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With most of us now having the experience of working from home during lockdown we are also experiencing burnout, separation anxiety, or lack of motivation. A completely new set of challenges appear as the circumstances change globally and it can feel almost impossible to keep up. Setting up your home office is the easy part. Getting into a healthy rhythm with flexibility, freedom, and choice can be so empowering!
Start the day right! Plan for your day by dressing up, making up, and styling your hair like you normally would. Get out of sweatpants because that level of comfortability is just too sluggish. You never know, you may want to take a cute selfie or live chat today.
Set up an office space in the house where you have access to the essentials you will need like a phone, laptop, chargers, pens, notebooks, ring light (for all those Zoom meetings), and printer. Whatever area you can allocate at home is good -including a standing station if you have a bar area. I tried working from the bed, couch, and dining table, and it’s completely counterproductive. I have now set up my desk facing a window, so I can get some natural light and focus my eyes on the distance for a break from time to time. I use a laptop stand so it is eye-level and I don’t have to slouch for hours. A better work posture will help keep you alert and avoid lower back pain.
It’s so easy to fall into an unhealthy uninspired rhythm at home, so I find it helpful to treat my schedule like any regular day. Wake up with an alarm, write morning pages, get myself ready for work, work out, cook, and schedule coffee meet-ups or dinner dates! Just like we schedule to go out, we need a schedule to stay in or we’ll slip into a rut and find ourselves in a lonely separation.
Caffeine is a big one for me. I love the ritual and perks from my morning latte, but now that the kitchen is always nearby I am tempted to fill up my cup whenever. Coffee is perfectly healthy in moderation, but if you are having over 2 cups or more than 2 shots of espresso a day it’s too much. Try switching it up with matcha, black, or green tea to give you an antioxidant boost instead. I love this wellness tea from NOOCI as a herbal supplement to all the caffeine. Drinking more water, taking a nap (because you can at home), or stretching breaks will naturally enliven the system.
Alcohol is a depressant and contains a lot of sugar in mixers & wine. Catch yourself in an unhealthy rhythm when you’re in the cupboard or fridge reaching for dessert all day and having hangovers at home. Limit your intake to 1 glass or drink and 1 dessert a day if you must and cook proper meals for yourself with healthy fats and carbs that keep you full longer, so you are not hanging around the kitchen when peckish. I shared some healthy FitSphere recipes that are easy to make with whatever you have in your cupboard.
Cultivating time for yourself indoors can include everyday things such as a bath, cooking, skincare, body care, or tea time. Adding mindfulness to these routines, taking pleasure in listening to music as you dance around the house, getting inspired from a podcast, reading up, and trying new recipes become your breakaway moments from the mundane routines to become your ritual. A time to nourish and refill your cup to release those happy brain chemicals.
Taking a conscious breath a day has been key to grounding me at home. Taking a diaphragmatic inhale through the nose will automatically calm the nervous system and help to clear the mind. If you can, take up to 20 continuous breaths in stillness. That will be an easy way to calm the mind. Sitting for 20 breaths counts as meditation and is an excellent routine to keep you grounded anytime, anywhere.
In March 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown, I took a breathwork teacher training course online. Not only did I find that breathwork strengthened my lungs, but I was also able to maintain my emotional well-being during an especially difficult time of the pandemic.
If interested, there are many online courses to take that could help you fill in any gaps in your expertise or knowledge. In fact, most schools have had to quickly adapt to offer courses online from yoga teacher training to full school curriculums which we can all benefit from. Have a think and actively search online, ask friends for references, and research schools for something that clicks. Some ideas would be to take a Master Class, study a foreign language, do photography, cooking, paint, or do DIY. This process does take some time, so if you haven’t taken the time to get to know yourself better and discover what you really like to develop as a hobby then do! You never know, this hobby could become your passion and your choice of work in the future.
Uncomfortability is normal as we learn from spending more time with yours truly. It’s a great time to reach out to your circle of friends and family for nurture, mutual love, and support. Schedule a catch-up chat with them every day and you may find that you can be there for each other even from afar.
The most transformative action that I have taken is to delete all the social media apps that have been taking up my idle time. I have completely deleted Facebook accounts and pages while turning off all email, messaging, and social notifications. I have noticed that when I am constantly alerted it keeps me engaged and attached to my phone. I usually get my daily news from Twitter, but as I have also noticed the news triggering my emotions I have been staying away from the media and only signing in 1 time per week to catch up on headlines. I understand that this can seem drastic to many, but I cannot express how much lighter I feel and how much more time in the day has suddenly come around. My screen time is down to 2 hours a day from 5.5 as I donate those extra hours to Mother Earth and environmental efforts.
I have been practicing digital distancing when I sleep (all devices are at least 6 ft away) and turning my phone to airplane mode or completely turning off my laptop, iPad, and watch. This is to avoid EMF or low-level radiation when I am sleeping. I have been feeling more restful (I don’t use my phone in bed), less anxious (I switch off completely before sleeping), and waking up easier (I have to get out of bed to turn off my alarm) as a result.
Wow, the days fly by when they are quite similar, so I take stock at the end of the week for accountability. Consciously going through each day and thinking about what I accomplished, unrelated to working from home, gives me self-fulfilling credibility. Finishing a book, learning to make a new dish, doing a LIVE workout, or practicing playing an instrument may seem small, but every action counts to staying motivated and inspired to take on the next week.
Keep shining, stay positive, and keep celebrating life even when there are downs. Be there for yourself and each other and keep leaning into the challenges that present themselves self and don’t shy away from growth. I look forward to reconnecting with all of you in future lessons, on social media, or over a cup of coffee in the near future.
*This article is written personally by Liv. If you find it insightful, please copy the link & share it with friends. Sharing is caring 💞
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