When the Covid-19 pandemic struck and people were forced to work from home, many struggled to adjust to their new workplace.
Luckily, like 4.7 million other people in the US, I was already working remotely, so I acclimated well.
Working from home, however, comes with a unique set of challenges, especially while in a worldwide pandemic. Staying creative and driven can be difficult in a solitary, stagnant environment.
But, with quarantine and the lasting effects of Covid, I’ve had plenty of time to create healthy work habits at home. Here are my tried and true tips to prevent burnout and monotony while working from home.
1. Set a Schedule
If you’re not careful, the lack of a schedule can be your biggest enemy. Sleeping until noon, working until 8 pm, and not taking the proper time for meals can quickly make you resent your job.
77% of people report that they’re more productive when working from home.
The trick? Taking breaks and having set work hours. Don’t be the other 23%. Stick to a schedule!
I’ve found that on the days that I got up at 9 am, ate breakfast, got ready for the day, and started working by 10 am, I finished my work quicker and was in a better mood.
Your schedule doesn’t need to be rigid, but waking up around the same time, allotting time for lunch, taking breaks, and setting a time to stop working can drastically improve your productivity.
2. Designate a Desk
As comfortable as it is to work from bed, doing so can make your bedroom a stressful environment, blur the boundary between work and home, and decrease your sleep quality.
For years, I worked almost exclusively in my bed or on the couch. As someone who likes to take notes on paper, this made it difficult.
When I finally invested in a desk, everything changed. I now enjoy sitting down and having a space to put my coffee and notebook and a switch in my brain flips when I get to my desk that puts me into work mode.
3. Get Out
It’s hard to be creative when you’ve been staring at the same wall for days.
When I’m in a creative rut, my go-to cures are taking a walk, spending an afternoon working in a local coffee shop, or walking around HomeGoods.
I like to work in coffee shops for a change of scenery and to people watch, and I love drawing inspiration from HomeGoods. When I’m in the beginning stages of a visual art project and looking for ideas, a walk through the art section of the store is very helpful. With so many styles of art, you’re bound to find something that instigates creativity.
I loved this blog post because it is current and useful for every day struggles that we are all now experiencing. My favorite way to get out is by taking walks as well and I never would have known how cute my neighborhood is without quarantine!