March 2020. The time, the moment when everything changed.

We all went into a complete lockdown for the first time in our lives and stay in our homes to hide from an invisible monster, the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Many people lost their jobs, and if you were lucky, you got to start working from home. I was one of the lucky ones in that sense.

I had been working as a Communications Associate at Sacramento Public Library (SPL), downtown Sacramento at the central location for the last seven months. I took the metro to work every morning and the bus home every evening.

On March 18, 2020, with almost no warning, all 28 locations connected to SPL were shut down, and we were ordered to work from home. It was a shocking and strange transition initially, but we all settled into our “new” roles, our “new normal,” a term that has been heavily overused in 2020.

I’ve worked from home for over 10 months. I’ll admit, it’s been rocky. But I’ve had to remind myself to be grateful. I get to wake up every morning and have a job to do, to take my mind off of everything that was happening all around me. 

There are pros and cons to working from home. The pros are obvious. No more waking up at 6 a.m., getting dressed in a hurry, rushing out the door, commuting to and from work. 

One of the biggest cons that I’ve encountered is becoming unmotivated, getting too comfortable lounging, feeling uninspired, and losing focus. I’ve had the worst writer’s block that I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been down, lonely, and even angry at times. 

They say, in quarantine, you should find a hobby or learn a new skill. All the free time you’ve always complained you didn’t have, suddenly it’s there! So what’s the problem?

The thing is, we’re scared. Everything is up in the air. Too much is uncertain to find a new hobby… It makes us all unsettled.

So, I’ve learned along the way to pull myself out of the hole of despair. Here are some tips you can do while working from home that will hopefully bring light to your day and in your head. 

• Keep your sleep schedule sacred.

It is way too easy to lose your pre-COVID sleep routine. By not getting up earlier to get dressed and commute, you can now enjoy the simple pleasures of staying up a little later and sleeping in an extra hour or two. BUT, do not take advantage of this.

I’m inherently a night owl. It’s so effortless for me to fall back into my natural nocturnal ways. I’ve learned not to give in. There is power in the morning. Keep that going.

• Listen to your local news. 

I know listening to the news can be challenging, but sticking to your local news station is helpful because you should know where your city stands on the tier and the vaccine distribution status. It also weeds out all the unnecessary news banter that you may be trying to avoid. 

• Stretch and do a light workout if you can.

Wake up your body. I used to dance when I was younger, so I do a few warm-up stretches in the morning that just get the blood flowing. I’ve had difficulty finding the inspiration to work out, but I’ll do simple things like a plank for a minute or 20 squats.

You don’t always need to go all out. This time has been mentally exhausting, which also makes it physically exhausting. Take care of your body and move around a little when possible. 

• Wash your face and change your shirt!

Wipe off that sleepy face, put on your game face. I’m not talking about makeup. It’s just good skincare practices always to wash your face when you wake up and get you a little motivated. Remember to change your shirt! In my experience, working from home feels like the days collide together.

You don’t need to dress to impress anymore. Zoom camera on is optional. So, do it for yourself. Put on your favorite sweats and t-shirt! Unless, of course, you have a Zoom presentation.

• Take a shower/ brush your teeth before 3 p.m.!

French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said that 3 p.m. is too early or too late for anything. I say if you showered or at least brushed your teeth before then, pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.

This is a significant pro when working from home or quarantined. You can take a shower whenever and wait to brush your teeth after you eat lunch. It’s marvelous! I absolutely love taking afternoon showers. It’s a luxury I willfully indulge.

• Wait to drink until 5 p.m.

This is a hard one. We all know how easy it is to open a beer or some prosecco in the afternoon. But the weeks are not the weekend! Stay productive!

Real talk, we don’t want to go down a nonstop bender of never-ending drinking. You’ll never get anything done. Save the drinks for the evening. Don’t get carried away. Believe me… I’ve had to remind myself many times, but I’ve kept this rule holy.

SSxx