Before March, I hated getting up at 7 am and running to catch my train to head to work or school. I mean I liked working and going to school but actually I hated the idea of waking up that early and coming home late. When the pandemic hit, it was mid semester when we were all forced to stay at home and complete our semester remotely. At first I thought it was great since my office switched to working remotely as well. No more waking up at 7 to catch the train, I would just wake up 30mins before my shift or class, freshen up and then just do what I need to do. However, as time went on, I realized it wasn’t that great. I started to miss my morning commute, meeting up with friends, my office- I missed it all.
When it came time to start school again. I was over it. I felt like I couldn’t focus and I couldn’t sleep- I was just OVER it. Now two weeks into school, I feel more focused and just overall much better than I was at first. The reason is because I learned a couple of tips that really helped me deal with the stress of working from home. I wanted to share them with you guys because I know how overwhelming it can get. Hopefully some of these tips can help you work from home more effectively!
Working from Bed isn’t the Wave
Okay so here is the biggest mistake I made, I would do all my work on my bed! Yea it was comfy but it was not productive. Your bedroom is a place to relax and sleep and associating it with other activities like doing homework or working can kind of take away from that relaxing factor. The working from bed wasn’t the worst part it was the fact I have a desk set up to do work from yet I still chose to do work from my bed! Forcing myself to get out of bed and work from my desk made me more productive and I got much more work done! If you don’t have a desk , try to change up your scenery! Work from another room or something so you aren’t sitting in one place all day.
Don’t Stay in your PJs all day!
I know working in your PJs is super comfy and who is gonna see me anyways is what we all start to think, but it is actually detrimental. Get up and get ready as you normally would. This helps to kind of get into the motion of things. Also do your hair and makeup- heck go all out if you want to! I started doing that -mainly so that I don’t nap during the day.- but that is besides the point here. Getting ready forced me to kind of wake up. Or else I would literally be in my pjs all day and it was just not hygienic or productive. Forcing yourself to actually get ready gives us more of a “normal” feel even if we are working from home.
Make a Routine and Stick to it!
This is the biggest tip I could give you! Make a routine and stick to it at all cost! Get up make yourself some breakfast- do this everyday regardless if you have class that day or not. Creating a routine will you settle into things a bit better. Before, I did not have a routine, I would wake up brush and wash my face then sit down for work. I would not eat anything and I would be super tired and hungry till lunch and sometimes till the end of my shift which was like 4 pm. I hated it. Now, I get up an hour before my shift, get ready, make breakfast and do any errands that need to get done before work or class. Trust me this helped me so much! It gives me time to actually prepare for my day rather than jumping in head first.
Get a planner!
I am someone who spends a half an hour before sleeping mentally planning out the next day. Yes it is helpful but it is also so stressful keeping a list and even just executing it when you are this busy as is. For me, my life is actually crazy right now- I have work and class everyday for various amount of times. For me, a typical day starts at 8 or 9 and does not end until 7. Within that time, I am doing homework, working, and taking class. It should also be noted I thought it would be a great idea to take on 18 credits this semester, which was definitely not a good idea. I recently bought this planner from amazon which I am obsessed with. It is a tear sheet planner which helps you plan each day. I take out 5 minutes in the morning to fill out and write all the things I need to get done that day. It helps me focus on each day at a time and not get so overwhelmed. It cost about $10 but it was totally worth it! Better than writing on various post its and sticking them on my wall.
Here is a link to the planner: https://amzn.to/3cf0i0z
https://rstyle.me/+-n7w0_2RBtR3vGwVULLzyw
Take care of yourself!
A lot of times we get so caught up with our lives that we tend to lose ourselves in the midst of the chaos. It happens to me as well. Just last week my weekdays consisted mostly of 8 am start time to finishing my day off at 6-7. By that time, I had no sort of energy for myself or anything else. After making an initial rough copy of my weekly schedule I designated a day and time reserved just for myself. For me it is Friday afternoon- I am done with work and classes for the week. By this time, I am also done with majority of my work so I do not have any work to do over the weekend. Also, by this time, I am super tired, worn out, and my brain literally hurts. I need the break. Typically during this time I take a shower, pray Jummah and then either do a face mask, paint my nails, or just stay in bed and scroll through social media. The fact is self care does not have to be super extravagant as long as you are taking time to rest and relaxing while unwinding a bit. Even machines and electronics need a break and a recharge session- we are merely just humans. Make yourself and your needs a priority!
These were just somethings that personally helped me get into a better routine and work from home more efficiently! Everyone’s needs and routines are different but this is just what worked for me. Now keep in mind I did not just wake up one day and did all of these things and I was set. It took me at least a week of constantly doing all this to actually get the hang of it! Let me know what you guys do to help you work from home more efficiently.
Kainaat&CO 