With no end in sight, we’re just about hitting the six-month mark of working from home. For those of us who have been operating in denial, the reality of our new normal is starting to settle in—we might be working like this for some time. That means it’s time to stop saying, “I’ll take care of myself once everything gets back to normal,” and start saying, “I’m going to prioritize taking care of myself now.”
Working from home can bring up mixed feelings. It can be both an incredible privilege and a source of stress. But here’s the thing—you can feel completely grateful to be working right now AND tell a loved one about a tough day. You can comfort yourself with the idea that this is ultimately temporary AND make your workspace as solid as if this were permanent. After half a year like this, it’s time to do the work to set yourself up to feel your best. You deserve every moment of peace you can create. So, from “unfrying” computer-fatigued eyes to finding focus in the midst of domestic chaos, here are a few things we’ve learned that have helped us thrive as we work from home.
Every hour
Set a timer (the Glo Meditation Timer for iOS works great) to get up and walk around for a few minutes. Stretch your legs, grab a sip of water, and look out the window or even step outside if you can.
Take a quick stretch break in your chair. For some inspiration, we love this 5-Minute Yoga Break at Your Desk with Jason Crandell.
Before a big meeting
While we were still living in office culture there were things we would do to focus and energize before a big meeting. Now in a world of endless Zooms, we can lose our sense of urgency and show up frazzled. Before a meeting, schedule at least 5-10 minutes away from your computer. Go for a walk, do some stretches, or listen to a meditation for focus and productivity. Right now, we’re loving The Office Meditator with Marc Holzman
Throughout the day
Schedule a walk and talk. Make one of your Zoom meetings an old-school phone call and walk around the block while you talk.
One of the best parts of being at the office is the friends you make while you’re there. Working from home can be isolating. To feel a sense of connection, try joining the Glo Community. Find out what others are doing between meetings to feel sane.
Choose a practice from our WFH collection to counteract those long hours at your kitchen table and restore your spine, wrists, shoulders, and eyes.
At the end of the day
Create a ritual to signal the end of your workday. It’s important to set clear boundaries between your work life and home life, especially when they occur in the very same place. It could be anything from taking a long walk to reading a few pages from a favorite book. It might be spending time with a pet or enjoying a cup of tea in silence. If you find yourself shifting straight from work to parenting or caretaking, try Transition from Work to Home, a meditation with Jo Tastula that will help you greet others with presence and love.
With the current state of the world, it’s easy to dismiss your sore neck and shoulders as a small burden to bear. And while we understand the feeling, there’s no sense in suffering them needlessly. Every time you take care of you, you create a ripple effect. You grow a little brighter and that in turn brightens others too. This world needs you to keep going, keep practicing, and keep showing up for yourself. So even if you can’t do it all, what’s one little thing you can do for yourself today?
