The world seems to be opening up slowly but surely, but many of us – especially entrepreneurs – will be working from home indefinitely, at least in some capacity. And I don’t know about you, but after two years of working through the pandemic, my work from home routine needed a refresh. Here are the best work from home hacks for success. I’m also sharing what I do to give myself a healthier routine when I’m working from home.
Get Dressed
Whether we put on a dress shirt or elastic waist pants, the important thing here is to get out of our pajamas and put on fresh clothing! Getting dressed can serve as a lovely ritual of self-care. Pick out an outfit that’s still comfortable but that also signals to your brain that it’s time to shift into work mode. As tempting as it can be to work wrapped up in a robe, we can often find ourselves less motivated to work and more motivated to, you know, relax when we’re wearing those loungey clothes. The act of getting dressed in the morning helps us transition into a world that’s more open. It’s also good prep if/when the day to return to an office comes.
Plan Ahead With Snacking
How many of you have found yourselves zeroed in on your work only to look up and realize you haven’t eaten a thing? I’ve been there…several times! This is why I started planning my snacks. It wasn’t enough to just have food in the house. I needed to set myself up for sustained focus before starting the day. My go-to snacks include having cut fruit ready and available, handfuls of almonds, and smoothies with FeelFit powder. They’re balanced snacks that keep my energy levels stable throughout the day.
Make Sure to Take Breaks
Our bodies weren’t meant to be sedentary! It’s important to give our bodies, our eyes, and our minds a breather every couple of hours. Set a recurring event in your calendar or an alarm to remind you to get up, walk around, stretch, and just look away from a screen for 10-15 minutes. If you have an adjustable desk, switch your work stance from sitting to standing sometimes! If you have access to a patio or outdoor space, consider spending some of your workday outside. There’s no excuses if the weather is lovely. 🙂 Giving yourself little changes of pace and bits of novelty is incredibly helpful in keeping productivity high.
Set the Mood and Bring In Plants and Flowers
Bring nature to you and get a desk plant! The uplifting power a plant can have on a space is kind of incredible, plus oxygenate the room. If plants aren’t your thing, you can always opt for a faux plant or some beautiful cut flowers. Swing by the blooms next time you’re at the grocery store or farmer’s market and pick up some flowers for your home and desk. If you’re in Sacramento, hit up Amanda of Bloom Sacramento for a subscription and get that off your plate while keeping your space beautiful. It’s a seemingly small gesture for yourself that can make a big impact.
And don’t you discount the impact scent can have! Pick out a “working” candle from your collection and light it up any time you’re at your desk.
Set hours
This might be my most important tip. With the line between work and home blurred for two years (and longer for those of us running our own businesses), it can be so easy to do a little bit of work here, then there. Before you know it, you’re kind of working all the time. That’s a one-way ticket to burnout. Setting boundaries on work hours is beyond important for maintaining your mental and physical health.
If you’re self-employed, you have the privilege of determining exactly what those work hours look like. If you like to sleep in and work late into the night, do that! And if you prefer to keep a more traditional work schedule so you can keep your evenings open, do that! The beauty of being an entrepreneur is being able to build your schedule. The trick is to actually build it, and not let every email or notification ping pull you into working constantly. And when you’re off, you’re off. Honor that time.
Are these the best work from home hacks? I’d like to say so, and I hope they help you refresh your current rhythm and workspace!
Have you reviewed your work from home routine now that you’ve read this post? What are you already doing and what could you add? Try them all at once or build them into your routine one at a time. I’m sure it will give you a boost of motivation to go after your goals this year.
Tag me on Instagram if you put these tips to use, I want to cheer you on as you implement them! Find me at @thekachetlife.
