Hi guys! I hope everyone is doing well! I wanted to share my work from home tips here since they were well-received on Instagram this weekend. I am so glad this was helpful! It’s not easy, and while I am still learning as I go, I’ve definitely noticed a few things that do make a big impact.
On top of making sure we stay productive, we need to be taking extra good care of ourselves. Mentally and physically. So I am sharing some of the daily rituals that lend a hand in self-care and keeping me energized, productive, and sane.
To be honest, I felt so weird this weekend. This all escalated so quickly! But I am going to try my very best to stay positive and use this time to focus on simplicity in daily life. Working, cooking, reading, spending time with my family, spending time on my curiosities.
when working from home…
― Get dressed for the day.
― Set the mood | I like to make my workspace (aka my dining table) cozy… turn on a lamp, light a candle, make it a happy and mood-boosting space.
― Have a few great playlists on hand | I am happy to share my library of Spotify playlists, I love listening to these below during the week…
Wedding Guest Arrival (great to start the day!)
Spring, We’re Ready
Spring Mix 2019
Wedding Rehearsal Dinner
Wedding Dinner
Discover Weekly (when I’m wanting to find new tunes to add to playlists)
& I always play songs by The Head & the Heart as they are so soothing and happy!
― Set timers based on tasks | Sometimes I will give myself an hour or two on a draft or inspiration hunting, etc. Break these task chunks up by stretching, taking a walk, doing a quick 20-minute at-home workout. Also, someone shared with me this awesome Google Chrome addon that has been so helpful. It’s called Healthy Browsing and it lets you add a few extensions: I added “Hydrator” where you can set a timer to remind you to drink water, “Blinkk” which is a helpful tool to gives you tips on how to give your eyes a break from the screen, and “Stretch Reminder” which… you get the idea.
― Get outside no matter what | A quick walk while listening to a podcast, etc. Fresh air a few times a day gives me life while working from home.
― Human interaction | Another absolute must. Skype a family member, friend or coworker. Take this time to catch up with loved ones while life slows down a bit.
make your well-being a top priority…
Okay, so another thing I wanted to talk about is how essential it is to practice self-care when working from home. It’s incredibly easy to fall into bad habits (I am on year five of being self-employed and this still happens to me), so if you get a few rituals in place and stick with them, they will become good habits. A few things that made a profound impact on my productivity and mood…
― Read | Set an alarm a little bit earlier and make a cup of coffee/tea, etc. and get back into bed to read a few chapters in a book. I swear this makes a massive difference with my productivity for the rest of the morning. I don’t look at my phone until after this ritual. In case you’re interested, I have a whole BoC Book Club page (under the “lifestyle” tab on my menu) where I collected reader favorites for us to all reference when we’re in need of a new read! A few that I highly recommend if you haven’t already, Where the Crawdad’s Sing, The Great Alone, The Nightingale, A Man Called Ove, All the Light We Cannot See. Right now I’m reading The Dutch House and really enjoying it! I share my faves on my Instagram Highlight called ‘books’. 🙂 Also! Read before you go to bed versus scrolling your phone. Falling asleep after immersing myself in book vs than social media or news consumption helps me sleep more soundly.
― Workout | Even if it’s a 15-minute stretch session, this helps me so much. As you know I usually love to go to pilates and that’s not in the cards right now, so I have been relying on the Melissa Wood Health app. I love her workouts! I have 1lb weights, a pilates ring, and a pilates ball on hand, too.
― Nutrition | I take Seed probiotics every morning first thing on an empty stomach. After a workout, I love making my blueberry almond smoothie. I take a few vitamins/supplements after eating (Vitamin D3, Omega 3 Fish Oil, Vitamin C). I shared a whole post on my typical grocery list and the kind of meals I make here. It’s always important to get proper nutrients every day, but it’s especially important now!
― Do what you love | Give yourself a time slot to do something you love. Read a design book, spend some time on Pinterest, rearrange your room/decor, paint. Anything that gets you into a state of flow (completely swept away by whatever it is you’re doing).
― Rest | I find that when I have the same time bedtime and rise, I feel more energetic and of course it’s good for our bodies and immune systems right now to be fully rested!
― Less consuming, more creating | I talked about this a lot in this post! Be mindful of what you’re consuming (read: do not watch the news all day long). I am super choosy with what I watch and who I follow these days. I am so distractable, so I’ve learned to finetune my experience and time on social media.
I looked through some of my old posts and thought these might be handy to share, too!
5 Healthy Weekday Habits
Spa Zen Vibes at Home
3 Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Sending positive vibes, wishes of health and happiness, safety and quality of life, and some fun to keep your spirits high.
xx
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this was really helpful! i’ve been working remotely a few days a week but now with everything going on it felt a bit daunting. starting to take it all more seriously now!
Aw so glad it was helpful! It’s not easy but these tips 100% help and if you stick with them, you’ll just start doing them naturally. 🙂 Stay safe and healthy out there! x