during the week for coffee with a colleague. This will help you to stay connected and stay informed. Some of the best work I’ve done is from informal coffee chats with people I work with.

4. Take your breaks: Even if you have to schedule it in your diary, make sure you are taking your breaks like you did in the office. You will feel much more prepared for that three-hour meeting after lunch if you have eaten and had a break from the screen. I tend to split my breaks between eating and moving. Basically, I will get out in the fresh air for a walk normally right before I eat my lunch.

5. Shut it down: When your day is over, close the laptop and move away from work. I made a decision last year to reduce the amount of time I work in the evenings (I’m my own boss so this isn’t always easy!) I only work in the evenings if it is absolutely essential.

I honestly believe that working from home is a great addition to our lives. I personally find a balance between the office and my home a good way to approach work. The time I save in travelling to the office is time I’ve started to use in other ways. The work from home days are days that I cook a bigger dinner batch and that I tend to get a training session done.

On the flip side, when I’m in the office I really like that engagement with others and that break from home life which can be monotonous.

All in all, it seems that a flexible working policy is one that we will see a lot of and making the most of this is crucial for us to feel well — in work and at home.

Wellness Tip: Schedule your breaks this week in your diary and make a conscious effort to move and step away from work. Take that time to recharge and rehydrate.

Exercise: Position yourself on all fours on the floor. Lift your right leg up and out, pulse this up and down in small movements for a count of 10. Bring your right leg back down and repeat for the left leg. Repeat the whole exercise four times to really feel the burn!

Chicken, chickpea and butternut squash salad

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This aromatic salad is ideal for dining ‘al desko’. It is delicious and is packed with goodness. Its high protein and fibre content will keep you feeling energized all day. A great time-saving tip is to use packets of quinoa cooked in advance

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 60g quinoa

• 60g butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

• 100g chicken breast fillet, sliced

• 40g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced

• handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

• 1 lime, juiced and ½ zest

• 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered, to garnish

• salt

• pepper

• For the seasoning:

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼tsp ground cumin

• ¼ tsp ground coriander

• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ½ garlic clove, crushed

• juice of ½ lime

Method

1. Mix the ingredients for the Moroccan seasoning in a small bowl.

2. Place the quinoa and 160ml water in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.

3. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

4. Set aside to cool. Place the butternut squash in a bowl with a teaspoon of Moroccan seasoning and toss.

5. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

6. Add the butternut squash and cook for 3-4 minutes or until all sides are lightly browned, turning occasionally.

7. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

8. To serve, place the pumpkin, chicken, quinoa, chickpeas, pepper, coriander, lemon juice and zest in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.