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Clik here to view.Top: LOFT Vine Ruffle Puff Sleeve Blouse (XSP / TTS) – on sale! (similar, similar)
Bottom: AE High-Waisted Jegging (00 x-short / size down) – on sale!
Shoes: JustFab ‘Prizilla’ D’orsay Pump c/o – on sale! (similar)
Hair: Amazon Pearl Clip – under $5!
Bag: Gucci Marmont Wallet On Chain (similar)
Watch: Fitbit ‘Versa’ Lite
Lips: Huda Beauty Lipstick in ‘Venus’
Hello and happy Friday! It’s crazy to think of how much has changed this week. Three weeks ago we were in Disneyland and now almost everything is shut down as we social distance to stop the spread of coronavirus. We’ve all been adjusting to a new sense of normal around here and I’m lucky that I’m still able to do my job as a software developer + influencer 100% remotely. In full transparency, I did take a slight backseat on my influencer presence online as work deadlines have escalated, but I’ve also just needed some mental space to avoid feeling anxious over the constant news regarding virus breakouts. After spending the past few days figuring out how to how to make shifts in my daily life, it feels great to come back and share a mini update with you all and hope that you are staying safe, healthy, and happy as well!
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Back in college, I did an co-op internship with Hewlett-Packard and worked remotely for a semester. This was yearssss ago, but at that time, after that semester of remote work, I had decided that I was NOT the work-from-home type. I loved the interaction with co-workers as well as having an office to go to where I was more productive. Fast-forward to now where we’re all working from home to stop the spread of coronavirus, and I have to say that I have a different opinion of working from home. I’m sharing 5 tips on how I’ve changed my home setup as well as the technology I use / love to make the social distancing at home just as productive and enjoyable!
How to Adjust to Social Distancing at Home
Keeping A Routine
When you’re at home all day, everyday, it’s so important to have structure. I keep to the roughly the same work hours when I work from home as I did when I went into the office. It helps in setting expectations with my team and it has definitely helped minimize the change when transitioning to working from home. While I love the flexibility that working from home provides, my brain also needs the ability to separate work from home. I’ve found it so nice to work my designated time and then closing the computer when those hours are up.
Having Dedicated Work Space
Back in college, my desk was literally a couple feet away from my bed in a small dorm room and it definitely made it feel like work was never “off”. If possible, set up a space that’s just for work. Make sure it’s clear of clutter and set up in a way that you can work productively. In my case, I’ve found it best to have my home office mimic my actual work office. It’s helped in that remote-life transition and gets my brain in the same work mentality as when I’m in the office.
Scheduling Workouts
Keeping my body active is a big part of staying healthy, so even though gyms are closed right now, I’m making sure I get my workouts in virtually! I look forward to working out at the end of the workday as it’s a great stress relief for me as well, so I schedule it into my calendar as a non-negotiable. This past week I’ve been experimenting with different virtual workout classes — currently it’s been using a combination of the Charge app for live-stream running and Les Mills On-Demand for strength training (use code skiingeducation49 if you wanna get a free 30-day trial).
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Image may be NSFW.
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Fostering Virtual Face-Time Connections
Technology has made so many advances since I last worked remotely and this has definitely made the whole experience so much better in my opinion! If possible, try to have video conferences or phone calls with friends / co-workers. I honestly didn’t think I would have wanted to get on video during these times, but it’s actually gone a long way to making this time feel more like normal.
Real-time connections and the ability to connect virtually really does make a difference when it seems like so much is out of your control. I mostly use Google Hangouts for work but Zoom and Google Duo are other great options. I have a virtual lunch-date set up with a few of my friends and I swear, sometimes it’s the best part of my day!
Setting Boundaries with Family Life / Kids
My kids’ school is closed for the next 3 weeks, and I expect that it’ll actually end up getting closed for longer as the coronavirus containment is underway. It can be a juggle balancing being a mom to my kids and also being productive at work while everyone is at home, but what I’ve found is having clearly-defined boundaries is a game changer. My kids are 5 and 7 years old, so I have a schedule set up that gives them 3-hour blocks to keep busy (I’ll be sure to share our schedule and resources I use to keep everyone busy in a separate post!).
My home office also doesn’t have doors to close so interruptions were definitely a problem in the beginning. Since then, I’ve told my kids that whenever I’m wearing a baseball cap, it means that mommy is working and interruptions will need to wait. My kids have learned to work through their problems more independently, and I think it’s been a great way to practice patience as well!
I will say also that as someone who is client facing in my work, I’ve found that people are incredibly understanding when it comes to the juggle of kids / pets. In my experience, it’s been good to lean in to this as a way that we can all relate during the crisis — have them join in where appropriate even in your video calls!
And finally, I’m not above bribes as a parent, so I have a daily agreement with my kids that if they can avoid fights for the entire day, I’ll give the 30 minutes of family video game / TV time at the end of the day. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Top: LOFT Vine Ruffle Puff Sleeve Blouse (XSP / TTS) – on sale! (similar, similar)
Bottom: AE High-Waisted Jegging (00 x-short / size down) – on sale!
Shoes: JustFab ‘Prizilla’ D’orsay Pump c/o – on sale! (similar)
Hair: Amazon Pearl Clip – under $5!
Bag: Gucci Marmont Wallet On Chain (similar)
Watch: Fitbit ‘Versa’ Lite
Lips: Huda Beauty Lipstick in ‘Venus’
++ all photos were taken by yours truly with this camera, lens, tripod, and remote. ++
edited using Dreamy Presets – Millenial Pink (tutorial)
Staying home, social distancing, and quarantine life can definitely throw challenges in our way, but it can be comforting to know that we’re all in it together. There can be perks to being able to stay at home and while we’re all adjusting to a new sense of normal, I know that we’ll all come out of this stronger!
How are you adjusting to social distancing at home? Share your tips in the comments!
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