While the world may be a bit chaotic at the moment, we at L’Atelier want to help make sure you stay calm, positive, and productive even outside of the office! Working from home can be tough, but we hope these tips will help declutter your mind and bring some clarity during this unprecedented time.

Tip #1: Keep a Routine

During uncertain times it’s important to create stability in your life in whatever ways you can. While it could seem tempting to stay up late and sleep in while at home, setting an alarm for the same time everyday will help you keep a good sleep schedule and keep your mental and physical health in good shape. Creating a good morning routine while at home will also help keep structure in your life, allowing you to stay focused, and start your day off with a great foundation. Creating a morning ritual can be as simple as having your coffee or tea while reading a book, stretching, journaling, or making a nice healthy breakfast. 

Tip #2: Create a Good Work Space

Working from home can be challenging, so creating a good workspace is essential to boosting productivity. Declutter one specific area of your home to make as your office during this time, and only go to this one spot when you are working. It’s important to keep boundaries between work and home life, so use this area strictly for productive work time only and move to other areas of your home when you want to relax or socialize. It’s also helpful to keep your home office area as neat and tidy as possible, as physical clutter will lead to mental clutter.

Tip #3: Structure Your Time Into Small Chunks

When you have a lot to do in addition to having a lot on your mind, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This is why it’s important to structure your time into small chunks throughout the day with little goals. For example, plan to have 1 hour of uninterrupted time to do a certain task, where you solely focus on that one task--then take a break and switch to another hour of a different task. At the end of the day you can then look back at what’s left and make a new plan for tomorrow based on that. Celebrate your small victories and don’t look at the big picture too often! (extra tip--using a good journal like the focus journal is great for this kind of time planning!)

Tip #4: Be Social!

Just because you may be practicing social distancing and self isolation, doesn’t mean you can’t be social! Communication and human connection is so important for our mental health, and will help you feel motivated during this time. So pick up the phone and call a friend, family member, or coworker! Videochat is also a great way to feel like you’re socializing with someone, even if you may be at home. Apps like whatsapp, zoom, or skype can allow you to group video chat as well, so you can still have your weekly happy hour with your friends!

Tip #5: Give Yourself Permission to Do Nothing

It’s okay to cut yourself some slack during this crazy and uncertain time. It’s important to remember that this world pandemic is uncharted territory for everyone, and there is no right or wrong way to act. While this is a great time to be productive and work on yourself, it’s also okay to take a break and take advantage of your free time. Do something you’ve been meaning to do for awhile but haven’t had a chance--whether that’s reading a book, watching one of your favourite TV episodes or movie, experimenting in the kitchen with a new recipe, or even reorganizing that junk drawer you’ve been meaning to for months. Turning negative experiences into positive ones is a great way to help us stay calm and motivated during this uncertain time in the world.