Tips For Working From Home & My Office Furniture

When I made the transition from teacher to full time blogger there were obviously a lot of changes but one that I found most difficult was working from home.  With all that is going on in the world right now, a lot of people have been asked to work from home and a lot of you are finding it difficult like I did.  There is no doubt that it’s challenging and I can’t imagine those who are working from home all while having to parent/ home school your children!

Although it may seem impossible to get anything done right now, I promise you’ll fall into your own routine and it will soon become your new normal.  As you work towards finding what works for you, I thought I would share some things that helped me settle into working from home:

1.) Always make your bed. I know this sounds so trivial and I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times but it really does start your day out on the right foot.

2.) Shower or bath. This also sounds silly but trust me.  It’s easy to fall into the mindset of “I’m not going anywhere so why shower” but it really makes a difference.  This is just something I started recently and I have noticed a big difference in my mood and productivity.

3.) Get ready.  For me this looks different everyday.  Days when I am working at my computer and not taking photos, getting ready means brushing my hair and doing my morning skincare routine. Other days, when I’m on conference calls or taking photos it means putting on makeup and curling my hair.  Whatever getting ready means to you, make sure you set aside 10-15 minutes and do it. I promise, it makes a difference.

4.) Get Dressed: Even if it means changing from the sweats you slept in into the sweats you’re going to work in, just change out of whatever you slept in.  Trust me, I’m not sitting around my house in jeans that’s for sure but I ALWAYS make sure to get into a new outfit for the day.

5.) Make a list (with boxes to check off).  Some people like to do this the night before, I personally do not as I feel like I don’t sleep as well knowing I have a massive list to tackle the next day. I prefer to do it as soon as I sit down at my desk in the morning. I make a new list EVERY DAY.  I write the date, transfer things I didn’t get done from the day before to my new list, and then write down all things big and small I want to accomplish. I try to do it in order of urgency and importance. I also make sure to trickle in small things like make the bed (which I have already done so I can scratch  it off immediately lol) take Sunny for a walk, and water the plants.  Having these easy/enjoyable tasks on my to do list makes me feel accomplished.

6.)  Create a designated work area.  I live alone in a two bedroom condo so I am lucky enough to have my second room as an office.  I am fully aware this is not the case for a lot of people. But even if it’s a tv tray set up in the corner of your bedroom make that your designated work station. Get your diffuser or candle going, make sure you have lots of water and coffee, and get to it!

*I will admit, I still have a bad habit of working from my bed. I find a sense of comfort in it. Perhaps it’s because way back when I started this blog I would always write from my bed. Sometimes if I have writers block, I go to my bed  and cozy in and the words just seem to flow. I wouldn’t suggest doing this. In fact, all the research out there says it’s a terrible idea but hey, it works for me. Keep that in mind as you read these tips… these are what work for me, you need to find what works for YOU!

7.) Turn your phone off and your music up! Well, to be clear don’t actually turn off your phone but I need to turn mine on silent otherwise I get nothing done! I hate silence… maybe that’s the teacher in me haha, I am not used to the quiet so I always like to have music on.  I can’t concentrate with songs that have words or top 40 hits so I love this one! No words just some good beats, check it out!

And since we are on the topic of working from home, I thought I would share my office furniture details with you. I know people say this all the time, but for real I do get questions about my office furniture, mainly my desk, quite often. This is not a paid partnership in fact, I don’t make commission on any of these links either, lol that would be nice though!

All of the bigger items in my office came from none other than Ikea! I am super happy with the price and the quality!  The rest of the office decor has come from Winners or are keepsakes/gifts which I love but unfortunately for you I can’t link it.  The makeup are needs a bit of work. I need to hang that mirror for sure but I seriously just haven’t gotten around to it… perhaps with all this extra time it will happen!

To make things super easy here are the links to the furniture:
Desk Top & Trestles this is sold it two separate pieces. I use the desk top a lot for staging photos. It is super light and I move the table top around my condo to find the best lighting.  The trestles can be adjusted to a stand up desk if you prefer! I am super happy with this desk, I especially love the size of it. I like to spread my stuff out as I work and this one is plenty big  enough to do that!
Drawer Unit
Dressing Table

I hope these tips and tricks help as you settle into your new normal of working from home!