Your 2021 Work-From-Home Resolutions
With the New Year upon us, it’s time to set some 2021 resolutions! Working from home became much more popular this past year and it looks like remote offices will continue to be prevalent for years to come. Whether you’re new to the WFH lifestyle of a seasoned pro, it’s helpful to set expectations and create healthy routines in order to thrive both personally and professionally. Here are some our goals for the year ahead and tips about how to work from home.
Create a Productive Morning Routine and Stick to it
Your morning can set the tone for the whole day, so having a healthy, low-stress routine will help get you mentally prepared for the day ahead. As this article from Verywell Mind explains, having a great morning routine can make all the difference in achieving goals, feeling organized and being productive. Here’s a sample of what I have in mind for my WFH (work from home) morning routine:
· Wake up at 7am without snoozing a million times
· Wait to check social media and emails — enjoy some peace and quiet before the stresses of my to-do list hit me!
· Get dressed and ready for the day (although I get lazy and wear yoga pants more than I’d like to admit, I always feel more productive when I put on real clothes and some makeup)
· Walk my dog
· Have a healthy breakfast
· Start on the most important tasks from today’s to-do list
If you want some more ideas about how to structure your day, check out this sample work from home schedule. It takes some trial and error to see what works best with your schedule and lifestyle, but having a morning routine will help you thrive!
Exercise More Often and Take Active Breaks
Whether you work from home or not, most people make a resolution to exercise more come January. It can be difficult to prioritize working out when you have a to-do list a mile long, but staying active is imperative for your physical and mental health. One of my 2021 resolutions is to set 30 minutes aside each day to workout, whether it’s a yoga class on YouTube, going for a run or trying a new online class. Finding an activity you enjoy and blocking off time in your schedule is key!
Having a productive work from home day, also involves taking breaks—and the more active the better! With the WFH lifestyle, it’s easy to sit at your computer for hours on end, but getting up from your desk and moving around will allow you to recharge and improve your overall work performance. My goal is to take more mini breaks throughout the day to walk around the block with my dog, stretch or just take a few minutes to pick up around the house.
Take More Online Courses
Whether you’re a freelance writer, business owner or working remotely for a large company, it’s imperative that you never stop learning! Sometimes we get so focused on finishing the task at hand that we forget to make our personal and professional development a priority. Online classes are a great way to learn about a variety of topics. Websites like Skillshare and Udemy offer courses in everything from business and marketing to photography and stress management. You could even take a course about how to work from home!
Network with Other Professionals in the Industry
Although in-person networking events may be limited due to COVID, it’s important to stay connected to peers in your industry. It’s the best way to bounce ideas off of each other, learn about professional opportunities and make connections that will help develop your business or career. As someone who works from home, I’m guilty of getting too comfortable in my bubble and not wanting to leave my house (or put on real clothes). However, after attending networking events, I always feel inspired and grateful for a supportive community of likeminded people!
Plan and Prep Lunches
Since there’s no need to pack a lunch when you work from home, it’s easy to wander into the kitchen and snack on whatever is in sight (I’m talking to you, Oreos!). This can lead to overeating and not making the healthiest choices. Or vice versa, sometimes I get so busy I don’t have time to cook something and will just wait until dinner. That’s why one of my WFH goals is to plan lunches and prep them ahead of time. These weekday work lunches from Delish look like great options!
Set a Time to “Turn Off”
When you work from home, the lines between work and life can become blurred. It can be difficult to shut down work for the day since my laptop is just a few steps away, which is why one of my 2021 resolutions is to have a set time each day for when I close my computer and focus on spending time with my family or doing something for fun without feeling guilty. Resting and “doing nothing” is necessary as it helps prevent burnout, so bring on some Netflix binging!
Keep Your Work Space Clean and Organized
As much as I want my workspace to look like The Home Edit has been there, it usually looks like a tornado came through by the end of the day. I find that a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind, so one of my 2021 resolutions is to clean up my workspace at the end of each day—that way I can start the next morning feeling fresh and focused!
Need more tips about how to work from home? Whether it’s where to find an hour a day to write or how to balance working from home with a new baby, our team at The Storyteller Agency is very familiar with the WFH lifestyle and loves sharing productivity tips. We have years of experience as freelance writers, content marketers and business owners and love helping others thrive personally and professionally!
