A lot of you may be working from home for the first time, so I thought it would be helpful put some useful suggestions together. If you don't know me already, I am Erin, Evermore's customer service ballerina. I spend most of my time managing daily logistics and helping out the Evermore pack and our retailers. I've been working from home a little over two years (since I started working for Evermore), and I've learned a lot about what will make you feel best and stay productive—short or long term.
Evermore doesn't actually have a brick and mortar, or even an office! The three of us (Alison, Hanna, and I) all work from our homes, and Alison also heads over to our USDA kitchen fairly regularly to oversee production. There are a few reasons behind our unique "office" culture, the most important of which is keeping our overhead low. Keeping the costs of running the company itself to a minimum is a priority for us, so we don't have to charge more for our food than we have to.
Costs aside, we also benefit from a better work/life balance. We are best able to meet the needs of the company when our needs are being met! Hanna and I both have chronic illnesses that make traditional office culture (not to mention NYC commutes) stressful. Having the flexibility to make our own schedules is also ideal for Alison, who is raising her young daughter.
There is a learning curve to going office-free though, and I hope that what I've learned over the years will help you make that curve a gentle slope... a lot of this will sound very "common sense," but trust me it is easy to fall into bad habits!
Get up, get dressed (even if it's just into yoga pants), and stick to your routine. It will keep you sane and productive.
Eat healthy meals on your normal schedule. Snacking all day = feeling like crap later. Working from home also means you can save money and eat healthier by cooking your own food, and I've found cooking to be one of life's simplest pleasures. Great time to throw on a podcast!
Don't stay up all night just because you can, sleep is GOOD.
Exercise! Go for a walk, take an online yoga class, or stretch. Get up from your desk every so often just to do something small around the house. Hold a plank for a minute every hour. Squats while you are on that tele-meeting. Dance party at lunchtime. Whatever you want.
DRINK WATER! (Hot with and infused with leaves also counts.)
Play all the music your co-workers would hate. Answer emails to metal. Writing that blog post? Throw on some Chopin. Spreadsheets are made better by your favorite sing-along albums. Not only does it feel *really* good, it also keeps your mood up.
I know you are super tempted to watch TV in the background, but let your brain focus on one thing at a time. There is plenty of time for that later on.
Be aware of your increase in screen time. Some people really benefit from wearing blue light blocking glasses (I do). Posture often suffers with an increase in device use. Don't use screens too close to your bedtime (stop using computers/phones/tablets 1.5-2 hours before you want to go to sleep).
Make sure you are getting natural light! Open your windows early in the morning and make sure you are dimming your lighting at night, so you don't mess with your body's natural rhythm.
Don't work from your bed or couch all day! I still haven't learned this lesson... sometimes I start working sitting on my bed in the morning and get sucked in. A few hours later, and it's HELLO back and neck pain. Your kitchen table, desk, or a counter you can stand at are all good options. You will also sleep better if you save your bed for its primary use.
Finally, lots of cuddles with your pets can decrease stress levels!
A few of our customers have certainly heard my cat, Zeus, meow-ing away in the background of phone calls. He's a big guy and has quite a bit of volume, so you may hear him next time you call! One of my favorite parts of working at home is getting to spend a lot of time with him. He had a rough kitten-hood before his rescue and was fairly sick as a little guy. Because of this, he had to be quarantined to my room for the first month that we lived together, to protect the other cat in the house. We bonded big time! He is very much a momma's boy and needs a lot of attention and affection to help him cope with his anxiety. Being able to spend more quality time with Zeus has made him happier and healthier to boot.
