From Zooms, sweats and remote working: Tips to refresh and get your work mojo back, even as the pandemic continues
Working out of our homes for the last year has certainly taken a toll on how we think, function and dress. We wear hoodies and no makeup for days. Our working lunches with colleagues have been reduced to the UberEats guy dropping off cold Chinese food at the front door. Let’s just say our way of life has irreversibly changed and working from home will be a mainstay. Moving forward it will be important to keep ourselves motivated, focused, and fresh to maintain the spark that makes us great at what we do.
Here are my 5 Tips to Refresh Yourself and Get Your Mojo Back:
1. Wardrobe Matters
Since we have been working from home, it is very easy to go day to day living in yoga pants with our hair in a top knot. No need to put on make-up and get dressed unless you have a ZOOM call, right? Well, how we dress impacts our state of mind. Wearing clothes as if you are at work, affects productivity. Mike Slepian, author of “The Cognitive Consequences of Formal Clothing,” says that formal dress encourages workers to “feel more powerful and ready to tackle higher-level abstract thinking.” Obviously wearing heels at in your home office is not necessary, but if you dress the part, or close to it, you stay in the mindset of a true professional.
2. Work Your Schedule
Do the best you can to keep your usual work schedule while working from home. Clearly, this is barring kiddos interrupting and dogs barking while you try to do your job. But, if you have a set schedule and do your best to follow it every day, it will mimic your pre-Covid work environment and you will get more done. Also, save laundry, dishes, and other housekeeping items until the end of the day. It is easy to get distracted by these chores while working from home but learn to let them go. Stay focused on your job at hand. Those dishes aren’t going anywhere.
3. Get out of your house
Yes, get out! Being at home staring at the same four walls can do a number on your mindset. Being inside our homes as often as we are is not normal. We need external stimulation and time for self-care. Go for a walk for 20 minutes or visit your nearest Starbucks drive-through and get a latte. Either way, you will be able to clear your head and maintain a level of normalcy.
4. Take Breaks
Make sure you take breaks from work every hour or so. It is easy to get sucked into the work vortex and never escape. Not taking breaks causes fatigue, physical discomfort, and eye strain from the computer. Your breaks can consist of surfing Pinterest or just stepping outside your back door to get fresh air. Either way, stop thinking about work for 10-15 minutes. You will come back stronger and refreshed.
5. Redecorate Your Home Desk
When we sit at the same desk all day, it is easy to feel stale and uninspired. Have a look at your working space and consider what you can change to freshen up your environment. Throw away those empty diet coke cans and random notes from earlier conference calls. Maybe add a scented candle and certainly open your blinds to let light in. Do something for yourself in your own space and you will feel clear and motivated.
6. Interact with Colleagues
Since we don’t have the in-person water cooler bonding time at the moment, it is easy to lose touch with the colleagues you care about. Having others around you to brainstorm or just download on your day is not as accessible. To keep your sanity and stay engaged with your job schedule one on one’s with your colleagues. Make the time to speak with them to help you keep the personal connection despite the distance
Let’s stick together on this. We have to help each other through these tough times to continue to inspire each other and keep our work momentum going. In the meantime, if the UberEats guy shows up at your house for lunch, please send him my way next
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