For those of us who have been working from home since March, the monotony is setting in. What do you do when your work days start blending together without a change of environment or scenery?
This week we are talking about how you can mix up your routine and work space to keep yourself engaged and creative while working from home. From getting your hands dirty to redecoration, we’ve put together some ideas that will brighten up your work week!
Rise and Shine
For some, working from home or working remotely provides a much more loose schedule than reporting to the office every day. If you don’t have to clock in until 9am, or your first meeting isn’t until 11:30am, why get up earlier than you have to?
Even though it feels good in the moment, sleeping in can put a major damper on your day! Starting your day early, preferably before you have any obligations, is a great way to improve your work from home experience. When you wake up early, you have time to enjoy breakfast, to exercise or to simply do something that makes you happy before encountering anything work related.
According to research conducted by the Universities of Birmingham and Surrey in the UK, individuals who shifted to the early bird lifestyle experienced feeling less stressed and depressed; waking up early has shown to improve your general mood and sense of productivity throughout the day.
The sooner you expose yourself to sunlight in the morning, the sooner your brain is stimulated and energized. So get up, open the blinds, and make some time to enjoy your day! Check out this article by Bustle for some tips to shake up your morning routine.
Garden
We love that getting outside and getting your hands dirty is so much more accessible while working from home. Gardening is a great way to mix up your workday because it gives you the chance to be creative, allows for you to get some fresh air AND it’s super fun.
One of the Gardenuity advisors, Charlie Hall talks about gardening through the pandemic. Did you know that going outside and gardening can significantly increase your mood and your ability to retain information? Next time you find your mind being blocked or fuzzy, look to the dirt! A little lunch-break gardening could be just what you need to energize for the rest of your day. If you’re lucky, you might even end up with some fresh produce to add to your lunch.
Side Project
Every person’s mind interacts with information differently; depending on what kind of learner you are, you need to make sure you’re feeding your brain what it needs in order to be productive. Working on a side project during spare moments throughout the day can be the perfect opportunity to work in a way that caters to you; get creative, keep your hands and body moving, and exercise those critical thinking skills.
Find Side Projects
Here are 5 side project ideas that you can use to stimulate your creative side:
- Learn a Dance
- If you’re a kinesthetic learner, you need to keep your body moving to keep your mind engaged. Try turning on your favorite music video and learning the moves. You’ll be surprised by how much fun you have.
- Doodle
- If you’re a visual learner, it might help to keep a notebook next to you to draw out your ideas in a way that you can’t type them up on a screen. At the end of the day, you’ll have a fun collection of doodles that help you approach your projects differently.
- Phone a Friend
- If you are an auditory learner, sometimes it’s most helpful to say your ideas out loud while you’re working on a project. Call up a coworker or friend to pitch your idea or have a conversation about your work. Even if you decide you need a break from working, having a quick, fun conversation is a great pick me up for your work day.
- Make a Playlist
- If you’re an aural learner, your mind is stimulated by music and the sounds of your surroundings. Having a perfectly tailored playlist for your work day can drastically improve your productivity and enjoyment of your work. If you need a break from work, a great side project option is to make a playlist for you and share it with a coworker.
- Garden
- You already know how gardening can positively impact your work day; do yourself a favor and get outside with your plants! No matter how you learn, taking a break to focus in on a mindful gardening practice is the perfect reset for a busy day.
If you are curious to learn more about what kind of learning practice works best for you, try taking this learning style quiz by ThoughtCo.
Make a Delicious Lunch
We believe that good food has the power to brighten your whole day. Preparing for extra special lunches or mid-day snacks can give you something to look forward to, as well as something to motivate you to finish that last task before your break.
The more balanced your diet is, the happier your brain is; if your diet is full of antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins, your brain is better protected from stress. When you eat nutrient-rich foods, it helps your body produce serotonin, which chemically makes you happy! Including a balanced diet as a part of your day also helps you to stay energized and to avoid feeling depressed.
The next time you’re at the grocery store, pick yourself up some special snacks and foods that you really cannot wait to eat. If you save them for a particularly busy day, you’ll have something to look forward to doing while you’re working.
Better yet, plant yourself a garden. Not only does that provide you the chance to stretch your legs while you snack, but you get to enjoy the benefits of your labor outside of the workplace. It’s a win-win eating experience. Check out our container gardening kits to see how you can get your home garden started today!
Reorganize Your Work Space
When you are working and living in the same space every day of the week, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to change things up every so often. In fact, rearranging your workspace (or your living space, in general) can work wonders on your mood and ability to be productive and creative.
Redecorating or switching up your surroundings can lift your mood, cause you to feel more productive, and provide an opportunity to feel immense satisfaction. Something as small as bringing a planter indoors, or as big as moving your desk to a different room can both serve the purpose of altering your environment.
Have a little fun on your work break! Reorganize your desk or change around the furniture in your living room. You’ll feel like you’re in a whole new space without needing to physically relocate at all. A work from home dream!
Take Your Meeting With You
Who says field trips are just for kids? You deserve a field trip while you navigate your day working from home. Relocation is key when you’re working from home for an extended period of time, and this can be achieved by going to another room, or leaving the house entirely.
Consider taking your next Zoom meeting on your balcony or with you on a quiet walk around your neighborhood. Exercising while you work is a great way to keep things exciting and help your mind retain information. As long as you can stay focused on your work, and stay safe while doing so, a breath of fresh air and the change of scenery will surely improve your working experience.
