WFH.
Looks = almost just like WTF.
Feels = 100% like that.
I’d like all of us to first pat ourselves on the back for surviving about six months of working from home. It’s not an easy task. With all of its cons, and even its pros, there are still things about WFH that make us feel frustrated or restless or stuck in some endless rerun of Groundhog Day.
After nearly losing my mind from sitting in the same place every day in my small apartment, I’ve begun to apply some simple adjustments that have helped make a career at home a little more bearable.
1. Make your darn bed.
There’s a reason why people who make their beds in the morning are successful. It’s the first accomplishment of the day. It’s your action of saying ‘yes’ to responsibility, habit, and intentionality. Before you do anything else, make your bed! And then gaze at it from afar and admire that even if the rest of the day feels less-than, you still achieved something today.
2. Breathe in the fresh air.
The reason some of us are going crazy is because most of us aren’t working outdoors or having the same exposure to the outside world that we normally would. One of my favorite things to do in the mornings is open the windows, let the sun pour in, and feel the crisp morning air come in and freshen up the apartment. It’s so lifegiving, especially when you feel trapped inside and it’s stuffy. Making sure you have some fresh air circulating always helps get the day off on a good foot.
3. Clean before bedtime.
I know most of us probably clean and pick up the house before bedtime on a regular basis, but it’s even more important during this season. Waking up to a clean place is refreshing. It means there are no dishes piled in the sink. It means the day feels new. Cleaning after a long day might feel like a tiring task in the moment, but it pays for itself when you open your eyes the next morning.
4. Eat lunch (& hydrate!).
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten to eat lunch, and how much that throws off the whole balance of my day. It’s easy to keep going and going, especially in a work from home environment, because all the routines of the workplace are nowhere in sight. Don’t cheat yourself from lunch –– make time for a healthy 30-60 minute break to eat, relax, and step away from work.
5. Stop checking your email after hours.
This one is embarrassing because I’m recommending it to you, but I have the absolute hardest time doing it myself. Tapping my Gmail app and pulling down to refresh my inbox is almost like instinctual muscle memory. I do it sometimes even without thinking. And the anxiety of leaving an unread email in my inbox is sometimes excruciating. But during WFH, that’s where the distinction becomes even harder and unhealthier. The time that work starts and begins can get blurred. You start thinking you need to be on the clock all the time, because everyone is communicating online now. Stop. It’s not healthy. When work ends and you call it a day, don’t open that inbox again. Stop checking your email. Go relax. Make dinner. Listen to some music. Your emails don’t need you after hours –– and you don’t need them.
Your emails don’t need you after hours –– and you don’t need them.
– me, a self-proclaimed workaholic.
6. Be kind to yourself.
Quarantine and working from home is not an easy time. If you’re struggling, that’s okay. Some of us are coping better than others, and some of us aren’t. Be kind to yourself, because these are unusual times that came completely unannounced. No one was taught to prepare for working through a pandemic –– you’re doing great!
xo, rachlv.
