Alice Catherine

Hello! Hope you’re all doing well/managing to stay safe as best you can out there. I think we can all agree that it’s a very strange time for all of us right now, and everything seems very surreal and uncertain. I hope it’s okay with you guys if I try to continue as normal as possible for now whilst I’m able to work and create content from home/a small area around where I live at very quiet times of the day…

After much deliberation, many meltdowns (and a major existential crisis) I think I’ve come to the conclusion that it makes everything way more dramatic and scary if we all just stop creating content – it’s a welcome distraction for many, and I for one would rather see video clips of your dog and your latest make up tutorial than a constant stream of never ending bad news. It does feel very mentally straining to try and write about practical/normal stuff amidst all the panic, but I know it’s vital to continue with this type of stuff so that our mental well being isn’t too affected. After all, I don’t believe this time right now can last forever – it’s just a chapter that we have to navigate together for the time being… 

It’s the first time in a week that I’ve felt enough clarity to sit down and write (by clarity I simply mean my giant headache has let me have an afternoon off), I think I’ve felt very guilty about the fact that I’m able to work from home and I have people to lean on. Despite not knowing how my work will be affected by all of this just yet, my heart aches for people that are obviously in much worse positions. I’ve felt torn between a sense of duty to carry on and continue to create small offerings the way way I know how, and then just feeling completely paralysed by trying to navigate myself through what feels like a completely new world with a set set of expectations. I want to help IRL as much as I can, but I also don’t want to abandon the sense of community I’ve created on here just because having an online platform currently feels  more overwhelming than ever before. I’m also looking to you guys more than ever and I’m happy for my content to be steered by you, so please let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see!

I know there’s a whole influx of this sort of content right now, but I thought it might be nice to talk you through some of the things that have been helping me stay sane this week, whilst also discussing some of the more general habits that I’ve developed since working from home. I’ve only been working from home full time for a couple of years at this point, so I’m hoping to ‘get better’ at utilising my time and structuring my days in a more efficient way over the coming weeks…

SET THAT MORNING ALARM – I’m not about to judge anyone for what time they wake up when working from home, but I do find that it’s essential to set an alarm. If I sleep in too much then I’m always less productive, and I also end up feeling guilty towards the end of the day. I usually wake up around 7:30/8am as this is when Sam tends to get up for work so it gives me a sense of routine and makes it feel like we are both starting the same working day. I’m waking up super early at the moment because my thoughts just haven’t been settled, but when this happens, I see the time before my alarm goes off as extra time to lie in bed and read/whatever feels soothing. On the flip side, if my body feels like it needs extra time in bed then I’ll allow myself the lie if I can (especially at the moment), but I won’t work later into the evening to ‘make up’ for this time. I find this is the easiest way to fall into an unhealthy routine, and it feels counterproductive to work for longer after allowing your body something it obviously needed. Tomorrow is always a new day so don’t be hard on yourself – treat yourself as you would do an employee. 

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY – Get a shower and get dressed if you can or at least wash your face and put on some fresh loungewear. It might seem like a mountain to climb somedays, but it really does make the world of difference in terms of how you approach the tasks in front of you. Put on blazer, spray some perfume, do whatever it is that makes you feel more powerful and capable. It’s then a good idea to nourish yourself from the inside too! Whatever breakfast looks like to you, make sure you do it before you sit down to work. It could be a simple smoothie one day or a big helping of pancakes the next – listen to what your body needs and don’t feel guilty if that sometimes means a cereal bar whilst slumped at your desk…

CREATE A WORKSPACE & SET BOUNDARIES – Most of us won’t be lucky enough to have swanky office spaces with printers that actually work, but this doesn’t mean you can’t carve out your own little office space at home. If you don’t have space for a desk then the kitchen table works fine! I like to set myself up with some notebooks and a coaster to get myself in the mind-frame for work, but surround your work space with useful things that will aid the type of work you do. If you live with others then it’s also important to set boundaries so that you can work as harmoniously as possible. You can let each other know what you have going on that day with a morning coffee and that way you can be mindful if one of you has Skype meetings at a certain time etc. The main thing is to just be respectful and patient – everyone will have a different way of working but it doesn’t mean you can’t work around each other successfully.

ALWAYS TAKE BREAKS – you might not feel hungry by lunch time but please still take the usual breaks that all of us are entitled to! Even if you just watch a TV show for twenty minutes and then spend the rest of the time feeling a bit useless. You’ll slowly learn to appreciate this time and fill it with something that fuels the rest of your working day. Make yourself something healthy, set off a load of laundry, stretch your legs, call someone that makes you laugh…

REACH OUT TO YOUR COMMUNITY – if you’re feeling stuck or lost with anything then it’s important to communicate this to work colleagues or people that work within the same field as you. Lots of people will be spending more time online than ever before over the coming weeks, so it’s a great time to utilise it. If you’re a freelancer then why not reach out to some fellow self employed people to see how they are doing? Are there any ways in which you could support each other?

MOVEMENT IS ESSENTIAL – now more than ever! I know we are all either experiencing lockdown or practicing social distancing, but this doesn’t mean that exercise is off the table. If you’re able to get out to a local park when it’s not busy then that’s the ideal situation right now – make use of having nature if you’re lucky enough to have some green space nearby. If not, then there are plenty of ways to work out at home, you just need to find your ‘thing’. Getting yourself a work out mat and some weights is a great place to start as it means you can set up a little work out station. Whether it’s forty minutes of yoga or just a fifteen minute blast of cardio, try to make movement a priority at some point throughout the day if you can. Also don’t feel bad if you have a few days where you feel like a potato that isn’t capable of much more than making snacks or staring at your feet. Movement obviously has the power to make us feel better but we also don’t need to beat ourselves up for using this extra time at home to get ‘in the best shape ever’.

SET YOURSELF A ‘CLOCK OFF’ TIME – this isn’t always easy, and I know a lot of people will be working a crazy amount of hours right now, but if you can, let some things wait until the next day. If I haven’t completed everything on my ‘To Do’ list then instead of feeling defeated, I transfer them over onto my list of tasks for the following day. It’s such a simple thing but the act of writing them out again for a future date just helps me decompress before I switch off for the evening.

ENFORCE A BEDTIME RITUAL – something that helps you feel soothed and grounded before your head hits the pillow to prepare for another working day ahead. It could be as simple as nice hot bubble bath or sticking on a calming playlist whilst you do some stretches. Read a book that transports your mind elsewhere, listen to a podcast, head out for an evening walk if it’s safe to do so. Try different things and you’ll figure it out as you go along…

Ultimate WFH advice? Take advantage of the perks and don’t be too hard on yourself. If you find yourself extremely disciplined one moment, and then baking muffins the next – just be safe in the knowledge that your days are allowed to look different. Working from home is personal so make it that way and do what works best for you. I also think it’s important to that your productivity is in no way connected to your self worth. The days might feel stagnant and hard to navigate right now but it won’t always be this way, and things won’t always feel this hard. The future seems uncertain so all we can do is take it one day at a time, be gentle with ourselves, be kind to those around us, and find joy in the simple pleasures because many of us are so so lucky to have that privilege to begin with…

Photographs taken by Catherine Booty 

Blazer & jumper – vintage, Jeans – H&M, Glasses – Celine

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