7 Ideas to Improve your WFH Life
One of the longest lasting effects of the global pandemic is that working from home is now the standard for any job that can be done remotely. Adjusting to that reality takes time and effort.
Whether you feel like you’re rocking WFH life or you’ve been on the struggle bus the whole time, we’ve sourced some great ideas to help you make the improvements you want and need to make. Our deepest thanks to the members and friends who sent in their ideas to share with the world.
Create the work space that works for you.
1. Put some love into your work environment
A dedicated place to get the majority of your work done is important. Your back and your brain will quickly let you know that working full-time from your couch isn’t going to hack it. This doesn’t mean you need a perfect home office setup. It can be as simple as a dedicated surface that becomes your “office” for the day. Give some of these ideas a whirl if you’re able:
Support your back with a good chair to sit on. If you can’t splurge for an office chair, give a yoga ball a try.
Spruce up a space so that it reflects the environment you work best in. Have some fresh flowers on the desk with you. Find the right lamp. A great notebook that brings you joy to work alongside. Your favorite writing utensil.
Pick a soundtrack to inspire. Music can really help your mindset and get you moving. So whatever your pleasure - big techno beats, female-power music, classical, etc. Get yourself a station with minimal disruptions and get into it.
Make sure your work station includes hydration.
2. Take care of your body
You may never have considered a full-time WFH schedule to be hard on your body, but we’re guessing we don’t have to explain that it can be to you at this point. One of the biggest gifts you can give to yourself while you WFH is to give your body the TLC it needs. It will thank you by not completely falling apart.
Did you know they make blue light filtering lenses for glasses? Give your eyes some love.
Keep a bottle of water by your work area and be sure to drink from it all day. Not only will you stay hydrated, but you’ll have to stand up regularly to head to the restroom. Bonus steps!
Take regular walking and stretching breaks. Outside as often as possible. If you have a conference call to be on that doesn’t require much speaking on your part, pop your headphones in and take that call while you walk.
Taking the time to talk to people who care about you is paramount.
3. Take care of your mind
WFH life can often mean isolated life. We all know this, but it can be hard to prioritize social and emotional connections when juggling work from home too. Putting energy into your relationships and taking care of your mental health is paramount.
Make a coffee break routine with a friend (or friends) who has a similar schedule. Whether you meet in-person or give one another a call, be sure to check in about things outside of your work world. Make it regular and stick to it.
Give meditating a whirl. Apps like Headspace and Waking Up can help you get started. Even just 3 minutes spent focused on taking care of your mind can really make a difference in how you feel.
Ask for help. If the struggles of WFH are feeling too big, reach out to a trusted friend or family member to talk about it. You are not alone. If you’re unsure of who to talk to and just need someone to reply to you who gets it, send us a message. We’ll answer you.
4. Enjoy the WFH perks!
Now let’s focus on the good stuff. Give yourself permission to enjoy some of the great parts about being in your home environment:
Take the time to make great meals for yourself. Breakfast used to be on-the-go? Make yourself that tasty breakfast sandwich you always wanted to make. Make lunch and sit outside to enjoy it. How lovely!
Schedule snuggle breaks with your pets. Seriously. Block out the time on your calendar to make sure you don’t get double-booked. Your furry friends will appreciate it.
Go kiss your sweetie. They’re right there, right? How fun!
Your to-do list should help you gather momentum, not make you overwhelmed.
5. Break the work into bits
Staying productive is one of the biggest challenges when you work from home. We’ve heard our members say this for over a decade, and it hasn’t gotten any easier. One of the best ways to dig into the actual work of your day is to break it up into smaller bits:
Make your to-do list full of the smallest tasks you can come up with. Take that big project and break it down into 10 smaller to-do items. It’ll help you find momentum.
Pomodoro it. Set a timer for 25 minutes. While the timer is on you stay focused on your work. When the timer goes off, break! (Bonus hack: laundry pomodoros! Focused work while the machine is whirring. Switch and fold during the breaks.)
Create a separate “easy wins” list when you’re feeling uninspired to get into your headier work. Put all of your most fun, easiest work on that and break it out when you need to get started but are feeling overwhelmed.
Experience the great benefits of the 10 minute timer hack.
6. Address the distractions
Working from home means you’re constantly at risk of being pulled into “home” projects. Instead of fighting the distractions of home, try meeting them where they are and then moving past it:
When you’re struggling with the “I can’t work when the kitchen/table/bedroom is this messy but I don’t have enough time to clean before I get to work” conundrum, get your timer back out. Set it for 10 minutes and do all the cleaning you can. You’ll be surprised at how much you can get done and you’ll feel better having addressed your mess.
Another trick to helping you mentally separate “home” from “work” when it’s all the same space is to add a walking commute into your routine.
Work on healthy communication habits with your in-home “coworkers” if you have any. Check in at the beginning of the day with housemates to be sure you know if there are times during the day where you can’t be interrupted or need a quiet space. Identify other times where you could take breaks together for a meal or a walk outside.
7. Get into a marathon mindset
As many of us are looking at a long-term adjustment when it comes to working from home, it makes sense to develop a long-term perspective on it. Take your time making changes to your overall routine. Be patient with yourself - working from home full-time is hard. If you feel like you failed one day, don’t sweat it. Try again tomorrow.
If you are looking for more support as you continue to hone your WFH style, become an online member of Office Nomads today. You’ll get to join a group of other people who will understand your struggles and have great ideas on how to help.