Finding Sanctuary Amidst the Work From Home Insanity

Keep a Schedule

According to Psych Central, if you wait until you feel like working, the distractions will come from all sides and swallow up your time, so setting a schedule and sticking to it is a vital component of working from home. If you are used to working at 8 am-4 pm every day at your job – work 8 to 4 every day while you work from home. Keep your schedule consistent. On the flip side to this – remember to shut everything down at a specific time. It can be very easy to slide into working around the clock and lose track of time.

Beating Social Isolation and #Checkinonfamily

Video platforms like Zoom can be a lifesaver and bring some much-needed stress relief. With the platform, you can use different virtual backgrounds from galaxies to beautiful landscapes to hide the craziness, pets, kids, and mess that may surround you. Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts are used for virtual company meetings, but they can also be used to stay connected with family and friends. Use these tools for many engaging, fun, and stress-relieving activities such as:

• Hosting a dinner party, coffee, or happy hour with your friends, family, or co-workers.
• Karaoke. Time Out Magazine lists the top 50 Best Karaoke songs of all time, and Latin Times compiled the best 10 songs to sing in Spanish.
• Host a book club. Pick a book and meet by video chat or Facetime weekly to discuss it. eBooks are cheaper alternatives and sites like DailyLit and Amazon, even offer free eBooks. HowtoGeek.com also gives a comprehensive list of other free eBook sites.
• Game night. Pick a day/night time and have friends, family, or co-workers gather via favorite video platform or Facetime and pick a game to play every week. Go old school with games like Pictionary, play app games like WordsWithFriends, or use social games like Minecraft and Fortnite. The options are endless.
• Just for fun, Netflix Party lets friends, family, and co-workers in different places watch movies together and share their reactions through a chat room. All you need is a Google Chrome browser and a Netflix account.

Stay Professional While You Work From Home

When dealing with #workfromhomelife you can easily slip into not showering and wearing the same pair of comfy sweats every day. And yes, there may be days that happens, and that’s okay. However, try to make an effort to dress for work. This doesn’t mean you need to look like an Instagram post. Just take the time to put something together that’s appropriate (or whatever your work suggests), especially if an unexpected virtual meeting happens. This habit helps keep work-time and chill-time separate.

Set Up a Designated Work From Home Area

You need to set limits with your family or roommates on times and areas everyone will work during certain hours. It can be as little as a section of your kitchen table or counter space. Keeping things separate and as organized as possible can help keep the insanity to a minimum.

Keep It Healthy

Working from home can easily lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. Keeping a regular sleep schedule, getting some exercise every day, eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, and limiting screen time is essential to staying healthy and strong mentally and physically. There are several workout apps you can do from home as well as healthy eating and recipe apps you can download to keep your body and mind working in harmony. Mindfulness and meditation can also soothe the soul during the chaos.

Reward Yourself

To keep a positive vibe going throughout the day, it’s vital to create your own personal rewards. It’s a good idea to break tasks down into smaller, workable steps. You can do this by reducing your tasks into smaller goals and then rewarding yourself for completing each step. It may be as simple as stepping outside for a walk, calling a friend to blow off some steam, or cranking up some great tunes for a much needed “dance party of one.” Even if you only have five minutes to spare, remember to take a little time for yourself each day to breathe, connect, and slow the world down.