Work from home, who wouldn’t want to? You get to sleep in longer, work in comfortable clothes and skip wearing makeup. The perks are endless, but it also takes extra discipline, boundary setting and practicing of self-care. Without doing so, it’s very easy to fall into a spiral of chaos and stress. To ensure you create a mindful work from home routine, here are a few of our own tips.
Maintain a ritual and set boundaries between work and home
Even though you’re still doing the same work you would in your office, your work from home routine will inevitably differ from your office one. You’re not commuting, ordering your usual coffee from the local café or having in-person meetings. Without these elements to help you maintain that work and home balance, it can feel like your days start blending into one.
Apply clear boundaries so you’re not blurring the lines of work and play by incorporating bits of your office routine. Without a commute, it’s tempting to roll out of bed at 8:45am and jump straight into you work emails at 9:00am. If you normally wakeup at 7am, continue to do so – use that time to have a slow morning. Make your bed, stretch, have a wholesome breakfast, go for a walk, or read a few chapters of that book you’re reading.
Set reminders to help you break up your day. You don’t want to get into the habit of eating lunch at your desk or working late into the evening – this can leave you feeling burnt out. Here’s an example to get you started.
7am - 8am: Wakeup, make breakfast and coffee, get changed
8am - 9am: Work emails and set your to-do list
9am - 12.30pm: Start working on your to-do list. Have a mini rest break at 10am for 15mins to have a cup of herbal tea, mediation break or do something you love
12.30 - 1.30pm: Lunch break outside
1.30pm - 3pm: Go down your to-do list'
3pm - 3.30pm: Get some fresh air, catch up with your family in the living room or zoom call .
3.30pm - 5.30pm: Finish of the rest of your to-do list and shut down your computer.
Create a to-do list
Winging your day or trying to do too many things at once is a sure-fire way to stress yourself out. It’s not productive and it’s not healthy. A pro tip is writing your task list in order of priorities. Create a column for things you need to get done before 12pm and things you need to get after lunch time. Checking them off as you go is a great way to keep yourself motivated. But, don’t be so hard on yourself if you’re unable to complete a task – just add the task to the top of your list for the next day.
Set your intentions and practice gratitude
Gratitude journaling and intention setting is a simple tool to remind you about all the positive workings in your life. Gratitude journaling is super easy too: just write down or type the things you’re grateful for every morning or night. Drank 2L of water? Log it into your journal. Walked your dog on your lunch break? Log it into your journal. Had the best coffee of your life? Log that in too. There’s so much we can be grateful for, whether big or small - acknowledging it can help you become calm, self-aware and happy.
Setting daily intentions and affirmations can also help you have a more successful and positive start to your day. Some positive work affirmations can be, “I am proud of what I’ve done and what I’m doing” or “I am in charge of how I feel and today, I am choosing happiness”. You can say these out loud or write them down on a sticky note and put it somewhere you can see while you work. If you ever feel flustered, return to your mantra and take a deep breath to keep yourself grounded.
An open diary/planner on the calendar page and highlighter
Practice Self-Care
Self-care comes in all shapes and sizes, but the little things count just as much as the big things. Sip on a calming herbal tea while you work, wear soft clothes, play your favourite work playlist. All of our self-care practices differ, so do what you love most. At Jurlique, we keep bottles of facial mists by our desks and have something we like to call ‘misting moments’. Our Sweet Violet & Grapefruit Hydrating Mist is perfect for a misting moment and will instantly uplift your mood, while leaving you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. If you feel like you’ve been typing too much, keep a hand cream handy - take a break and give yourself a mini-hand massage. Our Citrus Hand Cream is quickly absorbed so your keyboard won’t be left greasy and the distinct citrus scent will leave your senses enlivened.
Have some downtime
When you’re working from home, so much extra time is freed up. Use these as opportunities of downtime. Right after you get off a Zoom call, take the time to meditate. Close your eyes, be still and let your to-do list slip away for a moment while you inhale and exhale. On your lunch break, you could chill on your couch with a meal and catch up on your favourite Netflix show. Or switch your phone to flight mode and find a relaxing physical activity to do, such as yoga or go for walk. Yoga is known for calming the body and mind, and all you need is 15 minutes every day. Whatever you need to do to recharge, do it.
Hygge your space
Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish word, that while has no direct translation to English, it can be compared cosiness and mindfulness. Meik Wiking, the author of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living says in his book that “The true essence of hygge is the pursuit of everyday happiness and it’s basically like a hug, just without the physical touch”. A few simple ways to embrace hygge living in your workspace is to open your curtains and bring in some natural light. Wear fuzzy slippers. Decorate your workspace with a candle or two, your favourite books, favourite flowers, even your favourite mug can count as decoration. The goal is to feel cosy.
A woman with blonde hair, glasses wearing a red cardigan sitting at a table using a computer
Have a good sleep schedule
You want to ease yourself into the new day by starting with a good night routine. Before you go to sleep a good habit is to take the time to detox from technology at least an hour before bed. So you don’t wake up feeling groggy, avoid staying up too late, drinking too much wine or caffeinated beverages before you hit the sack. Instead get into bed with a book and calm your senses by adding a couple of drops of our Lavender Pure Essential Oil into a diffuser – before you know it you’ll be asleep.
