In addition to owning ECL, I also work full time! With the COVID-19 craziness, like many others, I’m working from home for the next (at least) two weeks. I already work one day a week from home, so it’s not totally new, but I’m honestly dreading the thought of two full weeks without going into the office. It’s hard to stay focused, and there’s so many distractions at home! But, it’s what must be done. I am grateful to have a job that can be done remotely.

Here’s some tips to help you stay on track and be productive and focused while you’re working from home!

Wake up at a normal time

You don’t have to commute, but that doesn’t mean you should sleep in until 7:55, roll out of bed and open your laptop! Sleep in a little bit if you want to depending on how early you normally get up, but make sure you give yourself time for a morning routine. You don’t want to start your day off feeling rushed or disoriented.

Follow a routine

Whether you stick to your normal routine or adapt to account for your extra time, keep a routine throughout the day! I like to wake up maybe 15 minutes later than usual, walk our dog, then do some things around the house and catch up on social media, too. I normally have something for breakfast around 9, and then lunch around 11:30 / 12. During lunch, I’ll either work on orders, read or do things around the house. Then I do more work, will maybe unload the dishwasher or throw some laundry in during the afternoon, and finish up my day. Knowing what I’m planning on doing and when helps me stay on track and not get too distracted.

Have a designated work area

You may have a home office or you may be working from your dining room table! Either way, set your laptop up in a designated area. You don’t want to be working from your bed, it sounds like it would be such a cool thing to do but it actually just makes it feel like you’re not really at work and then you’re not very productive or focused. I brought home my 2nd monitor when I found out we were able to work from home due to COVID and set it up in our dining room. I do have an office for ECL but it is definitely set up for calligraphy + crafting, aka, all my supplies are there to distract me! Plus it’s in the basement and I didn’t want to be cooped up down there, so the dining room is where I’ll be. If I need a change of scenery I can take my laptop and move elsewhere for a period of time.

Get some movement in

Whether it’s walking the dog or doing an exercise video, it’s really important to not just sit all day staring at a screen! It’s good for your body and your brain! Here’s some ideas to get moving:

Take a walk
Put on your favorite song and dance
Do jumping jacks
Look up a yoga video on Youtube
Learn a Tik Tok dance
Do a challenge - work up to a certain number of push ups, crunches or a long plank over these next couple of weeks!

Dress for your day

Don’t wear PJs when you’re working from home! It doesn’t feel like work if you’re not dressed somewhat decently. I’m definitely guilty of wearing workout clothes on my work from home days, but these next couple of weeks since I know I’ll be on video calls, I’m planning on wearing leggings along with sweaters or tops that look a bit nicer and more put together than my usual t-shirt. I’m not planning on wearing makeup though and am excited to give my skin a break!

Write out your to do list

Who else gets great satisfaction from crossing things off your to do list? I find the best way to stay focused on the tasks I need to do is to write out everything and cross it off as I go. Whether you prefer doing that digitally or on paper, it’s essential to keep you on track! I like to use pen + paper for my to do list!

Take breaks

Don’t forget to take breaks throughout the day, just like you would in the office! We all take a few minutes here or there to chat with coworkers or walk around, grab a snack or coffee, etc. Do the same thing at home. Especially now, when you know you’re not going to be leaving the house much, be sure take breaks from that screen and get some fresh air and sunshine if you can! Make a coffee and sit on the porch for 5 minutes drinking it, walk to the mail box and back, do a chore, etc.

Sign off at your regular time

It’s easy to keep working on things since you’re already at home. And I understand that due to the nature of your job, you may need to be putting in some extra hours right now (my full time job is so busy as a result of COVID)! But you can’t be working constantly and to avoid feeling burnt out, sign off at your regular time when you can. Close your laptop, walk away and enjoy your evening with your family, whether they’re with you or whether you’re chatting on the phone.

Be grateful

We are lucky to have jobs that can be done remotely and to have some semblance of a routine during this uncertain and scary time. Be thankful for that! A few work-related things I’m thankful for:

A steady job
An employer that realized the importance of allowing employees to work from home and socially distance themselves
The opportunity to miss out on rush hour traffic for two whole weeks
The money I’m saving on gas (more money for me to spend online shopping at my favorite local businesses!!)
The fact that I can wear leggings + slippers every day for the next 2 weeks

It’s a weird, scary and uncertain time out there...but all we can do is make the best of it! Hopefully these tips are helpful. If you have any other tips for working from home, please share in the comments!

Cover photo by Captures By Justine.