Furlough – a word I’d never heard of until two months ago.

“If workers are given furlough, they are told to stay away from work for a certain period because there is not enough for them to do.” (Collins Dictionary).

For the last 2 years, being the Marketing Coordinator at VoicePower has been all I’ve known.

However, as a result of the terrible outbreak of Coronavirus, being on furlough leave is a reality for many of us – including myself.

Thankfully, I am off furlough now, and although it’s likely I’ll be placed on furlough leave again, it’s promising to be back.

However, this isn’t the case for everyone, so I have decided to share a few tips that helped me through the furlough period.

Sleeping Pattern

This was the hardest thing for me.

Initially, I was excited to have a lay-in, but of course, this novelty wore off pretty quickly. Suddenly I found myself unable to sleep before midnight and waking up at 10 am.

This left me feeling sluggish and unproductive and so my first tip would be to stick to your usual sleeping pattern.

Ultimately, this will keep you energized and give you more time in the day to spend productively. Not to mention, your transition back to work, whenever it may be, will be a lot easier.

Exercise is Key

No, I’m not expecting to you to turn into a full-blown athlete, aiming too high can lead to disappointment and feeling overwhelmed.

Simply do what your body enjoys and what makes you feel happy. This could be a walk every day or once a week – it’s all about what works for you.

Personally, I have found a new hobby in yoga. Until now, it hadn’t appealed to me – I’ve always found it hard to switch off.

However, given the current circumstances, it’s been a great way to relax and unwind from what is a stressful time.

Learn Something New

I get it, suddenly you’ve got all of this free time and you don’t know what to do with yourself.

Think of something that’s on your bucket list, something you’ve always wanted to do and work towards it.

For me, I’ve always wanted to learn a second language and so I’ve been learning Spanish with my good friend Duolingo.

Your new skill will help you feel productive and keep your mind stimulated.

Self-Care

Think back to three or four months ago, back to normal life.

I wouldn’t mind betting that we were all moaning about working too much, never having time to ourselves or the lack of sleep.

Well, now we do have time, time to look after ourselves and relax a little.

Pamper yourself with long baths and face masks, read that book, catch a tan or if you’re like me, grow your eyebrows out so that you can finally shape them to how you’d like them when this is over!

It is so unlikely that we’ll have this period of time to ourselves, off work again without eating into our precious annual leave – so do you!

Talk To People

My final tip may seem a little obvious, but it is probably the most important of them all!

If you’re not talking to your friends, family or colleagues, it’s very easy to feel isolated, lonely and a little down.

So my main tip would be to check in with one of your loved ones every day. It’ll make them happy and you too!

These things helped me to survive my furlough leave, hopefully, they’re beneficial to you too.

As always, if anyone has any questions or would simply like someone to talk to, I am happy to oblige!