5 ways to create me time moments in your #wfh week

Brought to you by Momenti Pizza from Dr. Oetker

We simultaneously want company and alone time.

When lockdown first started, the one positive thing about it was that we expected to get LOADS of time for ourselves. We were set on plenty of self-pampering, meditation, and all those positive things we think about when taking time off for ourselves. That hasn't been the case though because, well, we haven't really been taking time off. A lot of us are still working every day and having your work life and home life all in the same place every day can take its toll. Lockdown restrictions are easing, which is great, but we're not back in work yet. We've decided that it's time to take charge of our mental wellbeing and ensure our #wfh time is not taking away from our me-time. So here are five very simple steps to follow to make sure you get that all-important you-time.

1. Go for a walk

If jogging or running is your thing, that's perfect too. It doesn't matter what time of the day you do this as long as you do. Get yourself out for some fresh air, time to think, and time to observe the world around you by yourself - it will do wonders for your mindset. It'll also give you time to look at something other than a screen and to give your eyes a bit of a stretch. You may be surprised at how much stress is coming from eye strain alone. Try looking away from your screen and out the window at something far away, you'll see what we mean.

2. Work from bed if you feel like it

This is really the main benefit of working from home, isn't it? And while we generally prefer to get up, get dressed, and get in the productive zone before starting work, it's also nice to treat yourself to a more relaxing and comfortable start now and again. If you've got a laptop and you haven't got a morning Zoom meeting, grab yourself a tea and stay in those pyjamas for another hour or two. You might actually find it makes you more productive.

3. Let yourself sit down to a proper lunch

When we say a proper lunch here, we don't mean something that you've spent ages working on, we mean a nice lunch that you take the time to eat by yourself, away from your computer. Your lunch break is so important for resetting your mind and giving yourself a break from those work stresses. Honestly, we prefer throwing on something super easy so that the preparation doesn't take time away from your break. Dr. Oetker has just launched their new Momenti pizza range and we're a little obsessed with it. The pizzas are frozen single-serve pizzas, coming in Tomato, Mozzarella & Pesto and Salami Calabrese flavour, and they're both under 450 calories. So they're perfect for lunch and for enjoying while you take that time to yourself.

4. Play some relaxing music while you work

Not everyone can work with music in the background so we understand if this isn't your thing, but we recommend trying out a few relaxing classical compositions or maybe some movie soundtracks (depending on the movie, of course. Psycho probably isn't the best choice for this). Anything with lyrics and singing is probably going to distract you but we love throwing on a bit of John Williams or maybe some Debussy in the background. The type of music is up to you but it's so lovely taking a minute every now and then to stop working, close your eyes, and just let yourself enjoy the music.

5. Finish the day off with a nice bath

Yes, a bath. We know, it's a bit of a self-care cliché but that's only because they're SO relaxing. You honestly won't realise how much you needed baths in your life until you take a proper one. Get that candle lit, make sure you've got lots of bubbles, play some relaxing music if you want, and let yourself soak in luxury. Divine. Brought to you by Momenti Pizza from Dr. Oetker Dr. Oetker's new Momenti Pizza is a small, great-tasting frozen pizza. The two flavours - Tomato, Mozzarella & Pesto and Salami Calabrase - contain up to 450 calories. They are just the right size for a quick lunch or tasty dinner for one. Available in Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Supervalu and BWG. For information, visit the Dr. Oetker website.