One of my good friends just got a new job working from home full-time, and so she asked me to do a blog post on some of my tips on working from home! I’ll admit, I thought working from home would be easier. The first few weeks especially were hard (mainly because of the reduced social interaction), but I’ve found a few good ways to get around that.
If you just started working from home or have been for a while and haven’t found any comfort in it, read my “10 Commandments” below 😉
1. Thou Shalt Own A Very Comfy Chair
I am putting this first for a reason haha. I had a desk chair before I worked from home full time that I bought because it was cute. It wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, but after sitting in it for my first “real” work-from-home day, my back hurt so bad! It put me in a bad mood to sit at my desk. After a few months of dealing with it, I found the chair I had been eyeing (it’s $599 at West Elm here) for $250 at a garage sale!! Score. SOOO comfortable, it rolls, and it tilts back and forth. Worth it.
2. Thou Shalt Avoid Getting Cellulite
Now that you’ll be home all day, you won’t have as many reasons to get up and move around. Your lunch, bathroom, and “meetings” are all within 20 feet now (give or take) so do your best to get your legs moving. Two of my favorite life hacks are using a dry brush pre-shower and a massage roller post-shower.
The dry brush will help increase circulation, shed dead skin cells, improves lymphatic drainage, and can help with muscle tone to give you a more even distribution of fat deposits. Plus, dry skin brushing helps your skin to absorb nutrients by eliminating clogged pores (aka your lotion will absorb better post-shower). To dry brush, start on dry skin just before showering. Work in gentle circular, upward motions, then longer, smoother strokes. Start at your ankle and work upwards towards the heart. It feels great!
I use the massage roller after I get out of the shower with a little baby oil. Just roll back and forth on your legs – it literally feels like a massage! Just be careful not to roll too hard because you’ll bruise like crazy.
3. Thou Shalt Go To Workout Classes
It doesn’t matter what kind of workout you get or when you do it – as long as it gets you out of the house (+ bonus points if it gets you to socialize!). I go to Scottsdale Bodi but occasionally will go to spin or yoga class. I prefer to go at 5:30pm because it forces me to end my work day at 5! I aim to get five 1-hour workouts in each week.
4. Thou Shalt (Attempt To) Shower Every Day
….but don’t get mad if you don’t! Stay in your pjs all day if you need to. I just feel better and more put together after a shower, even if no one is going to see me all day.
5. Thou Shalt Listen To Podcasts
If your situation was anything like mine, will go from working in a social office with people your age to working by yourself all day. The first couple of weeks I was going crazy not having as much social interaction, but podcasts are an easy way to get around this. It still allows you to see things from others’ perspectives and makes you feel like you’re apart of a conversation.
I try to find a variety of industry-related podcasts, education/self-improvement podcasts, and podcasts that are just for fun. I wrote a post on 5 of my favorites for 20-somethings here, but here are more:
Industry-Related (for more news sources on social media, click here)
Educational/Self-Improvement
Just For Fun
- The Morning Toast (previously The Morning Breath)
- The Lady Gang
6. Thou Shalt Wear Computer Glasses
I have two pairs of computer (aka blue-canceling) glasses, one from from EyeBuyDirect and the other from Amazon. They seriously help prevent those 3pm headaches! I stare at my screen (or screens….) allll day and it gets really tiring on the eyes.
Computer glasses will also help you sleep better at night (obviously you take them off before bed lol) because blue lights from our screen trick our brain into thinking it’s day time. By canceling out the blue in your screens, you’re helping your eyes and brain adjust for bedtime! Here are some cute and affordable ones:
7. Thou Shalt Stay Organized
Without any meetings or designated breaks to help divide up your time, it can be really easy to drag a simple task or project on for hours. For this, I recommend time blocking (I use this handy dandy timer here)! Time blocking is setting aside 30 minutes to batch-work on one task. Take a 5 minute break, and then work on another task for 30 minutes. It forces your brain to get shit done!
I also love using tools like Trello (to plan social media content) and Asana (to stay on top of tasks and delegate to my team).
8. Thou Shalt Stay Out Of The Kitchen
Starting to work from home can be the “Freshman 15” all over again! Your kitchen is 10 steps away and there are constant snacks at your fingertips. Stay away from them or meal prep, because the “Work From Home 5” is real lol.
9. Thou Shalt Go For A Walk Outside
There are some days when I don’t have meetings or events (or any reason to leave the house / get ready) and I find I go crazyyyy staying inside. To solve this, I go for walks after lunch! I plug in one of my favorite podcasts, put on some sunscreen and a hat, and get some Vitamin D (I take these supplements) & sunshine.
Depending on the day, I probably walk between 15-45 minutes. I usually find that I return to my work feeling refreshed and more creative. I usually have all these ideas come to me on my walks – they’re a great source of inspiration! I usually have to pause the podcast I’m listening to to take notes or jot down and idea lol.
10. Thou Shalt Wear A Posture Corrector
Ok this sounds SO NERDY but it’s better to wear it in the privacy of your home than out in public or in an office!! I LOVE my posture corrector. From the front, it looks like you’re wearing a small backpack or something lol.
My one tip here is to wear it with something that has sleeves. My underarms are sensitive and sometimes the fabric (there’s velcro on it) irritates my skin, so I just always wear it with sleeves!
Just Keep In Mind….
Remember that the first few weeks will probably be the hardest because you’re getting used to a new routine. Just stick to these tips and it should help! If there are any other “must-have” tips for working from home, please let me know! xx – Becca
