How To Work From Home & Stay Sane During Quarantine


Hiya guys! Being stuck at home during quarantine has been a little rough the last few weeks. Being stuck at home and having to work from home during quarantine has been worse. Don't get me wrong though, I know that I'm beyond blessed to have the ability to work from home. I'm extremely thankfully that my family's income hasn't been affected like thousands of others. I don't ever want to come across as ungrateful for that. Having the ability to work from home and still get paid my normal salary is a thought I go back to when I feel overwhelmed during this time. That being said, I'm starting to feel the effects of being overextended with work. Couple that with isolation and it's been more than a little rough if I'm being so honest. It's hard to draw the line sometimes between work time and home life when you're working from home. The amount of phone calls and emails I answer after work hours are over with is more than I care to count. I want to think with each day it gets a little easier, but the truth is it's more of one step forward and two steps back. There is always just something that pulls me back into thinking of work and it's all downhill after that. So maybe this post is more like tips for myself to keep sane now that I think about it, haha. But hey if it ends up helping some of you too then all the better.

How To Work From Home & Stay Sane During Quarantine

For a little background on my day job, I work in the IT department as the helpdesk for a large school district in NJ. As you can imagine the school system has been one of the most disrupted during this quarantine situation. We've had to create thousands of accounts in the last three weeks and that's just for students. The brunt of my work comes from the phone calls that are now being forwarded from the office phone to my personal cell phone. That's about as much fun as it sounds. You would think a fellow employee would know that working hours aren't Sunday night at 9PM. Nope. That happened. Should I have answered the phone call? No. Did I do it anyway? Yes. And while it wasn't longer than a five minute phone call, it's the little things like this that build-up. With the crisis far from over, the last thing we need right now is mundane work filling up our cups and making us overflow.

How To Work From Home & Stay Sane During Quarantine

The past few weeks have shown me how easy it is to get lost in the work vibe and forget to stop. Hours can pass and I'll be still in my chair with a major leg cramp and no food in my stomach. So I have made a short list of simple and effective ways to help us simply stop and step away from work.

  • Make a Schedule
I'm clearly a stationary kind of girl so for me this means grabbing a pen and planner. Now I'm not going to lie my first thought made me want to shop and buy a brand new planner. Instead I managed to find an hourly planner from 2019 that I could simply white-out the dates and use now. So much better than spending money or throwing away a perfectly good planner. But you don't have to be this extra about making your schedule by any means. Simply grab a sticky note if that's all you have and make your daily to-do list. Part of making the schedule though is going one step further and allotting specific time in your day for each to do. This not only helps you manage your tasks, but it helps break your cycle of just sitting in front of a screen looking at the same thing for hours.

  • Take Breaks
Before all this happened and I would work in the actual office building, I would take my breaks and walk on the outside for 15 minutes to unwind. That can't happen right now. Instead I need to find other ways to take a break and move away from the computer. For me this has meant breaking up my workouts into 3-4 sessions throughout my work day instead of my normal gym session. I also take my breaks and do some household stuff like doing the dishes or cleaning the counter. But your break doesn't have to be away from the computer, especially if you still are required to be on-call. Open a tab and start watching a YouTube video or play some music. Heck play a quick match in your favorite video game. This can be whatever you want it to be so long as it makes you stop working for 10-15 minutes.

  • Get Some Sun
With your face mask! Of course we need to be mindful of social distancing and keeping ourselves safe, but as human beings we need a little bit of sunlight each day. As I said before, my go-to was taking breaks while walking outside and therefore getting some sun in the process. Unfortunately that's not something that can happen anymore, in NJ we aren't allowed to even go to the park or hike. But being outside doesn't have to be so elaborate. Simply wearing your face mask and sitting outside on your front step is enough. Bring a book out there with you, maybe a nice healthy smoothie too. You don't have to be out there an hour or anything like that. Even if you just use your 15 minute work break to soak up some sun that's enough. At least you stepped out and allowed yourself time away from your surroundings and that's what counts.

How To Work From Home & Stay Sane During Quarantine

  • Eat Healthy Meals
Again this is one of those things that is easier said than done. It's like 'if I wasn't doing this before the crisis I sure as heck ain't doing it now' kind of thought-process. But this isn't about changing up your whole diet or starting something completely new. Eating nothing but salads, tofu, and fruits all day isn't going to help your mood or mental state if this isn't something you are accustomed to. It's definitely not the time for that. I'm talking more along the lines of balanced meals, like have that piece of chocolate cake just don't go back for seconds or thirds. If you start eating too crazed your body and mind are going to feel the effects sooner than later. Whether this be going 0 to 100 on the healthy foods or junk foods. Trust me this is coming from the woman who purchased entirely way too much ramen noodle cups. Of course it's not just about eating right, this also includes being well hydrated throughout the day. Especially if you're like me and are on the phone for the majority of the day. There are no excuses as to why you can't drink plenty of water now when you are in the comfort of your own home and bathroom.

  • Disconnect After Work Hours
Both mentally and electronically. If you are like me then you have spent at least 7-8 hours of your day looking at the computer screen. The last thing you need to do now is drown yourself behind more social media or Netflix. As unwinding as that may sound, you need to disconnect from everything with a screen... at least for a little bit. It's totally fine if you want to end your night scrolling Instagram or watching some YouTube. Heck I know that's what I end up doing most of the time. But in between the time I finish work for the day and right before bed I take the time to do other things. For me that means painting my nails, journaling, reading a book, or simply playing with my dogs. Heck take a bubble bath or bake a treat. No matter how small the task, this is the time to find your zen and relax without a screen in your face.

How To Work From Home & Stay Sane During Quarantine

And this is the part where I end up self-reflecting on the things I have written down. Truth is this is all easier said than done. Even me - an extreme introvert - is starting to feel the impact of being stuck at home all day. Hence why I haven't been posting much in the last week and now find myself playing catch-up once again. For a few days I found myself so conflicted and lost to the point where I felt myself starting to get physically sick. So I took a step back and decided to rest. A lot. I've been sleeping in as much as possible during the weekend and getting to bed early during the week. Has it helped? Not as much as I would have hoped. But today I found myself wanting to be me again for the first time in over a month and so I started typing away at this post. I don't know what next week or even tomorrow will bring, but in these uncertain times we need to strengthen our mental health. Whether that be taking more breaks during work hours or even taking a 'day off' from work. We have to do any little thing that we can to gain back some sanity and makes us stronger for the months to come. In moments like these it's a nice feeling to know we're not alone in our situations whatever they may be. If you need an ear to talk to I'm here. Please stay safe and until next time xoxo Moonbaes.

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