New day, same routine. Why not enrich your time at home with the ultimate self care tool: starting your day with something positive. While many of us have become hard-wired to look at our phones first thing in the morning - proven to hijack our attention - we recommend instead starting with a positive affirmation or 5 minute meditation to mentally prepare for the day ahead. Well + Good has some useful tips for that.

It’s all too easy to be tempted to wfb (work from bed) while at home, but studies show this can have a significant impact on your mind when trying to switch off in the evening. As you naturally associate bed with rest and sleep, working from your bed can not only reduce productivity, but it can mean you don’t sleep as well as you haven’t made a clear distinction between your space for work and space for rest. Try your kitchen table, couch or a desk if you’re lucky enough to have one, and once you down tools, move to the space you’ve set aside for relaxing in.

Unlike when we’re working in an office, it’s easy to forget to take a break when working from home. A lack of being asked if you’d like a tea break or time going by quicker than usual can mean it’s so easy to miss the mark on an hourly break. We find a break helps us to focus better and we enjoy filling the 5 minutes with different things every hour - we recommend meditating, a walk around your house or even some burpees. Take your pick and make it something to look forward to each hour - a self care pro tip.

It’s far too easy to feel isolated at home, even if you live with a partner, family or friends. Video calls can be a part of any self care routine as they ensure you feel socialised and have talked to the ‘outside world’, even if who you are talking to is at home, too.

Video calls don’t just have to be about work - Google Hangouts is an amazing free tool to connect whole groups together, so why not get creative with your catch ups and schedule them in with family and friends? From ‘after work’ drinks to quizzes and group films, there’s plenty of opportunity to schedule a fun hangout.

Self care at home doesn’t have to just be about sticking to healthy habits. Taking up a new hobby can be just as enriching and satisfying for the mind. If you’re not the creative type, there’s still a lot of things you could turn your hand to including scrap-booking to gardening and reading. Here’s why picking up a hobby could be your favourite self care tool.

We’ve all got at least one thing we’ve been putting off doing - whether it’s organising our things, decorating a room or tackling an out of control pile of magazines, and it’s all too easy to put things like this off when work, family and other priorities take over. But getting round to tackling these ‘overhanging’ things can actually boost happiness and be totally therapeutic. If that’s not self care, we don’t know what is.

Whether you’re lucky enough to have a garden or not, staying connected to the outside world is extremely important. Simple hacks like cracking open a window or door to let the fresh spring air come in can help us feel more connected to nature and breathe new life into our home routines. Another simple option is to make sure you have a few plants in your home - let them get to work purifying the air you’re breathing in. More on this here.

If you’re spending a significant amount of time at home, keeping it clean and fresh will help you feel calm and organised. There’s nothing worse than waking up to a messy environment, especially if you hope to be productive in it. See it as self care for your home; it needs a helping hand, too.

We need sleep in order to help us function effectively. Prioritising sleep is our favourite self care tip as we feel happier, more rested and more productive when we get a solid night’s shuteye. Not sure how? We love this post from Very Well Health which is packed full of tips for getting great quality zzz’s.