How to Successfully Work From Home

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Written by: Maria Lopez, FLP Spanish Conversation Partner and Social Media Consultant 
​Edited by: Shatoyia Jones, FLP Personal and Professional Development Mentor

     For many of us, working from home is something new and due to COVID-19, it might be our new normal for the next months or so. Therefore, we have to view this as an opportunity to get outside of our comfort zones, learn new technology and still engage in the process.

1. Maintain Your Morning Schedule

     Wake up at the time you normally would wake up before quarantine (for work, etc.) Keeping the same routine helps you to avoid feeling lethargic and tired if you sleep in until your first meeting of the day.

>> Book your free consultation with First Ladies of Poverty Foundation to learn more about what options are available to assist you in creating your personal quarantine-friendly routine.

2. Take a Shower Before Sitting Down to Work

     Think of a shower as your official wake up activity. Try to keep your morning routine as close to your "go-into-the- office" routine as you typically would, minus the ‘getting ready to commute.’ ​

3. Create a designated space in your home for working (and inspiring one) 

     What makes your work area? Having elements that inspire you and keep you focused and on task with as few distractions as possible. There can be a lot of distractions when you work-from-home. For me, the biggest distractions my phone, social media or cleaning. Try to keep your phone away from your office space. ​Having a place that inspires you to work, a spot where you feel comfortable and where you can concentrate is extremely important. 

​     If you live in a small apartment and don’t have an extra room to turn into a home office, getting a small writing table is highly recommendable. Adding motivational quotes and pictures that make you happy can also enhance the space more.

>> Book your free consultation with First Ladies of Poverty Foundation to learn more about what options are available to assist you in creating your personal quarantine-friendly designated space with little to no money.

4. Make sure you have the best internet you can have .

      It is essential that the internet you have at home is strong, specially if you are working from home with other people. Do not hog your wife bandwidth during work hours. What I mean by this is don’t watch movies or play games while other people are using the internet to work. ​

5. Shop products that will enhance working from home ​.

      Not everyone has money to buy extra products. Still, it would be worthwhile to consider things that you can easily purchase online to make your office more comfortable. Consider investing in a computer monitor or tablet as a second screen or something as simple but equally essential like plants to create a clean and serene environment.

>> Book your free consultation with First Ladies of Poverty Foundation to learn more about what options are available to assist you in creating your personal quarantine-friendly designated space with little to no money.

6. Set Aside Scheduled Snack Times and Break Activity

     If snacking is one of your distractions, make sure you have easy snacks close to you: grapes, carrots, baby tomatoes. The key to being successful at this is to make sure your snacks don’t take away your time for productivity and focus. ​

​    When picking break activities, try to pick an activity that makes you feel good or energized. It could be anything from laying out a yoga mat and doing some stretching, watching some inspirational ted talks on you tube, playing an instrument, etc. ​

7.  Wind Down and Connect: Hop on Social Media to Feel Connected To Your Loved Ones or to Humanity

     Once you are done with your workday, you might want to connect with some friends, go to a café and connect, check your social media. Take the time to catch up on all of your social media after the day is done. 

>> Book your free consultation with First Ladies of Poverty Foundation to learn more about what options are available to assist you in creating your personal quarantine-friendly routine, designated space and wind down routine to optimize your experience.