I've been self-employed and working from home for over two years now. With all that's going on in the world with COVID-19 right now, a lot of people are being sent home to work too. Reuben only does two full days of nursery per week so I'm already used to working from home with him here too - however, now that all of the schools have closed and our children are at home all week, things have gotten a little bit chaotic haven't they? I thought that I would share some of the ways that help keep me motivated, and that keep the balance in check between my work and home life. It might come in useful for some of you during this very bizarre time...
get ready for the day
Now, I won't lie, there have been many times where I've had a super productive day from the sofa, sat in my comfies, but if you struggle to get motivated then I promise that getting yourself up & ready for the day works a charm. When Reuben goes to nursery and I'm up, dressed and heading out the door by 9am, it works wonders for my productivity. Putting on some makeup really wakes me up and has me ready to take on the day. When he's not at nursery I like to get up and head out to do a food shop or something along those lines first thing in the morning, but as we're all supposed to be staying at home and social-distancing, then I would recommend just getting yourself ready and sitting in your garden or on your doorstep with a hot cup of coffee. The fresh air does amazing things! Act like you're heading out to work, except head to your home desk afterwards...
set achievable tasks
Unless you have a boss giving you a daily task list, then I'd recommend setting your own. I find the best way to do this is to write a small, achievable list, rather than overwhelming yourself with a huge one. Whenever I write long lists, I barely get anything on them done... but when I write smaller ones, I end up ticking them off so quickly that I just add a couple more things on at the bottom. I guess it's just a mind over matter kinda situation but it just works so much better for me. Start off small and when you're making your way through, you can just extend it. If you don't manage to add things on, that's okay too, at least you won't be left with a list that's unfulfilled. You can just start new tomorrow.
keep your energy levels up
I definitely eat more when I'm at home all day as opposed to being out of the house, but that's not a bad thing. With less fresh air, I find my energy levels need to be kept up whether that be with snacks, or caffeine. It will depend on your diet and preference to what yours will be, but having in things like cereal bars, protein bars, or anything you might take along to work with you will come in handy. I love to make myself a big smoothie in a jug too with things like spinach and lots of fruit in, that always keeps my energy levels up throughout the day.
set up your work space
I don't have a 'set' workspace as it depends on where I feel like working, but setting one up may help you if that's what you need, and if you click here, you will find an excellent guide to designing the perfect home office. For me personally, I just like to set myself up for the day, wherever that may be. Sometimes it's my sofa and sometimes it's my dining table in my kitchen. I tend to swap between the two, but I always set up the coffee table or the dining table with my laptop, my notebook and to-do list, my camera cards and my drink and snacks. This way I don't really need to get up for a while whilst I'm working which ultimately leads to a lot less distractions.
However, if you are lucky enough to have extra space in your home to play with then you could create a place to work with no distractions. This could be anywhere from a spare room to the shed at the end of your garden. If you opt for the latter this will give you plenty of peace and quiet to get tasks and jobs done efficiently and effectively. Make sure you weather proof your shed if this is somewhere you decide to work, you should also make sure it has natural light such as a window. Speak to an expert as you may need to invest in some corrugated roofing sheets from the Clear Amber Shop for a waterproof layer to protect you from the elements.
let yourself finish for the day
I think I find this the hardest, especially if I haven't ticked off everything on my to-do list but it's so important. Not only do you need regular breaks just like you would in an office environment, but you need to have an end to the day too. You need to set that work-home balance so that your home doesn't just become entirely revolved around working. It's extremely hard in the blogging industry as your day never really ends, especially with social media playing such a huge part... but I always focus on ending my work day before dinner. This way, even if I end up on instagram during the evening, my focus ultimately is to relax, so I'll have food, a nice bath, switch Netflix on... and then I'm chilling out before another working day ahead of me!
Have you found yourself suddenly working from home during this pandemic? How do you keep focused?
