Your Guide to Working From Home
Have you heard? It’s a crazy world out there, folks. Whether you’re a student or a young professional, our day to day lives have been turned upside down. Personally, I’m thriving. I hope that’s not wrong to say, but working from home is my dream job! Ever since my mom started working from home I’ve envied her. Now that I’m really experiencing it, I don’t know how I’ll ever go back. I truly love the comfort and flexibility it brings to my day.
I suppose I’m not a total stranger to the “work from home” world. Liv Happy Liv Well has been my side hustle for over 2 years now, and my weekends are spent at home working on writing and photographing and planning content. So, between my blogging weekends and my 1 week of experience working my 9-5 from home, here are my tips to a productive day.
Working From Home
Find a Permanent Work Space
For some of you, work from home might automatically bring visions of sitting on the couch with Netflix on and your laptop on you lap to mind. This is setting you up to fail before you even begin. In this time, working from home isn’t just a vacation. It’s an opportunity to prove to your managers that you can adapt and still be efficient in your work.
I recommend finding a space that you go to every morning. It becomes your new office or cubicle. Lucky for me I do have a desk, right by my sliding glass door so I get plenty of natural light, and have a view of people walking their dogs. If you don’t have a desk then sit at your kitchen island or kitchen table. I find that sitting in bed or on the couch decreases my productivity.
Stick to a Schedule
My office asked that we stick to our normal work schedule, which for me is 8-4:30 with lunch from 12:30-1. So I built the rest of my day around this time. I’m cheating a little and giving myself some sleep in time. When I’m not working from home I wake up at 6:15. Since I don’t have to get ready or drive 30 minutes, I’m allowing myself to wake up at 7:00. The first thing I do when I wake up is my morning workout. By 7:50 I’m making coffee and logging on to work.
During my lunch break I’m bundling up and going for a walk outside. Then I’ll come inside and make my actual lunch and eat it at my desk while I work. When 4:30 hits I’m jumping in the shower and getting my pajamas on so I’m ready for a relaxing evening. I eat dinner around 6:00 and am in bed by 9:00.
I’m a schedule person so waking up each day and knowing exactly what I’m doing gives me a sense of normalcy in this situation. If you’re struggling with all of this time at home, I recommend giving yourself a project each day. Clean a certain room, organize a cupboard, or start an art project. You can read more about ideas to stay productive here.
Take Time to Move
I think this is the most important tip. Even when I’m working in the office I’ll take time to walk to the kitchen or do a lap around the office. I get so sick of sitting and it makes me sleepy! I’m definitely taking advantage of this while working from home. Like I said above, I start my day with a workout. Now, if it’s a rainy day then I’ll save this workout for my lunch break. But, on days with good weather I want to be as active as possible.
My lunch walks have become my favorite part of my day. I bundle up, turn on a podcast episode, and go on a 20-25 minute walk. It’s not so much about the exercise, but more about being outside. At this time more than ever, getting fresh air is so important. If it wasn’t for my daily walks I’d go completely stir crazy. As spring weather gets more consistent I’ll be going for walks after work too!
How is working from home affecting you guys? Are you loving it or hating it? Let me know in the comments below!
