Tips to help you work effectively from home

With physical distancing protocols in place, many of us have transitioned to working from the office to working from home. Although working from home is convenient and allows us to be safe, it’s definitely an adjustment, especially for those who live alone.

You are no longer surrounded by your co-workers. And even though your co-workers aren’t there to distract you, that doesn’t mean there are no distractions. You might find yourself scrolling Facebook instead of doing work, or taking an extra long break, just because you can.

As someone who currently works from home, here are some tips that I found to be helpful.

Follow the same routine you had before

It’s important to wake up at the same time every day and get ready for the day as if you were leaving for work. Eat breakfast, have a cup of coffee, and get yourself put together.

Change out of your pajamas

According to an article from Today.com, getting dressed for work at home can help us feel more at ease and can give us a sense of normalcy. Everyone’s work attire is different. Since work meetings are now online, work attire is a lot more casual than your typical workwear; you can rock a t-shirt or a blouse.

It’s most important to wear whatever feels comfortable. At the same time, it’s probably best not to wear your pajamas all day. When you’re at home so often, it’s necessary to distinguish between work and leisure time; attire is an easy way to do it.

If you wear makeup, you should adjust it to on-screen makeup

If you’re someone who attends a lot of Zoom meetings and feels like your makeup looks washed out, I suggest wearing a little extra blush. Give your face a more sculpted look with more bronzer to give your face some more definition. Don’t wear an extra dewy foundation because it can look extra shiny on-screen; wear a foundation with a natural finish. I like to wear the Make Up For Ever Reboot Foundation because it has a skin-like finish, and with a good powder, it seeps into the skin giving a natural but radiant look.

A full-coverage concealer is a must in helping you look well-rested. You don’t need to go heavy on the baking, just dust some powder all over your face. If you want to add something to your eyes, use a shadow stick and some volumizing mascara. Set with a setting spray. All you need is some good lighting and you should be good to go.

Create a workspace for yourself

You might find yourself getting lazy working from your bed. Your bedroom is associated with relaxing after a long hard day of work, so it might not be the best area to get work done. Try to create a workspace for yourself in another room in the house. Use the table in the kitchen or put your desk close to a window so you can use the light for Zoom meetings.

Prevent yourself from using social media

You can use the application Self Control to block access to social media websites from your computer while you’re working. Log out of all your social media accounts on your phone and try moving your social media apps to a different page.