Balancing Work & Play When Working From Home

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One of my favorite things about working from home, and basically being my own boss, is being able to work at my own pace and choose my own hours. Not only that, but I also love having control over what I work on, how I work, and when I work on specific projects. I could go on and on about everything that I love about doing my work from home, and even more so being my own boss. However, some of my favorite things about working from home can also become its downfall if I'm not careful, as it can be easy to lose the balance between work and play, which is actually a mood-killing habit for me. So that being said, it's easy for me to either find myself working way too much, with almost no breaks, or not doing any work at all and not getting anything done. And both ends of the spectrum are equally stressful.

Overworking myself, to the point I'm not taking breaks and working late into the night, is stressful for reasons that I am sure I don't need to elaborate on. Procrastinating and blowing off my to-do list is also stressful because of that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I should be working on something. Hence why not having a balance between work and play tends to kill my mood and why it's crucial to have a balance between work and play, no matter how much you might enjoy your work. Or no matter how much you might not feel like working, let's be honest. It's also necessary to find a way to create a clear separation between work and play when you work from home. Even (and especially) if your work is also your also hobby, and usually feels more like play than work.

My Productive Daily Routine As A Homebody

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For as long as I could remember, I have always been an introverted homebody, and usually, I am more than happy to stay home. I prefer to do most things from home. Sure, there are a few exceptions to the rule, and I do enjoy getting out of the house from time to time, but for the most part, I spend the vast majority of my time at home. Honestly, I spend so much time at home that the "stay at home" order that was put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 has hardly disrupted my daily routine at all. Not only did I already know how to easily stay entertained at home, but I was also already doing my work from home, so for the most part, my daily routine is almost exactly as it was before. I just have to practice a little extra mindfulness now, which isn't entirely a bad thing, and now I have no one telling me that I need to get out more and be more sociable. As a matter of fact, despite the seriousness of the situation, it's almost been nice not hearing that.

But anyway, I digress, because I know that this is not the case for the vast majority of people. Most people are having to either adapt their routines to work from home, or they're unable to work at all because their job can't be done from home if their job isn't considered essential. Not only that, but many people are finding their other daily activities, such as going to the gym, disrupted as well. Even as a homebody, it feels like my world has been turned upside down a little bit, as I was planning on 2020 being the year I started to get out a little more, but now that's been put on hold. I'm going to have to wait for a lot of the things that I want, just the same as everybody else. I can't allow myself to feel too sad or distressed about something that I can't control, especially when I know that I'm not alone in this.

All of that being said, I have found over the years that it's still necessary to maintain a relatively consistent daily routine, even when you're spending nearly all of your time at home. Not only does it keep you productive, but I have also found that it actually helps with stress to have some sort of daily routine in place, as you're not stressing over what to do next. Plus, it gives you a sense of normality, even if things are far from ordinary. So with that said, if it could help anyone build a new daily routine for being at home, whether they're stuck at home during the quarantine or choosing to work from home in the future, I am happy to share my daily routine.

7 Tips For Working Out At Home

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Even if you can't get to the gym or to a workout class, there is no reason that you can't still get a great workout in. Although the gym environment can be super motivating, especially if you take a workout class, you don't need the gym to find the motivation to workout. You don't need to attend a pricey workout class to get your sweat on, nor do you need a lot of equipment to get a good workout in. As a matter of fact, you really don't need any special equipment at all; you don't necessarily even need a yoga mat. For some home workouts, you don't really need a ton of space either. All you need is the desire and the motivation to get moving.

As an introvert, I have always preferred working out on my own from home anyway. That way, nobody can bother me while I'm getting my sweat on. Plus, there are so many at-home workouts available online that if I get bored with my workout, I can easily switch up. For me, working out from home is basically second nature. It's just a matter of finding the motivation to do it and building a routine that's easy to stick to.