My Best Tips for Working From Home

We’re officially on Week 2 of lockdown over here and I know a lot of us are struggling with everything. My kids are personally out of school for a month at least and I know it’s just a weird time for everyone. Not to mention a lot of you girls are working from home for the first time and it’s something you’re not used to. After asking you girls what you wanted to see from me during this period, I got a lot of requests for “normal content” and then always ways to help the lockdown situation – from working at home to ideas for the kiddos etc. I’ll definitely keep things pretty normal content-wise but I did want to bring you girls some of my best tips for working from home. It’s actually something I’ve done for close to a decade now so I’d like to think I have some good tips…though trying to that with the kiddos home is another story haha!

Get dressed

Okay…I don’t necessarily believe in the “get dressed like you’re going to work” but I do think it’s good to least get out of your pajamas (and no judgment if you don’t want to!). I find that at least changing into leggings or a cute lounge outfit helps me switch from home life to work life and feel a little more alive. I usually get the kids off to school and then change into something comfy but during this time I’m just changing right when I get up. I shared a bunch of budget-friendly loungewear in this week’s Weekend Deals + Steals  + here are some other faves right here in case you girls are in need:

Ditch the makeup- but keep up with your skincare

Other than changing out of PJs, I’m all about giving my face a cold splash of water and then applying a few skincare products in the morning. During this lockdown period, I’m wearing minimal makeup (which feels pretty good) but i’m definitely still keeping up with my skincare routine. If we’re looking on the bright side, at least we can give our skin a breather and go au natural. We’re getting back to basics over here but at least my skin will be on point during this time.  Here are some skincare faves if you girls are looking to up your skincare game while at home. My Top two favorite products are on promo sale through today. This Cleansing Balm is the BEST! and I just started using this micro scrub and i’m obsessed. Highly recommend it if you like a really exfoliating scrub (this one feel like sand and I love how smooth my face feels after I use it).

Create a schedule

I definitely function best in a routine kind of environment and now that my whole family is home, we definitely are going to be implementing a schedule for them too. They thrive in that kind of  a setting as well so we are in the process of creating one this week  with the kids and will try to do a follow up post once we have it all dialed in. Wish us luckkkk ! A schedule helps keep me on track and from letting a million and one distractions get me sidetracked.

Have a designated area

If you don’t usually work from home, you might not have an office set up (like I do) and that’s OK! Just find a spot in your home that is somewhat clean and quiet and set up shop. I’d recommend it being in a different room from the TV and somewhere you can actually focus – even if it’s in the corner of your bedroom or whatever. And then make it comfortable! Not so comfy that you’ll fall asleep but at least that you’re in a good spot to spend most of your day. Consider getting a laptop stand like this and a keyboard situation so you can save your neck/back if you’re used to having them at the office. Tip- try to opt for a chair if you can as the couch will hurt after a day or two…trust me! If you girls don’t have a desk or area you can put your computer on, these are good solutions.

Something to listen to

Again, I’m not a huge fan of watching TV while working because I get distracted – especially if it’s the news right now, so I’d recommend some sort of music instead. Spotify has a TON of “work playlists” with everything from Piano to Chill Hits etc so you can find what helps you focus. For some reason, I find a little something is better than complete silence. Plus if your kids and hubby are home like mine too a little background noise is definitely appreciated.

Take Breaks

This one is a necessity! Even before the heaviness of this outbreak, taking breaks was always a must for me! Some days I would be in front of my computer for hours and realize that I was starting to go nuts. Taking a step away, even if it’s only for 15 minutes is so helpful.  Take 30 minutes to go whip something up to eat and at least sit in the kitchen or use the time to call a friend or family member to connect in some way. Go for a walk or to hang with your kids for a little bit if they’re home. I find an afternoon workout sesh is a much needed release too. Whatever you choose just sneak in some sort of consistent breaks.

Set your alarm

I’m known to get distracted so something that really helps me is setting my phone alarm for 45 minutes at a time to get a task done. I think there’s a fancy word for this called The Pomodoro Technique actually. I find that having set time to focus without distractions is super helpful since I know working from home can mean A LOT of distractions or things waiting for you. If you’re still getting distracted by your phone, turn it on Airplane Mode so you can’t see any notifications until you’re ready!

Sign off at a decent hour

My hubby would eye-roll if he saw me writing this because I’m known to grab my computer or phone in bed and finish up work but I know it’s a bad habit. If you’re working from home for the foreseeable future, do yourself a favor and have a cut-off time in the evening. It’s easy to feel like you need to be working 24/7 when you’re at home but that’s obviously not good for sanity and burnout. Turn off just like you would when you leave the office and even think about leaving your computer on your desk so you’re not tempted.

Utilize apps

A few that I’ve used are Loom videos if you need to show someone something on a computer (since you aren’t in person right now), Slack for work chat that isn’t a text message, and then Asana is a good project mgt app if you need to help keep yourself organized while you’re home.

Wait to do chores

When you WFH it’s easy to get distracted or to feel like you need to be doing all the household chores but you gotta remember this is your workspace right now. Save the chores and to-do list for the mornings, lunch, or after work, when you’d normally get to these things. This should help you from feeling like you’re being pulled in a bunch of directions during this time.

Alright girls, think those are my main tips. Would love to hear if you have any! I’m going to link some of my favorite WFH items here too in case they’re helpful and here’s to all of us trying to stay sane during this adjustment period.