I’m sure other people are on the same wavelength as me when I make the statement that homelife is really the it-life right now. So many people I talk to are all about remote jobs and are actively shifting their careers towards freelance work. And I don’t blame them. I’ve been working remotely since March and it really has been a plot twist in my life. Making your own schedule and not having to worry about all the things we worry about when going into an actual office is kind of amazing. Now it’s not all lounging and naps between meetings so let’s get into it.
One of the issues that I encountered early on in my working from home days was clothes. I was in a place where putting on real clothes seemed like a waste (it still does sometimes). But I would also find myself lounging around in pyjamas and not feeling motivated. So my solution was to buy some cute and comfy and still quite presentable lounge clothes from Poshmark. And even then, there are still days when even that’s not enough and putting on real clothes becomes a necessity to motivate and energise you know?
Scheduling is a bitch
Then there’s time. Keeping to your own schedule is fucking rough sometimes. It’s like you have to be your own supervisor and kick yourself in the ass to get a move on with all the things you have to do. And getting distracted (read: procrastinating) with things that need to be done around the house becomes second nature. Sometimes I’ll wander into the kitchen to get more water and end up doing the dishes or cleaning the counters instead. I mean, it has to get done you know?
Solutions to manage your life
Well, I’ve always been super into productivity apps like Notes and Reminders and Calendar but now I use them to a whole new level and it works.
➣ Make a calendar for each section of your life (work, personal, friends, partner, family, side hustle, etc) and each evening make a plan for the next day by filling in your calendar
➣ Any little thing you need to be reminded of, write it down and set an alarm (I even have things like change towels and wash fluffy blankets on there). It’s also a great place to write down checklists like groceries, movies to watch and restaurants to go to
➣ Repeat after me: Notes are your best friend. I’ve gotten into the habit of writing everything down. In the mornings I’ll start a note for the day and if I think of something on the go, no matter what it’s concerning, I’ll write it down and then when I have a moment I go back and sort through what I’ve written to categorise it whether something is for work or for home or my personal life
While remote work is one thing to keep occupied with at home, being at home while the world is still kind of in shambles (really, being in a crowd was already not the best and now its a big no thank you from me) so we have to keep ourselves entertained right? And I mean how many series can we binge-watch before forgetting what we were even consuming?
Home entertainment, literally
Though I love a good limited series binge - enjoy a thriller moment like Sharp Objects, Mare of Eastown and Serpent or something a little cheeky like Mrs. Fletcher and Feud: Bette and Joan
Turn your home into your own favourite watering hole - learn to make your favourite cocktail or one you always wanted to try but never enough to spend $12 on it
Or turn your home into a vineyard - buy a couple bottles of wine or get yourself a wine subscription and have a wine tasting evening
Buy a puzzle - there are some super cool ones out there right now like Full Moon (https://betterco.com/products/moon), All White (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008DCQE3O/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mymome0f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B008DCQE3O&linkId=63403b156d08e43af7813c9d121ddc41) and Transparent (https://www.etsy.com/listing/749652176/puzzle-impossible-extreme-difficult?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=anchored_listing&frs=1)
Join a book club or start your own or there’s probably that book (or 10) on your bookshelf that you bought and said you’d read - well nows the time for it - I love a 30-60 minute reading session a day
Travel without leaving your house by cooking meals from different countries
Start a 30 day workout challenge - you never know you might love it so much, all of a sudden you’ve created a new habit that is the best one to have
Full disclosure: all of these are definitely more fun if done with a friend, partner or family member but also, sometimes all you need is your own company - like they say “if you like the person you are when you’re by yourself, you’ll never be alone”
Change is inevitable
The fact is, when you work remotely and overall perhaps don’t go out as much as you used to, you have such an opportunity to better yourself. Even small changes like setting a bedtime and wake up time and really sticking to it. And overall, having a flexible schedule means you can squeeze in more you time without feeling guilty. Some amazing activities to better yourself can be things like reading, listening to a podcast, stretching, drinking water, meditating, taking a walk around your neighbourhood and even just hugging your loved ones (two-legged or four) for an extra 10 minutes. We love a serotonin moment.
What have been your favourite at-home activities? Are you working from home or the office? How’s it going? Let’s talk about it below!
Until next time,
Be present in the now and remember a work/life balance~
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