Maintain a ritual and set boundaries between work and home
Even though you’re still doing the same work you would in your office, your work from home routine will inevitably differ from your office one. You’re not commuting, ordering your usual coffee from the local café or having in-person meetings. Without these elements to help you maintain that work and home balance, it can feel like your days start blending into one.
Apply clear boundaries so you’re not blurring the lines of work and play by incorporating bits of your office routine. Without a commute, it’s tempting to roll out of bed at 8:45am and jump straight into you work emails at 9:00am. If you normally wakeup at 7am, continue to do so – use that time to have a slow morning. Make your bed, stretch, have a wholesome breakfast, go for a walk, or read a few chapters of that book you’re reading.
Set reminders to help you break up your day. You don’t want to get into the habit of eating lunch at your desk or working late into the evening – this can leave you feeling burnt out. Here’s an example to get you started.
7am - 8am: Wakeup, make breakfast and coffee, get changed
8am - 9am: Work emails and set your to-do list
9am - 12.30pm: Start working on your to-do list. Have a mini rest break at 10am for 15mins to have a cup of herbal tea, mediation break or do something you love
12.30 - 1.30pm: Lunch break outside
1.30pm - 3pm: Go down your to-do list'
3pm - 3.30pm: Get some fresh air, catch up with your family in the living room or zoom call .
3.30pm - 5.30pm: Finish of the rest of your to-do list and shut down your computer.
Create a to-do list
Winging your day or trying to do too many things at once is a sure-fire way to stress yourself out. It’s not productive and it’s not healthy. A pro tip is writing your task list in order of priorities. Create a column for things you need to get done before 12pm and things you need to get after lunch time. Checking them off as you go is a great way to keep yourself motivated. But, don’t be so hard on yourself if you’re unable to complete a task – just add the task to the top of your list for the next day.
Set your intentions and practice gratitude
Gratitude journaling and intention setting is a simple tool to remind you about all the positive workings in your life. Gratitude journaling is super easy too: just write down or type the things you’re grateful for every morning or night. Drank 2L of water? Log it into your journal. Walked your dog on your lunch break? Log it into your journal. Had the best coffee of your life? Log that in too. There’s so much we can be grateful for, whether big or small - acknowledging it can help you become calm, self-aware and happy.
Setting daily intentions and affirmations can also help you have a more successful and positive start to your day. Some positive work affirmations can be, “I am proud of what I’ve done and what I’m doing” or “I am in charge of how I feel and today, I am choosing happiness”. You can say these out loud or write them down on a sticky note and put it somewhere you can see while you work. If you ever feel flustered, return to your mantra and take a deep breath to keep yourself grounded.
An open diary/planner on the calendar page and highlighter
Practice Self-Care
Self-care comes in all shapes and sizes, but the little things count just as much as the big things. Sip on a calming herbal tea while you work, wear soft clothes, play your favourite work playlist. All of our self-care practices differ, so do what you love most. At Jurlique, we keep bottles of facial mists by our desks and have something we like to call ‘misting moments’. Our Sweet Violet & Grapefruit Hydrating Mist is perfect for a misting moment and will instantly uplift your mood, while leaving you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. If you feel like you’ve been typing too much, keep a hand cream handy - take a break and give yourself a mini-hand massage. Our Citrus Hand Cream is quickly absorbed so your keyboard won’t be left greasy and the distinct citrus scent will leave your senses enlivened.
Have some downtime
When you’re working from home, so much extra time is freed up. Use these as opportunities of downtime. Right after you get off a Zoom call, take the time to meditate. Close your eyes, be still and let your to-do list slip away for a moment while you inhale and exhale. On your lunch break, you could chill on your couch with a meal and catch up on your favourite Netflix show. Or switch your phone to flight mode and find a relaxing physical activity to do, such as yoga or go for walk. Yoga is known for calming the body and mind, and all you need is 15 minutes every day. Whatever you need to do to recharge, do it.
Hygge your space
Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish word, that while has no direct translation to English, it can be compared cosiness and mindfulness. Meik Wiking, the author of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living says in his book that “The true essence of hygge is the pursuit of everyday happiness and it’s basically like a hug, just without the physical touch”. A few simple ways to embrace hygge living in your workspace is to open your curtains and bring in some natural light. Wear fuzzy slippers. Decorate your workspace with a candle or two, your favourite books, favourite flowers, even your favourite mug can count as decoration. The goal is to feel cosy.
A woman with blonde hair, glasses wearing a red cardigan sitting at a table using a computer
Have a good sleep schedule
You want to ease yourself into the new day by starting with a good night routine. Before you go to sleep a good habit is to take the time to detox from technology at least an hour before bed. So you don’t wake up feeling groggy, avoid staying up too late, drinking too much wine or caffeinated beverages before you hit the sack. Instead get into bed with a book and calm your senses by adding a couple of drops of our Lavender Pure Essential Oil into a diffuser – before you know it you’ll be asleep.