{"id":2379,"date":"2017-10-09T20:19:39","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T04:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jaeminyi.com\/?p=2379"},"modified":"2018-01-12T16:18:13","modified_gmt":"2018-01-13T00:18:13","slug":"survive-working-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jaeminyi.com\/survive-working-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Survive Working from Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

The only real job I\u2019ve ever worked was at the Taco Bell in my college\u2019s food court. 1

Besides that, my entire decade of work experience has been running a production studio<\/a> from the comfort of my home (and my sweatpants).<\/p>\n

Sounds like the dream, right? <\/p>\n

But make no mistake, the freedom of working from home can quickly become its own hell.<\/p>\n

My first few years were filled with an endless haze of waking up past my alarm, pulling all-nighter after all-nighter, and feeling completely unmotivated and alone.<\/p>\n

Yeah, not so fun.<\/p>\n

It took me the better part of a decade to figure out how to work from home in a non-soul-deadening way.<\/p>\n

As of the last few years, it finally feels healthy, enjoyable, and incredibly fulfilling. Now, I wouldn’t give it up for anything.<\/p>\n

Here are a few things that helped me get to that place. <\/p>\n

Your mileage may vary, but this is the advice I wish I could\u2019ve given to myself years ago\u2026<\/p>\n

Start Your Mornings Right<\/h2>\n

Mornings really are as important as they say. How you start your mornings sets the tone for the rest of your day.<\/p>\n

Wake up at the SAME GODDAMN TIME every single weekday!<\/strong> Look, I get it. You\u2019re working from home and you think that you don\u2019t need routine. That you can sleep in whenever you feel like it.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t do it. For the love of God.<\/p>\n

This messed me up for years. Turns out, routine is an amazing thing that most office people take for granted because it\u2019s forced upon them.<\/p>\n

Without routine, your body gets confused. Your sleep quality suffers. Your mornings start off muddled, hazy, and with no motivation. Setting a horrible tone that the rest of the day usually followed. <\/p>\n

Keep your phone\/alarm across the room.<\/strong> Since you don\u2019t actually NEED to be anywhere at a certain time, the temptation to snooze will be incredibly seductive. Keep your phone or alarm across the room so you have to actually get OUT of bed to turn it off.<\/p>\n

Keep your phone in airplane mode until after breakfast.<\/strong> Yeah, that\u2019s right. You don\u2019t actually need to be bombarded by texts and useless notifications immediately upon waking. Give yourself 30-60 minutes of feeling grounded, peaceful, and focused before you open the floodgates of stress and brain activity. <\/p>\n

Meditate for a few minutes before you start the day.<\/strong> This gets your day started off at a grounded, centered baseline. Anchor yourself in the present moment and be reminded of what\u2019s important, before you get swept up in your flurry of thoughts and worries. Doing this consistently will give you a stronger and stronger anchor over the years.<\/p>\n

And you don\u2019t have to sit in lotus pose or do anything fancy. I literally just set a timer when I\u2019m in the bathroom and stare at the wall for 5 minutes before I brush my teeth.<\/p>\n

And\/or do a few quick stretches.<\/strong> Getting the blood moving and using your body first thing in the morning helps you wake up and feel alive. (Child\u2019s Pose or a quick Downwardfacing Dog is a great way to start the day).<\/p>\n

Make a quick, healthy smoothie for breakfast.<\/strong> Get a Nutribullet and make a green smoothie for breakfast. Super healthy. Quick. Easy on your digestive system. And you can get to work immediately and drink as you answer emails.<\/p>\n

My favorite combo: 2-3 handfuls of leafy greens, 1-2 fruits, your favorite protein powder, and anything else you want to add to your diet (i.e. chia seeds, coconut milk, cacao, turmeric, mushroom powders<\/a>, etc).<\/p>\n

Get Out<\/h2>\n

Get out of the house as much as possible.<\/strong> Working from home, it\u2019s all too easy to stay in\u2026and get stuck\u2026and never leave. Not only will this make you feel cooped up and stir-crazy – it will start to make you resentful of your home.<\/p>\n

Your dwelling will start to feel more like a prison rather than a comforting, rejuvenating place. This is the absolute last thing you want. <\/p>\n

Home needs to be a safe place that you look forward to returning to. Or you\u2019ll get so burnt out, you\u2019ll have to move every 4-5 months (like I did for years).<\/p>\n

I go to cafes as much as possible.<\/strong> I love their energy and casual vibe. Different cafes depending on the vibe I\u2019m feeling.<\/p>\n

A co-working space is also an option. But unfortunately, they never worked for me. I\u2019ve tried tons of different spaces and they all made me feel\u2026lifeless. <\/p>\n

It felt like all the dreariness of working from an office, but without any of the collaboration or shared community. Just a bunch of separate office workers all silently focusing on their own things.<\/p>\n

Bleh.<\/p>\n

There are 2 pieces of equipment I consider essential<\/strong> (besides the laptop):<\/p>\n