Navigating Work from Home
Working from home during the pandemic has come with its unique challenges. Lately, I’ve found it difficult to remain motivated and work through the day while fighting the winter gloom and the continuous demands of a busy virtual work environment. However, I’ve tried to make changes to my work set up and am currently playing around with some new ways to spice up my day!
The biggest change to my work lifestyle that I made was finally investing in a good monitor for myself. This was a game changer in terms of productivity since I felt like I could somehow accomplish more tasks with this large screen in front of me compared to my smaller laptop one (try fitting six desktops & tens of chrome tabs on 13 inches— not the vibe). I think back to how foolishly I spent my first 3 months of work without a monitor, not to mention the additional eye strain.
Catch me shortly later and I was experiencing back and shoulder pain. I visited a PT who told me that posture and a comfortable chair are key to making sure that your body is fully supported. He said even if I didn’t do daily stretching, having a chair that had armrests was key since it made sure that I maintained some form of good posture while working away. Fast forward to my roommate and I driving to our offices and grabbing our work chairs to bring home. We stubbornly fit two large office chairs in one little rental compact car, and it was 10/10 worth it. If this is an option for you, I’d highly recommend it because ergonomic desk chairs can be very expensive. If not, I still encourage you to see if you can get a comfortable work chair from Ikea, Walmart, Facebook Marketplace, etc. because your body and comfort are worth it.
Prior to the pandemic, I loved going to coffee shops or just switching up my work location whenever I could. It helped a lot with my focus. I can’t do that anymore, but instead of staying in my room at my desk, I started to pop outside and do some work from my living room couch and then go back to my room for meetings. It sounds silly, but the action of even moving 10 feet helped me muster a little more energy. On that same note, I realized that if I start to get really restless I could just go outside for a quick walk or even take the elevator down and exit my apartment complex for five minutes. I was really hesitant to do this because it felt like I wasn’t working enough or I didn’t want to bundle up and face the cold, but the crisp, outside air helped reset my brain & give me a well needed mental health break.
My work from home set up. My monitor, desk chair, laptop, whiteboard wallpaper, coffee plant, and therapy lamp on the far right.
Overall, my biggest takeaway has been to take care of and be kinder to myself. I have days where it’s very difficult to be focused and I used to get really frustrated with myself and my lack of productivity. Lately, I’ve been responding differently to myself. When I feel low, I’ll buy a cute pen, notebook, listen to my favorite music, go laugh with my roommate, take a walk— basically take care of me first. I even finally bought myself a therapy lamp after feeling like I didn’t deserve one, and now I’m so grateful for that kindness towards myself because I have my own little sunshine through the Seattle gloom.
Remember to take care of YOU first & be kind to what you need during this really challenging time.
