In the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, I’m sure life is looking a LOT out of the norm for most of us, if not all, right now. Many companies are implementing work-from-home policies in the efforts to stop the spread. For some of us, this is a real challenge to be up against.

You may be working from home full-time for the first time and not sure how to navigate this sudden change. Even if you have worked from home before, this work-from-home feels a little different! I’ve been working from home for about 4 years and even for me, with all the news updates, posts, and fear of the unknown...it makes it hard to stay focused. These tips will make sure you are staying motivated and most importantly maintaining your mental sanity!

1. Create a morning routine

This is the perfect time to start that morning routine you’ve always wanted. Ya know, the things you used to think about and say “if I had an extra 20 mins in the morning I would do this.” Welp, there’s no better time than the present. 

Morning routines help set the tone of your day. Whether it’s starting your day with a walk while listening to your favorite podcast, reading a devotional, to having breakfast and coffee over some smooth jazz. I never go a day without music! How you start your day is so important. Humans are creatures of habit. Find some daily practices that put you in the best mood and flow state to make the most of your day.

2. Find a designated work space

One of the biggest challenges when working from home is keeping your home and work lives separate. As tempting as it is to work in your bed, this is not the best option. Certain places at home will trigger certain unconscious reactions. The bedroom will trigger sleep and grogginess, just as standing in the kitchen looking at food will trigger your brain to think it’s time to eat.

Try to find a designated work space in your home where you can sit up straight to a table, desk, or bar top. This will help keep you in the “work” state of mind. This will also protect those sacred areas of your house. You don’t want your place of rest to become blurred lines with work.

Also, make sure this space is neat and comfortable. Clutter is a productivity killer! Clean it up and make it cozy. You may want to add a plant, a candle, or a diffuser to get the good vibes flowing for a productive day!

3. Make a schedule and stick to it

This tip was a huge game changer for me. I used to make a to-do list and wonder why I would keep re-writing the same tasks over and over again. It was simply that, an overwhelming list of things to do. No timeframe, no deadlines, no urgency. Nothing was prioritized or scheduled. Anything that came to mind that needed to get done, I wrote it down whether it needed to happen that day or not. This was mental overload!

Every morning I write out my “big three” (as I like to call it) and then proceed to schedule out my day by the hour. This helps reduce overwhelm and produce results. I go into each day knowing exactly what my day will look like. I have a daily planner I religiously use and I couldn’t imagine life without one!

Bonus tip

Make sure to define your workable and non-workable hours and limit your distractions. Schedule your “social” time (because we still need that human interaction) on your breaks or if you complete a task early. It’s easy for time to get away from you. You will look up and it’ll be 10pm and you are still working on tasks you would normally have done by 5pm.

You don’t want to create “burnout” by working more hours than you do on a normal day if you were in the office. Once you’ve finished your task for the day, make sure to FaceTime some friends and family! When the world is going crazy like this, it’s so important to stay connected to the ones we love most!