Working From Home Tips & Tricks

As someone who’s accustomed to working from home full-time, I thought it would be helpful if I reached out with some best-practice tips. I know there’s a lot of uncertainty in the air right now, but I’m here to help guide you through these trying times. If you’re ever feeling you need someone to reach out to, I’m always here.

I encourage you all to look at what we’re going through on a global-scale and think of the positives instead of focusing on fear. We finally have the time and space to look inward and connect with ourselves and our mental wellbeing. Let’s take this time to tune in and slow down, enjoy the simple things, and feel gratitude for the fact that we live in an age where so many of us can do our jobs remotely. 

When it comes to working from home, I’ve found that I’m actually so much more productive than I’ve ever been in a corporate office. I think this is because when I’m able to make my own schedule, I can accomplish my to-dos much more quickly than constantly being distracted in the usual office setting. Luckily I’ve gotten used to what it’s like to work from home, but I know some of you are just getting started, so I figured it’d be nice to share with you my own learnings:

1. Continue your regular morning routine – Or, if you don’t have one now is the perfect time to start a new one! I’m used to getting up around 7:30am, taking a shower, and making myself a hot cup of matcha, eggs, and a healthy smoothie. I keep this routine consistent every day, despite if I have in-person meetings, virtual meetings, calls, or am working from a different city. If you’re somebody who works out in the morning, or likes to journal before having their first cup of coffee, continue those habits during this time. The more consistent we keep our routines, the more productive we can be.

2. Show up for yourself daily – Get dressed, wash your face, brush your teeth, freshen up! It is SO easy to just work from your pjs all day. I’m totally guilty of it from time to time, but it really puts a damper in how much I get done. I’m probably 50% less productive and effective. Plus, I believe that changing out of your pajamas will help you take working from home more seriously, which will in turn help you be more efficient throughout your work day.

3. Time block – One of my favorite tricks, use this to your advantage right now! If you get your work done in the morning during a certain chunk of time, you can reward yourself later and watch that movie you’ve been itching to see. Or maybe you’ve made the time to get a new workout in that you’ve been wanting to try out, or even practice a makeup look you’ve been curious about. When I block out time for my work, it gives me an incentive to get it done more quickly. Then, once I finish everything I needed to accomplish on my to-do list for the day, I have the time to relax and try out a new recipe (I’m really into cooking these day), or just watch trash TV like Bravo shows, or having a little spa or pamper night. Silly, but it’s the little things that get  all of us through the day.

4. Set up a designated WFH area – The more you feel like you’re in your office at work, the better you'll be able to concentrate as you work from home. By setting up a designated office area in your house/apartment/wherever you’re staying at the moment, you’ll be able to provide boundaries to roommates and/or other family members you are living with, who may also be home trying to get all their work to-dos completed. I suggest finding a corner with some sort of table and chair instead of posting up on the couch all day. This way, you won’t inch your way into getting too comfortable and taking a nap during times where you’re usually your most productive. 

5. Take a lunch break – The same way you would in an office, eat lunch! I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about eating less and cutting back, but you should be eating a healthy number of calories each day, despite the fact that you’re working from home. If all of the sudden you’re cuttting back tons of calories, you will find yourself tired and less productive. Now more than ever is the time to think about maintaining your health, so take a lunch break and move around! Also, you should never eat at your desk. That goes for when you’re in the office too. It’s just not healthy. Walk around, find a different place in your home to eat. You should be regularly taking coffee/water breaks away from your desk too.

6. Work out daily – This is so important for our mental wellbeing. I’m currently loving Lia Bartha’s live classes as well as Amanda Kloots streaming services. Find a workout that works for you and stick to it. If you’re not sure what that workout is, try a new one each day! Personally, I love changing it up and trying new workouts all the time. There are currently tons of fitness instructors offering free classes online right now that you should take advantage of. We need to focus now more than ever on moving our bodies and keeping our minds as healthy as possible. 

7. Connect with others – A great way to break up your day is to call friends, text people you normally work closely with to get some feedback on a project you’ve been working on (or just to check in and see how they’re doing), catch up with your parents or grandparents, or even FaceTime during happy hour with your friends. We live in a digital age, and right now we’re seeing a beautiful side to it. Let’s use technology to bring people closer together, that’s what it was made for. 

8. Cut yourself some slack – No one is expecting you to finish a novel that you’ve always wanted to write in the next few weeks, or be as productive as you normally are in an office, especially if you’re not used to WFH and don’t have the proper tools. Cut yourself some slack, focus on your mental health, we’re all going through a LOT right now and no one is expecting you to be perfect as we navigate this new reality.

9. Say bye to your laptop at the end of your “work day” – This is crucial. Always know when your work day is over, because when you WFH your days can trickle into your nights and you may find yourself not being able to shut off. It’s imperative to shut off or else you could end up burning out. I recommend that whenever you normally leave your office, you close your laptop, go for a walk, call a loved one on the phone, or do whatever you need to do to disconnect. Then go about making dinner like you normally would and carry out your normal nightly routines. There’s no reason to stay “on” all the time. It won’t help your mental health or your productivity in the long run.

   X kt