Our homes are multitasking on an unprecedented scale these days. What used to be our haven from the pressures of the office and the hubbub of everything happening “out there” is now Ground Zero for all the activities we once accomplished elsewhere: working, shopping, exercising, educating our kids, socializing and just about anything else. To set yourself up for optimal success – both professionally and personally – it’s important to make working from home work for your needs, and in an era when we’re spending the majority of our time in one confined space, that can take planning and intentionality – and a secret weapon known as self-care.
By injecting some personalized self-care into your work-from-home setup and routine, you can improve your capacity for productivity without sacrificing your well being. Here are some tips for optimizing your living space in a way that allows you to combine professional demands with self-care and relaxation.
Create Separate Spaces Designated for Different Activities
The area we once called our living room is now the workspace, the gym, the shopping center, the school, and the place where we’re somehow supposed to find a way to set all those other things aside and relax! Not only is this a recipe for a cluttered, inefficient space in which it is difficult to achieve anything, but it also creates mental confusion over which task to focus on.
Think of it this way: when you’re at work, you have a dedicated desk assigned to you (be it a cubicle, an office, or a coworking area). By simply entering this space, a signal is sent to your brain that it’s time to focus and be productive. Creating a designated space for work (and conversely, for play or relaxation) is essential to facilitating balance and establishing a clear divide between your work hours and your personal time.
While it’s particularly challenging to cordon off designated spaces in apartments or smaller homes, it’s important to claim different portions of your house for different activities. Reserve your bedroom exclusively for rest and sleep; create a corner of your kitchen or dining room for work or home-schooling; use your entryway or a corner of the living room for working out. Give the kids a space for dumping out their toys. As much as possible, respect these boundaries and make sure the entire household understands the specialized purposes of each space.
Check Off Low-Effort Tasks with a High Emotional Return
With all the pressure we’re under these days, don’t miss an opportunity for that natural dopamine hit your brain experiences when a task is accomplished. Looking for small, low-effort tasks that instantly make you feel a little more put-together and on top of things.
- Making your bed, for example, takes just a couple of minutes yet can instantly make you feel like your space is polished and organized.
- Get dressed. This might seem like a silly task to mention, but you may feel better about yourself when fully dressed rather than staying in pajamas late into a weekday. Even the easiest ensembles will make you feel like a productive person, ready to take on the world.
- Take a power nap. When the monotony of the week (or month or year) has you wondering if this is your own personal Groundhog Day, give yourself the gift of a 20-minute snooze. For parents or caregivers with children around, schedule a nap during their naptimes or sit them down within earshot in front of a cartoon episode. A rejuvenating nap may just transform the rest of your day and give you the recharge you need to make it to bedtime. And you can’t put a price on that.
Integrate Low-Key “Spa Features” into Your Workday
Working from home allows you certain perks you might not get away with at the office. To make the most of your setup, think about calming touches you can integrate into your space to amplify your sense of well-being.
- Light your favorite candle. Pay attention to the scent and see if you can parse out its notes; allow yourself to indulge in the calming effect.
- Play some relaxing music or curate a playlist suited to your mood. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering if relaxation music really works, rest assured: research demonstrates that the tempo of music has a profound effect on emotions and the body, and can reduce feelings of anxiety as well as certain physical symptoms, like elevated blood pressure, a quick heart rate or nervous system overstimulation.
- Take stretching breaks. While it’s somewhat less intense than a full-body massage, stretching holds myriad benefits for your body, such as improving your flexibility and posture, increasing blood supply to muscles (and therefore increasing nutrient supply as well), and releasing tension. This is a big one – many of us carry stress in our muscles, and when we feel overwhelmed, muscles can tighten as a defense mechanism. Stretching is a deeply effective form of self-care and stress management that also boosts your energy levels and brings a sense of invigoration.
Remind Yourself that Self-Care and Working From Home Don’t Need to Be at Odds
Busy adults often have a difficult time convincing themselves that self-care is really necessary, and that it’s truly important for our physical, mental and emotional health. As our homes have become the epicenter of our stressors, the de facto downtown for our recreation, and the setting for everything in-between, it’s in everyone’s best interest to seek out ways to optimize our work-from-home spaces and make them work for us. The demands of any job can be stressful, but operating from the home gives us the opportunity to throw our favorite relaxation methods into the mix. With a little planning and organization, self-care and working from home can merge into a lifestyle approach that positively impacts our day.
For more tips on turning your home into a place of self-care, read our guidance piece for The Find. Interesting in integrating mindfulness practices into your work-from-home life during social distancing? We’ve written about that too!
Cover photo by Jane Palash via Unsplash.
