Wearing: Ann Taylor Blouse
Ann Taylor Pants
Ann Taylor Shoes & Earrings
For those of us who have transitioned into working remotely, it might have come as a bit of a shock. You’re most likely already a couple of weeks into it, and hopefully finding your grove! )I also want to preface this post by saying, my heart goes out to those who either still have to leave their homes for work, or are struggling to have a job right now. Sending you all love!)
I’ve been working from home, either part-time or full-time, for the last three years. At first it was exciting – I checked into my “office” every day with my cup of coffee, and thought it was awesome that I no longer had a morning commute. While that’s still a perk, the novelty of it all wore off, and it became a challenge to find ways to remain motivated and productive.
I’m definitely not saying I’m a pro – I’m a content creator after all. My job isn’t exactly the world’s hardest. However, I feel like I’ve picked up a few tips over the years to making balancing life and distractions with working from home.
Your Mental State
Nothing is more important during this time than your physical and mental health. Hopefully you are already taking the precautions for physical health, but there are a few things that help keep me sane working from home.
– Get dressed every day! Even if you just change into a new pair of sweatpants, at the very least wash your face and get out of your pajamas. Some days I make more of an effort than others, but sticking to some kind of morning beauty/style routine helps massively with productivity.
– Don’t over consume. By that, I mean don’t spend more time reading the news, on social media, or online shopping than you usually would during work hours. This was a hard adjustment for me! Limit yourself to only checking your phone during breaks in tasks. Right now, I’m tempted to check my news app every five minutes, but it’s a distraction and definitely not the best thing for my mental state.
– Get outside! The days I spend working ALL day without getting any fresh air are usually the longest and feel the worst. Make time to step into your yard, go for a walk, or just open a window and look out it! You won’t realize how long you’ve been starring at your computer screen until you look away from it and remember there is a whole world outside.
Create the Right Environment
The other aspect that has a huge influence on my productivity level is the environment I create. Ryan has started working from home consistently, and at first mentioned how he didn’t like that he felt like he wasn’t leaving his work at work anymore once the day was done. This brings me to my first suggestion.
– Create an office space. If your home allows for it, create one room, or one table designated just for work. Only sit there when you are working, and don’t use it for other purposes. The simple act of pushing in your chair at the end of the day and shutting down your computer helps your mind turn off and “close up shop” for the day. It helps so much keep work and life separate! Balance is key right now.
– Set the tone for the day. Treat yourself and do something you can’t usually do at work and put on some music! Pick what helps you work best – for me I like a little Frank Sinatra or something calming. My husband loves either podcasts or post rock. You do you! It helps so much to keep my mind happy and my energy levels high. Also, dance breaks are 100% encouraged.
– Look forward to “going to work.” I don’t mean look forward to your work (though it’s great if you do!), I mean look forward to heading to your office space each morning. For example, I love to come into my office, open the windows, light a candle, and put on a pot of coffee. We have a simple coffee pot we use just in the office. I love that it makes it feel like a real work environment. We have “coffee breaks” where we meet at the coffee pot (aka the dresser behind my desk) and chat. I love it!
– Ignore the rest of your house. This is way easier said than done, especially if you have kids. I can only speak to my personal experience, and though my cats sometimes feel as needy as children, I’m lucky to not have many distractions. What I mean mostly is: don’t do the laundry you have piled up during your work day. Don’t take necessary trips to the kitchen for snacks unless it is lunch time. Try to stay in the office as much as you would if you were actually at work. This also helps me separate work life and normal life. If you do have things you want to get done ahead of time, go ahead and designate a particular time you want to do them that morning, and only spend that amount of time out of the office.
Planning Is Key
Last but not least, my final tip is to plan out your day in time blocks. I have to do this regularly because I work for myself and wouldn’t get anything done if I didn’t. If you are finding that you get distracted easily and have a hard time focusing, I recommend trying this. Every morning, I’ll time block tasks for each hour. If I finish tasks early, I’ll use that time to either get back to emails or get some fresh air. It also helps me keep on top of what I have going on that day and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. This article is helpful in explaining time blocking if you’ve never done it before. I’m also linking to a couple of my favorite planners for scheduling if you’re a pen and paper kind of person (I use and love this one by CGD London).
That’s all I’ve got! These aren’t groundbreaking tips, but they are the key things that I have found work for me. Everyone’s work situation is different, but hopefully one of these can apply to you! Most importantly, stay mentally and physically healthy. Productivity only becomes more of a challenge if you aren’t feeling your best. Let me know in the comments below if you have any work from home tips that are key for you!
