Due to the spread of COVID-19 around the world, more employees are ordered to work from home. This transition has pushed us to adapt to a whole new concept and system. It might look like a simple transition since we have Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts and Email but this could also be challenging for some. However, if we have good time schedule and time management, we could definitely overcome it.
To help you adapt and overcome this challenging time, we will show you how to balance your time for work, worship, maintaining social life, and self-care at home during this COVID-19 situation when you #stayathome.
Before we get started, get your pen and paper ready because you might need to write this down!
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
(Bismillahirrahmanirrahim)
Waking up in the morning is a blessing, so start your morning activity earlier by taking wudu and performing Tahajjud. You could start waking up an hour or half an hour earlier before having Sahoor and perform one, followed by reciting or reading the Quran. However, do not forget to practice manners and Dua after waking up. Having a routine could anchor us and keep us grounded, especially during this challenging time. Friendly reminders to keep your hands clean by washing your hands regularly.
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Having a healthy and nutritious food intake is also the key to boost mind and body productivity. Therefore, choose the most nutritious and healthy ingredients for your breakfast. Take vitamins, eat fruits and drink coffee or tea as an immune booster.
Once you are energized by having a great meal, you could spend a little time to do make sure your house is clean. Cleaning up has a lot of benefits; not only does it help to sanitize your house, it could also improve your mood, reduce stress and anxiety.
Do not forget to have a little bit of time to keep yourself updated with your families and friends online. Furthermore, if you want to stay informed with the news, make sure to have just enough information to start the day and get it from trusted sources. Never forget to limit time spent checking the news and socializing.
When those steps are done, you could then start preparing yourself for work. I say, dress for success. Why not? It could definitely motivate you to have the best work performance today! Preparing yourself for work could also be followed by planning today’s work activity and priority.
Being in a state of Wudu for the entire day is very important for our hygiene, so make sure to do so by having Salah Sunnah as simple as Duha and Tahajjud. It has a lot of benefits for your mental, faith, spirituality, and hygiene. Salah Duha could be a break. You could also follow it by performing breathing exercise or stretching.
Be sure to be present or mindful and focus while working from home so you could finish your work on time. Furthermore, if you need to go out remember to use face mask properly, avoid touching, shaking hands and close contact to anyone outside your house. Wash your hands thoroughly or take shower once you are back.
You could start the afternoon routine by performing Zuhr. Make sure to pray in Jamaat with your beloved family at home if possible. It is suggested to have your lunch at home, whether having a food delivery or even better, cook it by yourself and explore new recipes. If you have a food delivery or take away, remind yourself to use your own cutlery and have a serving spoon. Do not forget to practice Sunnah drinking and eating.
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In the afternoon break, you could also use it as a time to heal yourself. Take a 20 minute power nap to avoid burn out and be refreshed. It could help your body, mind and mental. You could also use this time to reach out to your team or family and friends online.
Other than that, listening to positive thinking Podcasts while working is also a great idea.
Evening routine is started by performing Salah Asr. After that, you could also complete an evening Azkar. Do not forget to end your work with saying Alhamdulillah and be thankful for today.
Once you finished your work, you could be either pumped up or exhausted. On the bright side, you do not have to commute to home after work, right now. So, make use of that time to have a little exercise or entertainment, or plan for the week. Try downloading an exercise app from the Playstore or Appstore, there are a lot of exercise types that are available for your own references. Therefore, no worries! Do not forget to take a fresh shower afterwards, okay?
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This time could also be used to prepare a meal for dinner. Make sure to have a clean, nutritious and healthy meal. Do not forget to include some fruits and vegetables in your meal. When the meal is ready, try to get your whole family to sit down and eat together as a family. Be sure to always drink enough water and stay hydrated by drinking at least 8 glass of water a day.
You can Salah Maghrib after dinner, as long as you are mindful about the time. If it is possible, make an effort to perform Salah with jamaat as often as possible to gain extra pahala, Insha Allah. Afterwards, you can recite the Quran with your family or by yourself.
Have a little self-reflection about how the day went. You could either talk it out to your family, friends, plants, pets or a journal. Sharing with others is also important for your health and well-being during this working from home period.
Unplug yourself from the digital screen and spend more time with your family. Before Isha, you could spend some time to clean the dishes and tidy up. Then, you could perform Salah Isha afterwards with your family. You may share with each other how your day went and reflect. Communicating consistently with your family, friends and colleagues is the key to overcoming this challenging time.
Finish the day by practicing manners and Dua of going to sleep. Relax your mind by focusing on deep breathing. You could use a little time before sleeping by reading a book, or catching up with your friends or family out there using online platforms. Make sure to sleep early to get enough and consistent rest as it would affect your productivity the next day.
Insha Allah, by following this routine, you will have a productive day to easily adapt with working from home situation due to COVID-19. We do hope that this dark time will pass soon and that the world will soon be normal. That is why we should dedicate some of our time to pray for healing, praying that this pandemic will soon be over, and also for the medics to be strong and healthy to battle COVID-19. Do our part to help the medics by being mindful of our hygiene to stop the spread of the virus. Start by using face masks, washing or sanitizing your hands regularly, covering your mouth while sneezing or coughing, avoid touching you face, use serving spoon to share meals, dispose your masks and tissues properly, take a shower and change your clothes after going out. It may sound hard at the start, but we believe that everyone has the power to adapt. After a while, this can easily become a routine if you follow these good practices consistently. If you find yourself having a fever or having respiratory symptoms like cough or shortness of breath, wear a proper mask and call the clinic ahead before visiting them.
May Allah give you strength and health during this trying times. Amin.
