In the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, I thought it would be a great time to share my insight on ways to be productive while spending extra time at home. It’s important we all stay calm and collected during this time but also important to take the appropriate measures to keep ourselves and others safe.

I am naturally an introverted homebody that loves spending time at home. This doesn’t mean I dread all social interactions and outings. In fact, I find I am happiest when I have a good balance of both social and alone time. That being said, being encouraged to stay home as much as possible over the next few weeks isn’t scary or a huge inconvenience for me. If I had the option I would choose to work remotely all the time because I find it much easier to be productive in a quiet, controlled environment without the typical distractions of an office setting. I recognize that living in a quiet area and not having children at home plays a huge part in this. I completely understand if your job or schedule does not allow you to work from home. However, as we are all encouraged to practice social distancing as much as possible, I hope you find these tips helpful for spending extra free time and potential work time at home.

Tips for spending more free time at home

1. Make a list of random chores and tasks that you never seem to find time for and try to cross them off one at a time.

2. Try an at-home workout. I typically go to the gym 3-4 times a week and workout at home 1-2 times a week. Since I live in an apartment and do not have equipment, I love following along free low impact cardio workouts on youtube. Here are links to a few of my favorites…

   30 Minute Low Impact Full Body HIIT

   15 Minute Low Impact Full Body HIIT

   10 Minute Apartment Friendly Workout

3. Have a game night! If you live with a roommate or significant other collected your favorite card and board games and have a fun night of healthy competition without even leaving home.

4. If you are like me, you have a stack of books to read. I can’t think of a better time to try to make a dent in these. This is a goal of mine for sure!

5. On a similar note, we all know how to spend an afternoon binge0watching Netflix and Hulu and now we can do it quilt free on the weekends and evenings since we are encouraged to stay home anyways!

6. Treat yourself to a self-care routine including a bath, DIY manicure/pedicure, hair mask and full out skin routine. A few products I love for this occasion include the Foreo Cleansing Brush, Jade Facial Roller, Essie Nail Polish Set, First Aid Beauty Body Scrub, and Summer Friday’s Face Mask.

7. Get creative by writing, painting, drawing, photographing, etc. I recently starting practicing hand lettering with Tombow Dual Brush Pens and find it equally fun as it is challenging.

8. Call friends and family. Especially if you find yourself feeling lonely or missing social interactions, talking on the phone with someone you love will definitely lift your spirits!

Tips for working from home

1. Maintain your normal working hours. If you typically work from 9 am-5 pm continue this routine to ensure you are available and achieving the same amount of work.

2. On a similar note, if you are used to having a clear morning routine to get you up and ready for the day, maintain that as well. I personally know that I will be too tired to workout after a long day so I workout and shower in the mornings. Keeping this schedule will help you feel productive before the workday even starts.

3. Eliminate distractions. Whether it’s your phone, your pantry, or your pet, try your best to not let these things get in the way or your work. This may require having them out of sight to avoid them becoming a distraction. Don’t forget to spend time with your pets when possible though as they will probably be confused by your extended time at home.

4. Practice time blocking your day in 30 min – 1-hour increments. This will help you stay on track with multiple projects and illuminate the worry on not knowing what you should be working on. Here’s a great article to learn more about this technique – Time Blocking 101.

5. Know your optimal workspace environment. Some people need a designated space such as a desk or spare bedroom to focus and illuminate distractions. Others, like myself, enjoy moving around and with my laptop while working at home. There isn’t a right or wrong way, just do what works best for you.

6. The same goes for attire. Some need to be fully dressed and ready to focus and others, again like myself, work just as if not even more efficiently in comfortable, casual clothing. In my opinion, there is nothing more distracting than an uncomfortable pencil skirt.

7. Take advantage of a lunch break. When I work in the office I sometimes eat lunch at my desk but I find the day to go by much faster and the ability to stay focused if I get away from my desk midday for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy the convince of making lunch in your own kitchen or going for a short walk outside to clear your head.

8. Utilize technology and replace face to face meetings with a phone or Skype call.

I hope you found these tips helpful! Remember to stay positive during this time and also make smart decisions! Enjoy your extra time and home and let it inspire you to be productive, creative and connect with others virtually. If you have any additional tips, leave a comment below, I would love to read them!