Hey everyone - are y’all still hanging in there? I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to go a little insane stuck in my house. Us extroverts weren’t built for this. There’s a reason I’m in event planning: I love being around people. This is not my forte.
But I see everyone struggling a bit with the current stay-at-home order that’s been issued in North Carolina. It’s very easy to start to go stir crazy and to let the days just slip by in a bored mood. Plus, for those of us who are working from home, it can be a major adjustment.
I’m a bit lucky in that I’ve been running J. Leigh Events from my home for quite some time, so I have a few things up my sleeve that help me feel normal when I’m just waking up and staying in.
But this goes beyond that because we aren’t only working from home - we’re doing everything from home. Your ways to get out of the house are limited to the grocery store and to-go orders. Your ways to connect with others is limited to video chats and social media. How do you adjust and stay sane?
I’ve got a few tips for adjusting to this new normal, both from a work and a living standpoint.
1. To the best of your ability, follow your old routine.
If you typically worked out in the evenings, continue to do that at home. If you woke up at 6 a.m. to get ready for work, still do that, even if you’re doing less to get ready. Looking for a substitute for your commute? Take a walk while listening to music or podcasts to get some fresh air instead.
This goes for your personal life as well. If you and your significant other held date night on Fridays, keep doing that. Get dressed up like you normally would, and have some local take-out for dinner instead. If you’re looking for fun things to do throughout the week, check out our Cabin Fever Kits. We have a few set up for kids’ birthdays that may miss out on a fun celebration over the next few weeks, but we also have a Taco Tuesday date night kit and box. The Cabin Fever kits include links to supplies so you don’t have to spend time searching for items, local business deals you can take advantage of to support small businesses during this time, playlists, recipes, and a ton more. Check out all the kits here.
2. Make sure you’re getting up and moving throughout the day.
It’s super easy to spend all day sitting on your couch working, when typically you’d probably get up and move throughout the day to talk to coworkers, get water or coffee, etc. Sitting for a long time is bad for you in a lot of ways. Once an hour, try to get up and just do a lap around the house. Grab an extra cup of water (it’s super easy to not hydrate as much at home).
3. Set up defined work and play areas.
This can help make it feel like you’re still “going in” to work. You’ll be more focused if you designate your dining room table as your “office” than if you work in bed or on the couch. If you have a desk or home office that mostly collects dust, now is the time to make it your own space. Keep it clean like you would your normal workspace and try to stock it with the same things.
4. Try to differentiate the days in the ways you can.
All of our days can start to feel pretty monotonous right now with the lack of change, so try to find special ways to celebrate the weekend versus the weekdays. On Saturdays, make big breakfasts with mimosas. On Sundays, buy some local doughnuts - my husband and I have been heading to Lincoln’s Haberdashery every Sunday to go for a drive and grab some doughnuts, and it’s become a highlight of my week. It helps the weekends feel different from the weekdays.
5. Create a to-do list.
It doesn’t seem like this could help a ton, but it really does. I think all of us are feeling a bit stuck and unproductive right now, particularly if your job has slowed down drastically. Every morning, create a list of a few things you want to accomplish that day - even if they’re small, and even if they’re not necessarily work-related. It can be as small as doing the dishes or getting some yoga done, but once you complete it and cross it off your list, you feel much more accomplished.
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