It’s been almost a year since we started quarantining, which means working from home (for the first time for many of us!). Sharing some quarantine work from home tips that I’ve come to embrace over the last year since working from home. 

I’m still in shock that it’s almost been an entire year since lock-down started, and we all started working from home. I remember initially that we all thought it was just going to be a few weeks (SIGH), and my office told us on a Thursday that we were all going to try to work from home on Friday as a “test”, and then we never went back to the office again. Really hoping the clothes and snacks I left at the office are still there whenever we all (eventually) go back!

It’s been a roller-coaster working from home for the first time in my life, all while trying to be just as productive and successful as we all were back in the office. And while some days have been better than others, I’ve definitely learned a few quarantine work from home tips and tricks to keep myself motivated and productive while working from home. Here are a few o those quarantine work from home tips that have made my work life a little easier.

Quarantine Work From Home Tips:

Create A Fake Morning Commute:

This is maybe one of my craziest quarantine work from home tips, but I was reading an article the other day that the best way to ease into the day is by creating a fake commute. Think about it, when you used to commute to work, you had a few minutes clearing your mind on your drive, on the walk to work or the train station. The moments of transition (commuting, grabbing your morning cup of coffee, etc.) help you transition from your role at home (whether it’s a partner, mother, dog mom, etc.) and into the working version of yourself. Without that commute, it’s a bit of a shock to the system to become “working Maya” every morning.

My own version of my “morning commute” these days has been taking Milo to the dog park to get a little walk in and watch him completely light up while running around with other dogs. Nothing puts a smile on your face and gives you a better opportunity to ease into your morning (and ALWAYS with a big cup of coffee in hand!)

Block Your Time (As Much as You Can):

Another one of my favorite quarantine work from home tips that I’ve started adapting now more than ever is to block my time to actually get shit done at work. I support a ton of different brands with my day job, so my days are often booked solid with back to back meetings – often from 8 – 5:30. There’s only so much multi-tasking you can do during the day, and when you need to get actual, deeper work done, it makes it impossible when you’re bopping around from meeting to meeting, project to project, brand to brand.

I’ve been trying to do a better job of more purposefully blocking out a few hour chunks during my day to actually get work done, and get in a better state of work flow. That way I can do things like come with strategic recommendations, pull together presentations that are telling a better story, and working on those longer term projects that don’t get done unless you really put pen to paper. I’ve found myself feeling way more productive and fulfilled when I have time set aside to actually get work done, and I’m hoping it’s a practice I’m still able to accomplish once we go back to the office eventually.

Upgrade Your Coffee Game:

I’ll admit that this seems silly, but upping your coffee game (however that might look for you!) can make a big difference too. I used to relish my daily coffee break to walk down to the Starbucks in my building in the morning (and sometimes in the afternoon) and take a mental break away from my desk to get a latte. But since working from home, trudging in the snow for a latte didn’t seem quite as appealing, and everyone working away from the office meant that there were more meeting than I usually had to sit through (which means less in between time for a fresh cup of coffee!)

This Christmas my boyfriend got me the greatest gift – a espresso machine, and I’ve been super surprised how much of a difference it’s made in my daily work routine. I love waking up to make a big latte, and having more of a break in the middle of the day to make a cup of coffee and get away from my computer has been a really nice break. Whether it’s a Chemex upgrade, a espresso machine, or even just a new mug that makes you happy. It’s a little thing that for some reason helps me get out of bed and stay motivated throughout the day.

Write a Primary and Secondary To-Do List Every Morning:

I’ve always tried to write a daily to-do list, even when I was in the office, to organize everything I had to accomplish throughout the day. Working from home, it was easy to fall into bad habits, and my to-do list writing fell by the wayside. When I started back to writing a daily to-do, I realized that I actually needed to rite two to-do lists, one of the “must wins” of the day (things I needed to prioritize no matter what!), and a secondary to do  list of things that were a bit easier to accomplish (and might only take a few minutes), that also included a few personal things I needed to tackle too. While I don’t always get everything off my to-do list done, I now prioritize at least getting one thing checked off my “must win” list daily to make sure the most important projects keep moving.

Give Yourself a Hard Start and Stop (and let your team know):

It’s so easy to feel like every day is the same while working from home/in quarantine. And it’s even easier to feel like you’re always on when it comes to work. I definitely found myself working more throughout the beginning of quarantine, and it wasn’t until recently where I started setting more boundaries for myself to achieve a little more balance.

I’ve started starting trying to end my day at a specific time (usually 5:30 or 6 if I’m not in meetings, and start around 8:30 – 9 every morning),  which has helped my peers know when they can expect me, but also knows when they won’t necessarily hear from me too. Plus, it gives me time to take Milo to the park so we’re both a little happier throughout the day. Unless there’s a real emergency, I try to steer clear of working late nights or super early mornings for everyone’s sanity 🙂

Set Up Boundaries with your Immediate Team:

Speaking of boundaries, setting up personal boundaries (like your working hours) and team boundaries are another way to give yourself better work life balance. Sometimes it might seem awkward to talk about with your immediate team, but understanding each other’s working styles, ways they prefer to work, and what they need their work boundaries to be is super helpful, especially when working from home. I know when its the best time for my co-workers to have a meeting, how they like to be communicated with best (video, call, text, etc.) and what are their non-negotiables that give them more balance in their lives (whether it’s what they need to do to manage their kids, families, errands throughout the day, etc.). While it’s not ever perfect balancing everyone’s schedules, being cognizant of people’s work preferences goes a long way.

Use your Time Off, Even If You Can’t Travel:

There’s even more of a reason to take time off when you’re stuck in the mundane of working from home every day. The burnout is real, and honestly feels a little worse when you’re not in the office every day. I spent the beginning of working from home without taking any days off, and it was definitely tough on my mental health. So this year, I’m prioritizing taking more time off to stay feeling refreshed and being the best working version of myself I can be (which usually results in me being a nicer human too!)

Get a Change of Scenery (or take a walk):

My last (but one of the easiest!) quarantine work from home tips is getting a change of scenery whenever you’re feeling creatively uninspired or just in a funk at work. Taking a walk around the block or going on a mini errand  has done wonders for my mental health, and definitely helps break up the day and give me some new perspective. Having Milo around makes it a lot easier to justify a walk around the neighborhood, and I always feel a bit better before getting back behind my computer again. Even if it’s just 10-15 minutes, I find myself being much more productive!

So there it is, my quarantine work from home tips, which have worked for me in the past few months. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had tons of hell weeks/days, but actioning some of these tips has made a huge difference in my productivity and mental health.

Do you have any quarantine work from home tips that have made a difference for you? I’d love to add more and make this a running list! xx