A few weeks ago I shared a super real moment in my life on Instagram stories. It showed me sitting alone in the Target parking lot eating Panera Bread that I had just picked up for lunch at 2pm. I just needed to get out of the house for a bit because working from home can be extremely lonely sometimes. Simply getting out of the house sometimes and out of the normal routine helps get me out of (what I like to call) my funky moods. This especially helps during the winter time in Chicago (seasonal depression is real, y’all) but this goes for any time of the year. That was one of my most popular Instagram stories because so many people could relate to my situation, so I know I’m not the only one that feels this way from time to time. It’s hard to work from home when you have no one to talk to day after day. It gets really lonely. It’s healthy for us to have personal interaction with the outside world besides what we get from sitting behind a computer screen. Speaking of computer screens, if you stare at it all day every day you’re bound to get a headache or develop issues like carpal tunnel and blurry vision. Below are the 7 ways I stay sane while working from home!
- Put on REAL clothes. Yep! I’m telling you to get out of your pajama pants or the leggings you’ve worn for the past 3 days. Ladies, put on something a little nicer, do your hair, and put on makeup. Men, do a little facial grooming! I promise you’ll feel better simply by feeling like your best self.
- Shower or take a long bath! Whether you had one or not already that day, take your time and just soak up the heat. The heat acts as a therapeutic aid and helps with body aches and pains. If you’re taking a bath, take it a step further and add soothing bathe salts! My favorite is this one that has spearmint and eucalyptus.
- Treat yo self! Do something for yourself that you don’t normally do. Go get a mani/pedi, get a massage, buy a new outfit, read a new book, or watch that movie you’ve been wanting to watch. Do whatever you enjoy! Step away from your phone and your computer for a few hours. You’ll feel so revived!
- Clean your house or better yet… hire someone to do it! I still clean my home day to day especially when it comes to dishes and laundry, but for the bigger jobs like deep cleaning the whole house from top to bottom, I hire a cleaner. It’s been one of the biggest blessings in my life this year to not have to worry about that. If you’re like me, you hate a mess and it stresses you out just looking at it. Often times, I don’t have the time to dedicate to the house in the way it needs so having a cleaner come to help me is a tremendous help. When there’s no mess, there’s no stress.. therefore there’s no distractions. Best. feeling. ever.
- Take a break. This goes for any of the things I mentioned above, but if you’re super busy and strapped for time, you could simply step away from work for 20 minutes and go for walk. Trust me, you can step away for 20 minutes to take a mental break. Nothing has to happen so quickly that you can’t take that much for yourself. If you need more of a break, take a trip to Target or Starbucks (yes, I know I’m #basic LOL) or wherever you like to spend time walking and just looking around. Pick a place that brings you joy!
- Visit someone! Go see a friend for coffee, grab lunch with your husband on his lunch break, or take a trip to see a family member you haven’t seen in a while. Interacting with people that mean a lot to us is such a healing and invigorating thing to do. Not only will your body thank you, but so will the people you go to see. If you miss them, I can almost guarantee you they miss you too. Invest in your relationships and don’t forget about them. Let them know often just how much they mean to you.
- Exercise. This is usually the last thing on my list, but something I wish I put at the top of my list. Exercise is a wonderful way to break away from sitting at your desk for hours on end with your back likely hunched over, to reenergize, and to boost your metabolism. I always feel so much better after a workout.
Let me know what you thought of my tips below in the comments! I’d also love to hear how YOU like to break away from your every day routine of working from home!