It may not be easy times that we’re living through but there is nothing to say that we can’t actually live more savvy than ever before now that we have our own space to do so. Making the effort even at home is going to switch your mind into a better state. Even if that’s just making yourself a nice coffee, having a shower and getting dressed in something over than comfy wear. This is going to boost productivity and make you feel more like a boss. Add a little makeup, do your hair and engage with your work in the way that you might if you were in the office. It isn’t quite the same but it is achievable and it can make you feel more efficient as well as learning to enjoy the new normal. (Image Credit: Anrita1705 /Pixabay)
It isn’t customary to put on a face of makeup every day if you’re working from home but getting dressed to a relatively professional standard will ensure that you are feeling more as you would out and about and gives you a bigger incentive every day to work. It’s certainly easy to sit around in PJs but it may not make you feel as ready to tackle the long day of report writing or telephone calls. Comfortable and practical clothing is best but this will allow you to feel less sluggish, especially after lunch and then you have something to look forward to in the evening when you can pull out the cosy clothes and glass of wine. It will make you feel as if you have a routine. Your body thrives on routine.
Quick tip [Stay Hydrated]: It’s easy to not keep hydrated when you’re working, and this applies in the office as well at home. Whilst it’s much easier to nip to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, it’s much better to not take too much to ‘feel’ like you’re at home. You are only based at home. Your office has picked up and moved to your house, but you are still working. Ensure you have an eco-friendly water bottle or a regular bottle of choice to keep topped up with water and avoid dehydration. This can make us feel tired, sluggish and give us headaches. Add a little bit of fruit to add to flavour and vitamins – this will make your body feel ready too. We can become quite easily vitamin D deficient if we are not out in the sun, so make the most of the exercise that you are entitled to do in your area. Fresh air and sun will help contribute to a better immune system also which is vital at the moment. Keeping active is by far one of the most difficult things for those who work from home to keep up with. It can affect you relatively quickly and getting unfit is certainly something that will hinder you in your daily life.
How Can I Keep Feeling Inspired?
It may feel impossible to get inspired when you are seeing the same four walls daily but remember that mostly, you are seeing those same four walls at work every day, unless your job takes you on the road. So making sure that you have a great office setup is vital. Making sure also that you have the right systems in place; this may also make you question how you do your work. Is it time to look at something new? Old systems can easily make working difficult so maybe you could look at changing how you communicate with new ringless voicemails with Drop Cowboy or perhaps you want to look at buying a newer model of your computer to allow for more storage.
You must also inspire yourself by reminding yourself why you are doing this and the good that is coming from it. It is saving lives and assisting the world in healing. However it’s easy to be distracted by the terrible news outlets and sources and doom surfing as it has now been penned, is easy to do. We see how bad things are so it’s vital that we avoid it during working hours and limit as much as possible after work as it can lead to poor mental health.
Even if we are not looking at news sites, we may be inclined to go on social media more. So, try and avoid it completely. Whilst this may seem a relatively easy tip, it is more than easy to be distracted by social media and other messages. Without a boss hovering over your shoulder, or other prying eyes, you will find that there is no harm in checking your phone every so often but this is a very bad assumption to make. Ensure you keep it in flight mode or in another room altogether and disassociate yourself with it as you would to avoid distraction. Messages and social media can wait, and this will give you something to look forward to at the end of the day.
I Feel Lonely, What Can I Do? All I Do Is Work And Sleep.
This doesn’t have to be as tricky as you think. All of us are certainly at risk of becoming isolated. Even if you are still working in a shop, you are isolated from friends and family and this can make us feel less inspired and less motivated to work at all. The dangers of this are also important to consider, as social contact is important for our mental health. So be sure to look into the options available and keep things savvy even if you’re tucked away on your own! If you are concerned about gathering in large groups at home, then be sure that you take the time to have phone calls or video chats. Skype is a great way to connect but there are plenty of other ways also, which will allow you to feel that you are still with friends and also realize that you are not alone. They too may be suffering after all. Being inside the house for long periods of time will be very damaging to your mental state. Losing touch with reality is one issue that you may encounter in the early days of working from home but it is fixable if you take time to just keep in touch.
If you have a good set up and routine at home then you will find the days are much smoother and every day is one day closer to life returning to normal. If you are working from home and you are struggling with boredom then there are plenty of ways to keep yourself entertained and these things could even help further your career once this is over. Look at things such as:
- Learning a new language.
- Learning an instrument.
- Learning to cook and being more self sufficient.
- Giving yourself time to learn to meditate.
- Watch a new program or learn something new from documentaries.
- Read a new book or re-read your favourite books.
- Watch YouTube videos and tutorials on business.
- Exercise – Go for a run or long walk. Get your circulation going.
- Turn to Pinterest for D.I.Y. and be inspired by upcycling ideas.
- Play music and dance!
- Write reviews for your Amazon purchases.
- Look at a side hustle – look at ways to make money online.
- Start a Blog and share knowledge with others.
There’s many ways to stay savvy during quarantine. Make sure you do it well and stay healthy during these unusual times. And remember, this too shall pass.
