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Working From Home with Fiona Burrage
Fiona Burrage is the Creative Director of design-led lifestyle brand Nor–Folk and recently launched body care and fragrance brand, Sop. Sop or Scents of Place is a botanicals bodycare brand, inspired by Norfolk’s landscape and language. Sop’s products are vegan, cruelty free and are made in Norfolk.
Fiona BurrageWorking from home presents lots of challenges. No two homes and situations are the same. For some, income has been affected, some will have children, whilst others are solitary and then everything in-between. For me, context helps. Being at home, missing family/friends and a lack of interaction is nobody's dream scenario. But I remind myself it’s not permanent, it’s for the best and, in relation to those suffering in conflict, we should be grateful for those who are making sacrifices to keep us well. That’s not to say that I’m happy all day and not occasionally frustrated, but I’ve tried to implement strategies to enable me (as someone who is self-employed) to be the most productive I can be.
5 STRATEGIES I INTEGRATE INTO MY WORKING WEEK AT HOME:
1. Meditation
A recent addition to my day, I now wake before my son and husband and start my day by listening to a guided meditation – I use the Headspace app. I’ve found it puts me in the right frame of mind for the start off the day; calm and composed.
2. Shower
A shower really awakens my senses, makes me feel alive. Occasionally I have a cold shower. I use our Sop body wash, Dene. I find the combination of bergamot and a kick of black pepper invigorating and motivational.
3. Comfort
I’ve always worn athleisure so this has no relationship to being on lockdown but being at home reinforces just how important comfort is. I’ve not worn a pair of trousers or jeans in over a month now, nor am I missing them. As they quite rightly say, comfort is king.
4. Organise
When it comes to sitting down to work at my desk/dining room table, I make sure I remove everything that doesn’t need to be there. I guess it’s a bit Marie Kondo, I’m not surrounding myself with anything that doesn’t bring joy or is useful. I'm definitely not tidy but de-cluttering my desk has helped me to focus.
5. Music
It is so important to me. Music can lift me instantly and remind me of happier times with friends. My controller is always next to my laptop. I’ve recently started a clarity playlist when I need to concentrate. I’ve recently started a clarity playlist, which you can listen to here that helps when I need to concentrate.
These are just some of the strategies I use and I have to say my friends are my lifeline. Take care and stay safe.
