Working from home tips
As a girl that was very used to the lifestyle of a 9-5 working routine, moving my office to my home really took a toll on my creativity. Seeing the same four walls I see in my “non-working” hours that I do while I’m trying to find inspiration for new projects was a difficult adjustment. I am not always the best at following my own advice, but these tips have been able to remain a constant in my work life and I have seen a dramatic increase in creativity and productivity… even though let's be honest, I may be doing it from my couch in my PJs.
Create a vibey work space that you love.
I don’t know about you, but my environment greatly influences how productive I am in my work life. If my space isn’t clean, organized and a good scent (currently loving the Dae Pura), I can’t focus properly and easily become distracted. No matter the space that you have to work with, it is so important to set up a designated area to accommodate productivity and act as a place where you can shift from home to work. For me, my husband and I have turned our guest room into our home office and when it hits 4pm we close the door and don’t go back until morning (at least most of the time). I have also found that unless if I am doing mindless task, working in-front of the TV is a bad idea. No matter how many times you think you can binge a show you don’t really have to pay attention to — I promise that you will know more Real Housewives drama than you even realize — and yes, that is coming from personal experience.
Schedule your day.
This has become a HUGE part of my daily routine since becoming a mom. Creating a daily schedule for myself in order to organize my to-do list and get a clear idea about what needs to be accomplished is so important. Here is a little example of how I set up my daily schedule.
I write down the three most important tasks for the day, and I try to cross them off as soon as possible. Getting these things done first is such a relief and gives you more time for creativity.. or for me, more play time with the little dude.
I write down anything else I need to accomplish. This can be a checking off a few to-dos for a project you are working on or what you need to get at target or the grocery store for the day.
I write down what I am going to do for myself. Am I going to do a Peloton ride today or take a chill night with some wine and our favorite show. Writing this down gives you something to look forward to after your workday is complete.
Do I have any calls or meetings that I need to block out time for?
Schedule your breaks! Breaks are a thing that are easily skipped when we get into a groove.
When I first started working from home, I completely forgot what breaks looked like. Since there was no designated lunch time and no manager telling me to take 15, I found myself totally neglecting taking the breaks. After realizing how unsustainable this was, and after becoming a mom, I started forcing myself to take breaks every few hours. We need to take our eyes off the screen for at least 10 minute.
Set ground rules with the people in your space.
For me, this is something my husband and I discuss frequently because we share an office space and because we have a little one running around. I am one to blast music as I work and that does not work for him since he is on calls all day. On the flip side, him being on calls all day can be a complete distraction and creative drain. We go over times of calls with each other and if we have to take a meeting outside on a walk or downstairs we are more than happy to accommodate each other. Since we have a 9 month old he likes to come visit us, but we have set the ground rule that if the door is closed it means calls are in place. If we didn’t set these work needs with each other at the beginning of us working from home together there would be a lot of unnecessary frustration.
Create a morning routine.
This was one of the more difficult habits for me to implement into my work day. Considering I was pregnant during quarantine and had a baby 9 months ago, my morning routine has taken many new routes. But when I first starting working from home I found myself waking up and getting straight to work because I was anxious about getting everything done — and lets face it — I didn’t have to spend time getting ready because no one was going to see me. If it wasn’t starting early I found myself making breakfast and watching TV or scrolling Instagram for a few hours and before I knew it, it was 10am and I had my fill of looking at a screen. The struggle is real. I do find the more I take my morning routine seriously, the more productive I am throughout the day. Here are some tricks that I found to be the most helpful.
Wake up at a similar time each morning, like you would if you were going into the office. This creates the consistency in your morning that you are used to.
Don’t go on your phone as soon as you wake up. Try to meditate, enjoy your coffee, read a book or whatever sounds relaxing to you. *try is a keyword here.
Do something to get ready. Change out of your PJs even if its just into workout clothes. Like if you had to get on a zoom call you would feel OK.
Spend some time writing your schedule or in a journal. Maybe it’s just me, but pen and paper seems nostalgic and grounding since we are always on our screens.
Move your body. Stretch, workout, or go for a walk outside. Even if its just a 10 minute walk to get coffee, your body and mind will thank you — so will your eyes.
Create a set time that you begin work.
Since becoming a mom my morning routine looks a little different —but I am still able to get them done before my work day starts in some capacity. The getting ready and moving your body steps are the most important for me.
Connect with friends.
I don’t follow this advice as much as I should but I can tell you that it is SO important. After having a baby, my world changed and I really needed a support system. After awhile I found myself slowly self-isolating from my friends because I just had time to spend with my little one and husband, while trying to get work done at the same time. I felt alone and unsure of what I was supposed to do. Was I supposed to tell people how I was feeling, or was this just how motherhood was. Most of my friends are not mothers, so I also didn’t want to burden them with this feeling I was having. I really didn’t know how to even express how I was feeling. Now that I know how important it is to talk about these things, because it is SO normal for mothers to feel this way especially during Covid, I have become more open and honest. If you are feeling this way please know that you are NOT alone! Your true friends will be there to build you up no matter what chapter of your life you are in. You don’t always need to be crushing it for them to be there for you. But, this is your reminder for you to check in on your friends! Ask them how they are doing. Let them know you are there for them no matter what. Be a safe space for them… after all, that’s what friendship is.
I would love to hear if this was helpful for you or if you are a new mama and want to talk about how crazy cool and hard this time is please reach out.