Elements of our daily lives have changed quite a bit over the past month. As we’re sure you’ve all heard, staying home is key in preventing the spread of germs and getting others sick. But what if you’re new to this whole work from home life? What if you’re juggling kids, pets, and the overwhelming urge to live in your pajamas 24/7?
We are all adjusting to this new regiment, so here are ten suggestions to help boost your productivity and make life easier while working from home.
1. Create a new or separate designated working area.
It is hard to differentiate between work and home life when you set up your company laptop in the same spot where you sit to binge-watch Netflix. A huge part of settling into a new routine is choosing a new area in your home as the designated “work zone”. By “arriving” to this location and remaining there for the duration of your work day, then leaving it when 5 o’clock rolls around will train your mind to differentiate between the home and work life- even if your new daily commute may only be a few steps.
2. Stick to your sleep schedule.
Getting that extra hour of sleep in the morning sure feels nice in comparison to the bumper to bumper traffic you once had to drive through. However, maintaining your weekday ‘early to bed, early to rise’ routine is very important, as breaking that schedule can be a slippery slope and sleep deprivation isn’t an easy slope to recover from. We suggest using our Sleep Well Collection to unwind and promote calmness with the room and pillow mist, the moisturizing body lotion and the aromatherapy roll-on working together to ensure you’re well rested in the morning and set up for productivity.
3. Get dressed in the morning.“Maybe I’ll stay in my robe until I finish answering my emails” can so quickly become “Did I wear anything other than pajamas all week?!” Getting dressed is an important ritual and routine for our brains to set us up for productivity and a certain level of professionalism. Plus, your coworkers will thank you at your next zoom meeting.
4. Prioritize your day
Just because a lot has been cancelled, doesn’t mean that day planner you bought has to go to waste. Make lists, map out your days- these steps bring clarity and a sense of accomplishment when completed.
5. Eat balanced meals (try to eat outside with fresh air).
Being within arms reach of your own kitchen cupboard is a whole new ball game compared to the long walk down the hall to the staff kitchen. It is important to maintain your meal prepping and healthy snack eating. What’s your favourite snack? We love crunching on carrot sticks and hummus, or having a little bowl of trail mix next to us in case our stomachs start to growl.
6. Drink water (And lots of it!)
This is so important in all areas of your life- working from home or not, water is so good for us. It is recommended to drink lots of water not only to improve digestion, balance skin and hydrate your body but also to get you up and moving when you need to use the washroom.
7. Turn on your diffuser!
“In particular, essential oils can profoundly improve memory, helping to boost both your focus and your recall time.”Studies have shown that various essential oils can be used to help promote focus, concentration and even productivity when used. This is one area that might even beat working in the office as having a diffuser on your desk may not be as appreciated by your coworkers. Lemon, Basil, Frankincense, Sandalwood and Rosemary are some of our best essential oils to promote concentration and boost overall brain function.
8. Turn off your phone.Sometimes even the most focused individuals can get distracted by the little buzzing and dinging that come with our cell phones. Being productive at home can always be improved by turning your phone off, or perhaps leaving it in another room while you are accomplishing your list of tasks. Consider limiting your phone time to when you’ve scheduled your breaks.
9. Keep your home clean.There’s a reason you keep a tidy desk area at the office. Clutter equals chaos and it can be in the form of dirty dishes or stacks of books visible from your work area. Keep a clean workspace to promote less stress and allow you to focus on your tasks and productivity, not distracted by the pile of laundry by your feet.
10. Distractions happen, don’t be too hard on yourself.
Most of our daily routines were quite shaken up, some even turned upside down recently and it’s been a lot of adjustments as a result. Maybe it’s the sound of your roommate blasting music from the bathroom during a business call, maybe your dog keeps barking at the squirrel from the window or your kids keep asking you questions about what you’re doing- whatever your work from home situation looks like, we need to cut ourselves some slack. Although these distractions are anticipated, we can do our best to accommodate, adapt and keep on trekking through. You’ve got this!