I’m sharing #Advil in my life as part of an Advil® sponsored series for Socialstars. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Charmingly Styled possible! #FastAdvilFanatics #SponsoredI’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a few days off over the last week before between starting my new job at Zapwater in just a few week (who knew having days off could be so much fun?!) As I was ending my days at DDB, I was looking to my week off as the time I was going to GSD, work on blogging, freelance work and do all those things I’ve been meaning to do that were impossible over the last few months. But, it turns out – when you have the whole day to get everything done, sometimes it’s a little hard to be super productive.

My friends Kelly, Jess and Blair are all full time bloggers/entrepreneurs, and they’ve blogged about how hard it is staying productive when you work from home in the past. And I have to admit, I read their posts with a grain of salt thinking, “oh yeah, how can it really be that hard?” But once I had a full day to myself where I woke up at 10 AM, didn’t shower until 3 and finally got dressed at 5 did I realize how freaking hard it is to be productive when you have the whole day ahead of you. Yeah, I take back my all my doubts, friends – it’s hard to work from home.

So, what have I learned in these past few days {and mostly from my friends} to make every day a productive one? Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way!Set aside a space to be creative/work: 

I know this is going to be pretty revolutionary, but it turns out that working from your couch, right in front of the TV isn’t the best way to knock out a crap ton of work. Totally something I knew, but on my first day working from home it suddenly appeared that I forgot – whoops! By day 2, I’d cleaned off my desk, moved my computer to it’s new permanent home {on said desk} and have seen myself get way more done than I thought possible.

Get in the ZONE:

Yes, I just used a sports analogy – but take me seriously on this one! You know that creative, productive zone you can get in when the stars magically align? Turns out, it’s not as “once in a blue moon” as you might think – and there are certain patterns everyone can pay attention to in order to get there. For instance, I know that when I listen to ambient music, have my to-do list filled out and ready to be checked off, and have a giant latte next to me, I can always GSD – so whenever I need to crank out a ton of work, I recreate what I need in order to get there. Maybe you can do work while watching TV {if so, more power to you!}, or maybe you need some Beyoncé blaring and lots of snacks to get you through. Whatever it is, find the pattern of what helps you get in the zone and do it to it!Make a to-do list:

To-do lists have always {and will always be} my jam, and I never seem to be able to have a productive day without making one. I’m all about setting goals for myself, and making a to-do list is like my little reminder of what I need to knock off my plate and get done within the day, week and weekend. I love my friend Danielle of Thyme is Honey’s daily notepads and they’re perfect for keeping me on track with all aspects of my day – from counting calories {on a good day…} to the glasses of water I’ve had to drink, to all the satisfying things I’ve gotten done. There’s really no better feeling than crossing off everything on your to-do list 😉 via

Get dressed like you’re going to work: 

Bust out your blazers, friends – it turns out that getting dressed for the day and being productive are directly correlated. There’s definitely some psychological research that how you dress can affect your performance at work – and working from home is really no different. We can all relate to wearing something that made you feel totally confident to work, and then totally kicking ass and taking names that day at work – so obviously working from your pijamas at 3PM probably isn’t going to result in your most productive afternoon yet  {however, if it does – then YAS, obviously rock PJs like they’re going out of style!} Whenever I have a day where I get the chance to work from home, I’ve now trained myself to take a shower, get dressed and prepare for my day like I was leaving for the office. Not only do I get more work done, but I look way better doing it too!

Caffeinate!

Ain’t no shame in that coffee game – and I’m a big believer in drinking coffee in the office and at home. My most productive days start with one in the morning, and then another killer latte just before that 2:30 feeling sets in. Plus, if you’re working from home – getting out of the house in the morning of later afternoon is the best way to feel rejuvenated and take a break from your to-do list. The combination of fresh air, a warm cup of coffee and walking around are sometimes just what you need to get your creative juices flowing again. Kick headaches to the curb: 

Your passions don’t get sick days, and when you’re constantly working on freelance projects, passion projects, full time jobs, etc – a day off sometimes isn’t an option. So when it comes to getting headaches, I always make sure to keep Advil® Liqui-Gels at my desk to make sure I’m ready for anything. I love that Advil® ensures I have pain-free passions, and I don’t have to have the pain of a headache hold me back from working on my goals and passions – because let’s be real, nothing can get you down like a horrible headache! Whenever I notice I have a headache coming on, I always make sure to take 2 to kick the pain to the curb, and it’s my favorite pain reliever for anyone who’s constantly on the go {or also is working to cross off their massive to-do list too!} When nobody has time for that {that being a headache!} Advil® always comes to the rescue!Any other awesome tips that help keep you productive all day long? Whether you work from home, from the office, from a plane, etc. – tell me what you swear by – I’d love to know! xx