Finding Happiness While Working From Home
This essay originally appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 3/16/20.
It’s crazy how much can change over the course of a week. This time last week, I had a completely different idea of how this past weekend was going to go, what today’s newsletter would be about and how I would be leaving for the Bahamas tomorrow with my family. But like so many of you, a lot of plans needed to be changed and cancelled.
I know so many of you went through something similar and I wanted to let you know that I’m so sorry for the stress, anxiety and/or sadness you’ve experienced over the past couple of days. This is such a strange time period, but one we will all get through together.
I’ve been trying to counter my unhappy thoughts with thinking of something I’m grateful for (love an attitude of gratitude!). Something I keep expressing gratitude for is having a job that can be done remotely.
This prompted me to think of how I can infuse a little more happiness into this non-traditional situation of working remotely for the next couple of weeks.
Since a lot of you will likely be in a similar situation, I wanted to share a quick roundup of how we could making working from home a bit happier. Read on to learn more!
Five Ways to Make Working From Home Happier:
- Using “commute time” for a new activity. On a regular workday, there’s a pocket of time you spend commuting to and from work. Since you’ll be logging on and off at relatively the same time as normal workdays, why not use the time you would spend commuting for an activity that is guaranteed to improve your mood and help with anxious thoughts? Maybe that’s going for a walk/run or streaming a workout (I’ve heard great things about Melissa Wood Health, Body by Simone and Obe Fitness). Or, maybe you use this time to try out meditation or a prayer practice you’ve been interested in.
- Testing out new recipes. I love using cooking as a distraction from feeling anxious. Following a recipe forces you to focus on something else, allows you to physically get some of your nervous energy out by working with your hands and provides a well-deserved reward (the cooked meal!). With working from home, you can pick delicious, nourishing, healthy-for-you options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If looking for some recipe inspiration, you know from past newsletters that I am obsessed with Kelly Leveque’s Body Love Every Day book because it has tons of easy, simple and really great recipes!
- A break for the skin. Use this unusual break from the office to go makeup free and allow your skin the chance to breathe. You could even start a routine of wearing a face mask as you check your email in the morning! Multitasking at its finest. 🙂
- Time for bigger work projects. Just like how we are saving time with no commutes, we are also saving time without those hallway and kitchen co-worker conversations. Sure, there are a lot of other distractions at home, but maybe this break in your ordinary work routine will provide you with the space to tackle some of those bigger, creative, thought-provoking work assignments (goal setting, career mapping, etc.).
- Finding new ways to connect. In the absence of those co-worker interactions mentioned in no. 4, make sure you are finding new ways to stay connected to others. The adjustment of working from home coupled with all that’s happening definitely has the potential to affect our mood and thoughts in unusual ways. Give yourself some grace with however you are reacting to all of this and make sure you are checking in regularly with your community. Send text messages, schedule FaceTimes and send love to those around you.
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