Day 6,928,682 of social distancing and I am sure that I’ll have to use my GPS to find my way back to the clinic when I return. (LOL) In this post I want to provide you all with some tips, tricks, and advice on how to cope with this unprecedented lifestyle that we are all forced to adjust to.

This pandemic has altered our everyday lives tremendously causing individuals who would usually commute to work daily, to now work remotely. Students who would usually travel all across campus for courses have been dismissed from campus living and forced to transition into online learning. The list goes on and on.

Speaking for myself, I am immensely grateful to be able to work remotely. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss my work family back at the clinic; my favorite co-workers and health care providers and I am praying for their health and safety as they all stand on the frontlines daily. My position allows me to remain safe from the comfort of my own home while providing telehealth services to all who may need me and for that, I am very grateful.

For those of you who are working from home and making the best of it, here are some tips that I’ve been implementing that may help make your transition to remote working just a tad bit better.

Create a proper work space

Personalize your workspace and tailor it to fit your individual work style. Move some furniture around if you need to, repurpose/ revamp some pieces around your home to help accommodate your new home office transition Make sure that your new workspace is functional and cozy. Throw in some greenery like a nice houseplant or my personal favorite: clearance flower bouquets from my local Kroger.

Create a schedule

This right here is a big deal for me. My first week working remotely was unproductive AF. I had absolutely no structure, no routine, ya girl was just winging it, doing a little bit of everything. By my second week, I had just about enough. A schedule was necessary, and STAT! I needed some sort of normalcy, similar to how structured my day was in the clinic. Every morning, I create a schedule/ to do list to map out my day. Whether it’s a scheduled dog walk, a trip to the post office, choosing a dinner recipe, it is all written out for me to complete. This has truly helped me to remain productive and hold myself accountable for making sure I get my work done.

Schedule breaks to reset

With me working from 8- 4:30 PM it’s pretty hard for me to just sit still. I had to remind myself to take breaks, facetime a friend, listen to a few of your favorite tunes, watch a YouTube video, grab a cup of some chilled infused water, or take a 15 minute walk through your community to regroup and then get back home and finish off the work day strong.

Get dressed !

I know that it can be tempting to stay in your pajamas all day but let’s not do that all of the time. I;m not telling you to throw on a ball gown and 6 inch heels, or even dress as you would normally do for work, but a simple outfit change in the morning can serve as a signal that it’s time to wake up and get your day started.

Share the load

Last but not least, do not require yourself to do everything. Manage your schedule instead of letting it manage you. Ask for help from a colleague when you need it, especially when working on a team.

I know that this space that we are currently in is as far away from “normal” as we may have ever been but this will not be our “forever”. Stay positive, stay gracious, stay in prayer and stay in tune with all that is taking place.

Love & light from me to you !