I never thought I’d miss going into my office this bad, but here we are. Working exclusively at home is a huge adjustment for me. The biggest thing it’s affected is my productivity levels. I went to my office almost every day because it was a part of my routine and helped my brain transition into work mode.
Of course, there are a lot of stressors going on right now that are aggravating our ability to work at similar levels. Everyone’s life is disrupted in unprecedented ways so don’t be too hard on yourself. Productivity might not ever be the same as it was before The Rona decided to visit and overstay its welcome. But even still, we remain resilient and can adapt. ere are a few things you can do to improve:
Follow a routine
Sticking to the habits that help us feel most normal is essential. Make sure you don’t skimp on your morning and nighttime skin care or hair care regimen (now might be the perfect time to build one actually…).
Waking up at the same time, taking a shower, getting dressed, making breakfast helps ingrain similar patterns and habits you had in place before this WFH (work from home) thing became mandatory.
Set up separate work space
It could be a corner in your bedroom, the dining table, or a full blown closed-door office. Whatever your humble abode allows room for, making sure you have somewhere to “go” to for work while at home will make it easier for you to stay in work mode once you get there.
Eat in a different location
This establishes boundaries between work and fulfilling your everyday needs. In my one bedroom apartment, I have transformed my dining table into my office space all decked out with a laptop, large monitor, notebooks, water jug, and all essential work items. On my short breaks, I walk about 10 feet to the sofa to sit and eat meals. I won’t lie, it kind of makes me feel a bit fancy – like I’m going somewhere. Weird, yes. But it works!
Do your work in blocks
No one in the world is sitting at their desk from 9-5 everyday while in quarantine. There’s just too much going on for that shit to happen. Not to mention my butt going numb every hour sitting in an old school wooden chair. It’s kind of hard not to get up and walk my butt back to life every so often. But I digress…go ahead and set up a schedule for work in 2-3 hour blocks and give yourself 30 minutes to decompress. Then repeat that cycle one or two more times that day. In those half hour breaks, you can grab a snack or do a quick yoga flow via youtube. You could even go outside and walk around the block – just don’t forget the mask!
We are in the middle of a full blown pandemic. Building in rest time in between your WFH schedule won’t kill you or set you back, but will actually make you more productive in the long run.
With love (from 6 ft away),
Chika
P.S. We kick off tomorrow and I am super juiced! The First Quarter Business Check-In is a 4-Day Virtual Summit for entrepreneurs. If you have been thinking of starting a business or are a seasoned business owner looking for clarity, strategy, key action takeaways and advice on how to organize your business, manage your finances, sort your accounting, save on taxes, and make your money work for you even after retirement, then this Summit is for you. (I present on Wednesday) Join us April 27th to 30th. Space is limited. Learn more and register today.
