Let’s be real, life is crazy right now. If you are working (or trying to!) from home it can be a big adjustment if you’re used to be in an office space, with your co-workers, and ESPECIALLY if you are extroverts. We wrote a whole post about that earlier this week, so take a read if you are struggling with the lack of social interaction!
We know it can be hard to get settled when you’re used to your daily routine, but here are our top tips for making the adjustment:
Set your alarm and get up at the same time you normally would.
YES, even if your commute used to be quite long. Okay, maybe give yourself an extra 15 to sleep in, but it’s good to stick with your routine, and if you have extra time, maybe you can throw in an at-home workout, a meditation session, a time for journalling or even just scrolling on Instagram with your cup of coffee! Do something for you - use that commute time to invest in yourself and get you in the right mood for the day!
Invest in a good coffee/tea/morning beverage situation.
We know many of you are probably used to your daily visit to a fave coffee shop, and that can be a difficult habit to give up! Our best advice would be to invest in a milk frother, espresso machine, or just some great beans to enjoy at home. It will make the change of your daily routine seem a bit less painful, and make you feel like you have a treat to look forward to in the mornings even though you’re stuck at home.
Set up a work station in your home.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have an at-home office space, so if you don’t have a designated spot - carve one out. This could be at your kitchen counter, at your dining table, on your deck (if you live somewhere with weather that works with that scenario). Basically, our recommendation is that you find a spot to work that is no on your sofa or in your bed. It’s fine to work from those places in the future or on a day where you need to practice a bit more grace with yourself, but ideally, you’d have a spot to work that you can leave when you want to practice your “down time” or symbolize for yourself, that you are done your workday.
Set work hours.
Lots of people will be required to be online during their typical work-day hours, but that doesn’t include everyone. If you are one of those people who just “need to get their work done on time, but not during specific hours”, then our best advice would be to set work hours. Set a time - especially at night - when you are turning off your computer for the day. This will help you get more balance in your life.
Get dressed.
Seriously. Take a shower, get dressed, put on some makeup and even in some cases we’d even recommend putting your shoes on. Some people won’t be affected by their daily work-wear, but if you’re struggling to feel productive our best suggestion would be to get ready as you normally would, and we promise, it will help to get you in the mood for the workday.
Get fresh air.
During this time of isolation, you can still get fresh air. It could be as simple as sitting out on your deck or balcony for a while, or opening a window wide and letting the breeze in. Being inside without fresh air for too long can bring about headaches, make you feel a bit shut-in and more. Remember that while you’re isolating, you ARE allowed to go outside. Just stay away from others - but even a quick walk around the block as long as you maintain your six-foot distance is permitted!
If you aren’t able to focus, take a break.
It’s normal to expect that at first, it will be difficult to adjust to a whole new working routine. We’ve found that if we are not in the mood to get something done, sometimes a break is the answer. We’ve found that most of the time it is best to do what is distracting you, or complete the task at the back of your mind and then get back to your other work and actually be productive.
Those are our best tips! Let us know if you think we’re missing one or if you have any to add!
Wishing you all good health, contentment, and light right now!