Are you working from home? I am & I can’t seem to stop stuffing my face with Girl Scout cookies…. Working from home every day can be hard to get used to.. especially if you’ve never done it before. I’ve been working from home one day a week for a while now, but doing it every day is a whole different ballgame. These last few weeks have been an adjustment for sure, but I’ve finally settled into my routine / feel confident working from home daily. Honestly, I just keep reminding myself of how lucky I am to be able to work from home. There are so many who have been laid off during this time and I am praying for all of those effected by this crisis. We need to stick together because we are all in this together!
I’m sharing what has worked for ME while working from home below:
1. Get up and get ready! Set a morning routine. Brush your teeth (plz lol), brush your hair, and shower if you need to! The past few days I’ve gotten up and put my makeup on! I felt more ready to conquer the day than when I just roll out of bed.. I don’t put my makeup on every single day when working from home, but I do most days and it makes me feel more put together (especially during all of my virtual meetings!).
2. Have a dedicated work space. This one is super important. I would highly suggest not rolling over and working from your bed. My dedicated work space is our kitchen table and my husband’s is his “man cave” (which will soon be our kids playroom!).
3. Put your laptop / work stuff completely away when you log off for the night. When working from home, it can be difficult to separate your work life and personal life. By putting your work stuff completely away (out of sight), it will help separate your working time and your free time. As I said, I work from our kitchen table. When I’m logged off for the night, I put my work stuff (laptop, notebook, mouse, headphones, etc.) out of sight. I put it in my bag and in the floor.
4. Keep a schedule. I use my Outlook calendar and my planner to stick to my schedule.
5. TAKE YOUR BREAKS! I have caught myself sitting in the same chair from 8am – lunchtime.. I have since put a “walk Lacie!” reminder on my work calendar to remind me to get up and get moving. I’ve tried to take my doggie on a walk every day, twice a day. We’ll go once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
6. Socialize with your colleagues! Maybe set a time for a virtual coffee break with a co-worker. My husband’s company has even done virtual “happy hours” which I think is HILARIOUS! They all get their beverage of choice and have a big meeting to just hang out and talk.
7. Be heard! During your virtual meetings, make sure people know you’re online by speaking up and being seen. Always keep your video on. This helps make it more personal and it will show you are there to work and be a good teammate.
8. Get moving! Go on a walk/run around your neighborhood. There are also tons of great at home workouts you can do.
9. Be patient with your family (especially with those with little kids at home).
10. Be positive! Obviously, this isn’t an ideal situation for everyone, but I keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be able to work from home. So many people are unemployed right now due to the coronavirus and it’s devastating.
I hope these few tips will help you all during this time of transition! They sure have worked for me.
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XOXO,
Laura Elizabeth
