7 Tips for Working From Home

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Happy Friday friends! At least for us over here, this weekend’s plans include bothering the cats, having some Skype/FaceTime dates with a couple friends and the fam, and probably finding a new show to binge watch since last weekend, we finished the show we had been watching. Any suggestions for shows you’ve been loving lately??

I’ve been working from home all this week and part of last week since the shelter-in-place went into effect here in Austin. I’m so very thankful to have the means to be able to work at home and do my part in keeping myself and those around me safe with all that is going on. I know a lot of other people are working from home right now too and since this is something new for a lot of us, I wanted to hop op and share a few tips that have really helped me make the adjustment to working from home and remaining productive in the process.

With that being said, here are 7 tips I’ve discovered for working from home that are sure to keep you productive and on track throughout the day.

 

1. Make a to-do list.

Listsssssssss yesssssss. I love my lists, just ask anyone haha! I always have a list going for one thing or another. Sometimes it’s for blog tasks, other times it’s for things I need to get done around the house. But I ALWAYS make sure to have a to-do list for work, regardless if I’m in the office or working from home. I find that it helps me to stay on track and prioritize throughout the day.

2. Have a morning routine.

This is something I always had when I actually went into the office that I happened to just naturally carry-over when I started working from home. I always start out my mornings by feeding the cats and making a cup of coffee, then sip my coffee and watch a cartoon (yes, I still watch morning cartoons. I’ve always HATED watching the news, so I watch cartoons instead.) while I put on my makeup. After that, I’ll normally get dressed, get ready to leave, and head out the door for work. Only now, my routine has changed in that I get dressed, come downstairs to make my smoothie (I have my daily smoothie recipes saved to an Insta highlight!) and log on to my computer to make sure I have everything in place for my morning meeting. I also always have a cup of tea when I get to work so I’ll make my cup of tea just the same about mid-morning to give me a little extra caffeine boost.

It helps me to have things so similar at home to what I normally did at work. I almost feel like it tricks my body into thinking it’s going to work just like normal and I feel more productive and put together throughout the day. Plus this really helped me to make the switch to working from home rather than going into the office everyday, as it helped me to maintain a sense of normalcy needed to make the switch!

3. Use a calendar/planner.

This is something I swear by even when I’m not working from home. I literally ALWAYS have my planner with me, it’s the only way I know what I need to get done and when. I also have a desk calendar I keep on my desk at work so I always something in front of me when I’m working, so it makes taking down appointments or deadlines super handy. I have this planner from Etsy that I love! I also love Rifle Paper Company planners and Big Happy Planners, as well. This is the desk calendar I have off Amazon! I love that it has a place on the side for notes so I can write down any specific tasks I need to make sure I don’t forget.

4. Get up and get ready.

Even if it’s just changing into joggers and a t-shirt, get up and get ready. Put on that bra honey (okay a sports bra will even suffice), dab some makeup on those cheeks, and brush your hair. I promise you’ll immediately feel more productive, which is exactly the way you want to start your day off working from home. Here are the joggers that I’ve practically been living in this entire isolation period! I’ve been throwing these on with one of my Amazon basic tees and if I’m feeling super fancy that day, my denim jacket. 😉 Oooo fancyyyyy!

5. Don’t be afraid to take small breaks.

I read an article once that stated people who work from home actually end up working harder and putting in more hours of work than those who actually go into the office. It actually makes sense now that I think about it. When I’m at work, I’ll take breaks throughout the day to go to the break room and grab a snack, get water or a soda, or just get up from my desk to take a short walk and stretch my legs. The first day I was working from home, I think I probably got up a total of 2 times during the day and that was just to go to the restroom and grab lunch, which I took back to my work desk. Let me just say it was a longgggggg day.

The next day I decided to make sure I took small 5-10 minute breaks throughout the day just to get up out of my chair, walk around, pet the cats, water the plants, etc. It made the day sooooo much better! I feel like I was also a lot more productive too and could think straighter and clearer. So bottomline, take small, 5-10 minute breaks throughout the day in between tasks or if you have a project where you’re getting particularly frustrated. It will make the day go by so much quicker and you’ll be a lot more productive in the long run.

6. Set up a designated workspace.

We have yet to buy a dining room table and I don’t have a desk or anything at home, so we had to get a little creative with this. Jordan actually has a foldable table that’s built into the back of his car (talk about handy, right??) so he set that up in the dining room for me to use while I’m working from home. I brought my monitor home from the office in addition to my laptop so I could hook it up and have dual screens since a lot of the time I have multiple projects I’m working on. This has helped sooo much with me feeling like I was actually in my office space. I feel like I’m more productive and it really helps to get me in the right mindset for work. I even brought my little faux desk plant home from the office so it would make my home work area as close to normal as possible!

7. Turn on some tunes.

Finally, download Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, etc and play some tunes while you work! I have a few different playlists I alternate between while I’m working, depending on what kind of mood I’m in and what I’m working on. If I’m working on a project where I have to create copy and really think about what I’m writing, I’ll put on some music that’s suited for focusing or studying. If I’m working on creating a graphic or something creative, I’ll put on an upbeat playlist to help get me in a happy mood and get my creative juices flowing! But regardless, I really do think it helps to have something on to listen to help the time pass and to tune out whatever you might have going on in the background. (If you want some playlist inspo for working from home, check out my post “6 Spotify Playlists to Help You Focus!”)

 

Thanks for reading friends! I hope these tips are helpful and I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Let me know any great WFH tips you have below! Until next post, Xx.

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