Former submariner and Quilter Cheviot head of charities William Reid knows what it is like to live in confinement and self-isolate, having been submerged in a submarine, on patrol, for up to 102 days in his former role.
Here he shares his top home working tips with Portfolio Adviser.
– Develop a routine. I am sure everyone has found over the last fortnight that weekdays and weekends have merged as one and you are increasingly unsure what day of the week it is. My first top home working tip is start to put together a schedule; when are you going to work, relax, exercise or play games with family or friends.
– Be tidy. If piles of paper start to surround you, tackle them.
– Exercise. We may be confined to the house but if the French can run marathons on their balconies, then we can get creative too. There are lots of apps out there to make it fun.
– Stay in contact. Social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation – when I used to go away on patrol we would have a ‘family gram’ which consisted of a mere 48 words for my loved ones to tell me what they had been up to. Nowadays, there are so many video conferencing and messaging tools to help us keep in touch with one another. Think about those relatives who you should reach out to during this period, you have the time. You can help them record their own ‘desert island discs’; I expect they have some fascinating stories and some awful choices in music.
– Keep up the great British sense of humour. Send the kids into the garage to find tartan paint, a left-handed screwdriver or a long stand.
– Have regular meals. We can all be guilty of grazing but keep the structure of having three meals a day. In the Navy, you can tell the day of the week by the food you are eating. Wednesday is curry night and just like school (back in the 70s) on Fridays we always had fish, steak on a Saturday. This is also a great time to sit down with housemates and eat together – without screens. Personally, I’m really enjoying rediscovering my family. Saturday night is movie night so why not enjoy an ice cream half way through? We did at sea.
– Start a new hobby. There is so much online and so much available at no cost. If you like puzzles, I recommend the Evening Standard app (it doesn’t matter if you do not live in London). It has a fantastic iPad-friendly Sudoku and crossword section – that’s an hour of the day sorted. You can even pretend you are commuting from the comfort of your sofa.
> Click here to see our series about how investors are finding working from home
– Get outside and take in some vitamin D. Sadly, you do not have that luxury when on a submarine so make the most of it.
In stormy weather, with seas raging above, there was no better place to seek refuge than in a submarine deep below the waves. Once the storm passed, up we would surface and enjoy the calm seas and fresh air. Right now, Covid-19, stormy markets and tight finances are the seas raging above but think of your home and family as that submarine, with you all safely hiding down below.
These storms will pass, we will resurface and the good times will return once again. Fair winds and following seas.
William Reid is head of charities at Quilter Cheviot
