3 Hacks For Staying Sane While Working at Home

After a solid year working at home, I can officially say I have mastered my Zoom game.
I think it’s safe to say we all know the “work-from-home tips”. So I’m not going to bore you with those.

These life-saving hacks have saved my sanity, work, and family while we have all been simultaneously zooming and YouTubing at home.

Hack 1: Mornings are Sacred
I have to get up before the daily circus starts. I need those few precious moments of quiet, peace, solitude, and time to organize my game plan for the day. Start the day with a ritual that allows time and space for you. Exercise, take a walk, meditate, pray, or just sit down with a cup of coffee and clarify before diving into work.

Hack 2: The RIGHT Space
In the 12 months since being home, I have become somewhat of a home office nomad. I originally set up shop in our office, then realized my husband and 8-year-old would also be joining. I then drifted to the dining room, but thanks to open floor plans, that lasted 3 minutes. Finally, I ended up in our basement and learned the importance of good lighting. Invest in the right gadgets, lights, cameras, and microphones.  My husband even put a special handle on the basement door so the kids couldn’t find me (that’s love).

Hack 3: The Big 3
Do not set out with big aggressive to-do lists – it’s just setting you up for disappointment. Instead, narrow your to-do list to 3 items that must get done and ruthlessly tackle them.

Do this one thing: Consider turning off push notifications on your phone. Or put it in Focus mode (which has saved my life these past few months, I can’t be checking everything all the time, sorry, Robinhood)!

And ALWAYS give yourself some grace. You might have days when you knock your three goals out with plenty of time to spare. Take on more tasks if you have the bandwidth. If not, relish a sense of accomplishment.

Lauren Williams, Founder & Principle Consultant

Lauren Williams utilizes her 20 years of expertise in HR to support companies by improving and enhancing their people skills/operations, maximizing a company’s full potential. With care and passion, she focuses intently on the employee experience and how to leverage a solid community-based company culture that encourages organic employee engagement, retention, and empowerment.