While there are some definite benefits to working from home, with time it can become a bit challenging. It’s hard to stay focused on work when a sink of dishes is calling your name and it can be difficult to stay productive when you’re working solo. Below are several tips for working from home from the All Things Hair team around the world:
10 Tips for Working From Home
1. Listen to your body.
Marisa Haber, Junior Beauty Writer, All Things Hair US
“I’ve learned the importance of listening to my body! Since quarantine started, I have exercised more routinely, gone on walks to clear my head, completely removed gluten and dairy from my diet, and haven’t touched a hot tool to my hair. Listening to what my body needs has made me grateful for what it can accomplish when treated right. There’s nothing better than a much-needed reset.”
2. Structure your day.
Mariana Meggiolaro, All Things Hair Argentina
“Making my bed, taking a shower and having breakfast (a yoga session sometimes too) is my ideal morning routine to bring peace of mind and more clarity. Now more than ever, to-do lists are the perfect guide to achieve daily goals without distractions. How satisfying is to cross out tasks! I make sure to start and end video calls as scheduled, or even saying no to calls that can be replaced by an email is a good way to manage your time better. Short regular breaks are good, I learned to enjoy them without feeling guilty.”
3. Prioritize productivity.
Olga Nedobezhkina, All Things Hair Russia
“Things I learned from working from home: Sitting at a table and chair is the best workplace, even when not in the office. It’s better for productivity and a good mood to have a put-together look even if no one is watching. When working remotely, you must be more responsible and organize yourself better to not be distracted.”
4. Brush up on your skills.
Yulia Zagudaeva, Editor in Chief, All Things Hair Russia
I think I’ve learned how cool it is to be ‘beauty independent!’ I was always able to color my hair, to do my nails, brows, etc myself. And I saw my friends struggling without these skills. I am a proud beauty survivalist! This helps to look good while working from home. Also, I realized that before the lockdown I didn’t know many cooking recipes and was relying too much on takeaways. But you can’t take go to a café during lockdown and need to cook everyday while working from home. Now I know more recipes. And can even make bread two ways!”
5. Get some perspective.
Milena Prinzi, Senior Editor, All Things Hair US en Español
“I’ve learned not to take for granted the tiny, trivial things that made my daily routine mine. I have also learned what it means to live in fear of something completely out of my control, and I’ve learned to drop meaningless things that gave me stress.”
6. Let go!
Eunice Lucero, Editor in Chief, All Things Hair US
“I learned that for Type As like me, this is truly the most optimal time to purge: your skin, your unhealthy habits, your closet, your pantry. You learn what’s really a necessity and what’s just fluff—and that the rewards of streamlining are indeed truly great.”
7. Self-discipline is key.
Georgi Todorov, Digital PR Specialist
“I have been working from home long before the lockdown and have found out that self-discipline is very important. I use the Pomodoro app on my computer. For every 25 minutes of non-interrupted work, I spend 5 minutes of rest. In my case, rest is getting up from the chair, looking out through the window or doing some physical exercise like push-ups, squats or yoga. After 5 minutes, I get back to work and try to be as efficient as possible, because I know I only have 25 minutes. Applying this rule to my work routine has helped me value each minute of my time; it creates a sense of urgency and also prevents me from spending long hours in front of the computer without any rest, which is neither healthy or good for your productivity.”
8. Keep moving.
Emerson Zanette, Digital PR Expert, All Things Hair Brazil
“At the end of the day, when work is finished, I go for an hour run or walk. I think these activities are important to maintaining physical and mental health as they reduce stress, prevent weight gain and help to rest my eyes after many hours looking at a screen.”
9. Take advantage of free time.
Caitlin Reddington, Junior Digital Editor, All Things Hair US
“Sticking to a consistent schedule and routine has helped me stay productive while working from home. I’ve also enjoyed taking advantage of my extra free time. I feel like I’m always on the go, so it’s been nice being able to catch up with friends I haven’t talked to in a while, watch TV shows I’ve been wanting to see and exercise more often.”
10. Get some fresh air.
Miriam Herst, Beauty Editor, All Things Hair US
“It’s easy to get caught up in work and forget to get outside and take a break from staring at the computer all day. I’ve been using my lunch break to walk to the park to get some fresh air. I come back to my at-home work station refreshed and reenergized. It’s easily my best tip for staying productive while working from home!”
