happy 213912809th day of quarantine! despite all of the existential dread i’ve been experiencing, i’m proud of myself for finally being more consistent with my blog posts so if this lockdown has taught me anything, it’s that i’ll force myself do things that i would typically procrastinate to the very last second because what the f*ck else am i gonna do. anyway, today’s post is all about my tips for working from home if you’ve never worked from home before. if you’re like me, you’re used to going *somewhere* for work for that monday to friday 9-5 grind. do people still use the word grind???
much of my life has been defined by a morning and afternoon rush hour commute and now i literally walk two feet from my bedroom to the kitchen to start work. so this is what it’s like to start the day without any road rage?! i work at two clinic sites which means i’m used to variety and seeing different people throughout the week. luckily, i’m able to work from home with the magic of phone appointments, but i’m definitely not used to the WFH life. i also have reduced hours which means i have more time after work than i’m normally used to which is confusing af for my work brain but has helped me slow the f*ck down and stop feeling the need to be doing a million things in one day.
#1 wake up and do your typical morning routine like you would if you were actually going into work
#2 dress up as if you were actually going to go to work (for me this means putting on a work outfit but staying in my fuzzy slippers LOL)
#3 wear jeans on a tuesday because if y’all are anything like me you’ve always been curious about what it would feel like to not only have to wear jeans on a friday
#4 if you don’t have an actual office area, pick a spot in your apartment/home to set up your workspace that you wouldn’t associate with anything else you do when you’re just being home e.g. eating, relaxing
#5 pack your lunch as usual to make sure you’re staying in “work mode” even during your lunch/break
#6 try to stick to your typical lunch/break activities aka just because you’re home does not mean this is an excuse to sit on the couch and watch tv while eating because i feel like that is a recipe for not being able to get your a*$ up to get back to work
#7 if possible, try to be near a window so you can still be connected to nature and the outside world even while stuck inside
#8 get up and walk around every so often to get your brain and body moving and avoid getting stuck and/or try getting outside, even if it’s just for a few minutes, during or after the work day
#9 make a schedule of tasks you want to accomplish for the day with flexible time frames, e.g. 9:00-10:00am check and respond to emails, to keep yourself on track and be accountable
#10 stay connected with your coworkers through phone calls, video sessions if possible, and even through simple text messages
#11 focus on the pros of working from home vs. cons e.g. i’m saving so much gas not driving 30-45 minutes twice a day five days a week!!!!!
#12 make sure you schedule activities for when you’re done working to switch back to “home mode” from “work mode”
of course, these tips are all flexible and there is plenty of room for change based on the day. one day a schedule of tasks might be helpful, and another day it feels more overwhelming and just naturally working through tasks and goals might feel better. if you’re able to work in your pajamas, more power to you!!! these are just some helpful ideas that i’ve had so far while working from home because i’m type A af and need structure and routine to survive LOL. as we continue in this lockdown, i hope y’all are staying safe, taking care of yourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically, and finding as much humor and positivity as possible. plz enjoy these WFH memes and i’ll see y’all in my next frantic post!
