I know there’s been a lot of shared info out there on WFH tips in regards to your productivity. For example, wake up at the same time each day, shower, put on work clothes and resist the urge to wear sweat pants all day. Those are all great, but I wanted to add my spin on the recommendations.

I’ve been working from home for 18 years, with the exception of my (now paused) hectic travel schedule. So, you can say I have some practice at this. I wouldn’t say that I am the most organized and structured when it comes to my work day, but I do make my mind, body and spirit health a priority.

So, here are my Top 8 Work From Home Tips to help keep you feeling energetic, healthy and confident!

Morning meditation: I swear by it and will not miss a morning. I’ve talked about the countless benefits before, but never before has my meditation been so important. It helps me tap into my higher self before starting my day. My higher self is calm, confident and grounded and SHE gets to choose how I begin my mornings, instead of reacting to what’s in my inbox or in the headlines (I get my mail from The Skimm). I use the timer function on the Insight Timer app but there are loads of guided meditations to choose from. If you absolutely hate to sit still while meditating, try my favorite Moving Meditation from Hapkido (the martial art I studied).

Fancy Coffee: For me, coffee isn’t just a cup of morning gasoline to perk me up. It’s an experience and I like my experiences to be luxurious. BQ, (before quarantine), I would head to my local non-chain, hipster coffee shop to change up my scenery and indulge in a $6 almond milk latte. Now, I’m just uber thankful for my Nespresso coffee maker that I bought myself for Christmas. I get the fancy coffee experience at home and the cost is about $1 per coffee, after the cost of the machine (which I got at a steal from a Bloomingdale’s mega sale). From a health perspective, buy the highest quality coffee you can afford that is pesticide free because it turns out, coffee is one of the highest sprayed crops in the world. If you drink coffee daily, that’s a lot of pesticides adding up that can act as hormone disruptors!

Focus Keeper: When faced with an overwhelming To-Do list, my natural avoidance mechanism would be to go do the laundry or some other mindless task. The Focus Keeper App, helps me focus on my work by setting work and break timers. I usually do 25 minutes of work, followed by a 5 minute break where I’ll get up and do some activity. You can adjust the timer to fit your needs. Pomodoro App is a similar one.

Tea Parties: When I start to get restless and craving a snack, I go to the kitchen and make myself a cup of tea. If I’m craving something sweet, I may put a touch of honey in it. If it’s after a meal, I will often choose a peppermint tea for a palate cleansing experience. Or for the late afternoon, kinda hungry but probably not, I may make a functional mushroom drink by Four Sigmatic. I love their Golden Latte made with anti-inflammatory champion, turmeric and the Reishi Cacao drink that tastes like a cup of hot chocolate with the benefits of Reishi mushrooms.

Protein: Your first meal, whatever time that may be, should include protein. We’ve been brainwashed as kids that “breakfast foods” are a healthy way to start the day. Average American breakfast foods usually include processed carbs and sugar and contain little to no, nutritional value or protein. Whatever time you choose to eat your first meal (whether you’re practicing Intermittent Fasting or not), make sure you include protein to help stabilize your blood sugar, keep you satiated and studies say that you will make better food decisions throughout the day. Stay away from muffins, toast, waffles, bagels, pastries and cereal. I usually start my day with a smoothie that contains about 18-20 grams of protein. Eggs, Greek yogurt or this coconut chia pudding recipe are other great ways to start your day with a protein packed meal.

Bouncing! (or rebounding, if you want to get fancy) Yes, actually getting up and bouncing in your body. If you have a mini trampoline (rebounder), even better. I don’t, but this whole quarantine thing has made me question that decision. Instead, I get up every couple of hours and either just stand and bounce for one minute or do 100 jumping jacks. Bouncing helps stimulate the lymphatic system which helps your body eliminate toxins and stimulates the immune system.

Online workouts: This is a new one for me, I must admit. BQ , I used to work for a couple of hours and then head to the gym around 10am when it was empty-ish and do my own workouts. Now, I’m feeling the need to have an instructor lead me. And yes, sometimes that instructor is me. 7 years ago I filmed some workout videos that include kickboxing and strength training for a platform called Grokker. (type my name in the search bar) If you don’t want to workout with me, there are hundreds of videos from yoga to cooking classes and everything in between and they have offered it all for free for the month of April. Here’s the link to check it out. If you choose to continue after April, with this checkout code (jenniferc9monthly) you only have to pay $9/month.

Walk it out: When the pressure is mounting and I start to freeze (AKA stare at my laptop, look for a mindless task, start to go down the social media rabbit hole), I say F*ck It! and I get out of the house and go for a walk. The energy of getting unstuck and getting into motion usually helps stimulate my creative juices while out on my walk and gets me prepped to be more productive when I get back. Yes, I’m still walking in my neighborhood during quarantine and so can you (unless you’re in a place with very strict orders).

I hope these tips help you whether you’ll continue to work from home in the future or like me, will continue to work from home on the regular.

Drop me a line in the comments about your favorite WFH tip!