WFH—the new normal for those of us fortunate enough to work remotely during the current pandemic. As we practice social distancing and navigate through these changes together, it’s important to do our best to have a positive mindset, stay calm, and follow directives from officials and the CDC.
Poosh has been a remote company since we launched, so our team has a solid year of working-from-home experience to share. Below, we’re walking you through simple ways to remain productive throughout the day and how to adapt to a new daily routine.
-Stick to business as usual as far as waking up and making your bed, washing your face, etc. But past that, start a new morning routine. For our editor, Michelle Scanga, after she finishes her normal a.m. tasks (bed made, teeth brushed, face washed, and moisturizer applied) she shuts her bedroom door and tries not to go in there throughout the day to avoid distraction. After that, she makes a cup of tea (or recreates Kourt’s matcha latte), sets up her laptop and charger, turns on our Saje x Poosh diffuser, and dives into emails and messages from the team.
-Even if you don’t feel like it, get dressed and out of your pajamas. Sure, you can let it slide a few days, but you’ll start to feel stir crazy if you stay in your pjs for too long.
-Keeping a schedule is vital for WFH, so make your morning coffee or tea, check in with your parents and family, and then stick to your regular working hours.
-Designate a specific area in your home or apartment as your new (temporary) office space. Ideally, somewhere that catches some sunlight so you can remain sane.
-Take breaks. Make yourself a quick lunch and go on a brief walk around the block to get some fresh air (while social distancing ofc).
-Keep normal office hours. It’s easy to jump right into emails, Slack notifications, group threads, and so on the moment you wake up, but be sure to set boundaries with yourself regarding your hours of availability. The same goes for signing off at night—close your laptop, and if you need to, turn off email notifications during the evening so you can decompress and live life as normal as possible.
-Aside from Zoom meetings and conference calls, working from home can get lonely. Carve out time to call your friends and family either in the morning or when you’re through working and check in on each other.
We also crowdsourced tips from our Poosh community—because at the end of the day, we’re all in this together. Here’s how our readers are adjusting to WFH.
-Get plenty of natural light.
-Go on walks.
-Take mental breaks.
-Keep a routine.
-Spruce up your home desk.
-Sit in a chair rather than getting too comfortable and relaxed on the couch.
-Get ready like you’re going to the office.
-Pace yourself.
-Hold yourself accountable.
-Wake up early and do an at-home workout.
