Working at home during Covid-19, how to get a great home/work balance.

Organise your clothes and get a better home/work balance – Life in the time of Covid-19 Part 2

I write about the importance of what you wear. Even when you’re working from home.

I’ve written about how to get a better life balance and even get more out of your life by organising your clothes.

Even though I know it to be true both from my personal experience and from the experience of my clients I have sometimes felt like a lone voice in the wilderness.

A new reality

Now though, the world has changed, turned upside down, in such a short space of time. We all find ourselves at home. Coping with a new reality. And there are many articles now appearing along the lines of ‘What to wear when you’re working from home’.

I am personally delighted to see these articles appear.

I love to help you organise your wardobe, it’s my passion. Join our list today. We only offer styling tips and advice and help with your wardrobe, both what to wear and how to organise it.

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The articles about working from home, and how to feel professional from the kitchen table, validate my understanding that what you wear really matters. It also affirms my thoughts that we can use what we wear to help address our emotional needs. This is a beautiful thing.

We can self care through what we wear.

Working, and we’re at home

We are all using the term ‘working from home’. The reality, though, is probably closer to ‘working at home’. We are trying to work while balancing the needs of the family, who are all at home, all day.

And how are we to dress during this time?

On the one hand, we are at work.

On the other, we are at home and so is all our family.

You may find that the number of online meetings has increased, as teams and businesses learn new ways of communicating and functioning.

Workloads may not have changed. We still need to show up and do a good job. We are not on holiday.

Business as usual in unusual circumstances

It’s business as usual, in unusual circumstances.

You might think that what you wear to work at home doesn’t matter.

You may be tempted to put on your work-out gear at the beginning of the day and stay that way all evening.

But that would be a mistake.

Mentally, you need to be able to compartmentalise your day.

And focus at work.

And bake biscuits with the children.

And encourage them to do some school work.

Or get off their devices for just one moment.

And enjoy a glass of wine with your husband.

Turning up, dressed for the day, is good mental strategy

It may seem trivial, at this time of global pandemic, with many dying and hospitals coping with many more seriously ill, to be focussed on what to wear. However, deciding what to wear and turning up each day prepared for the day, is actually a mental strategy for coping and thriving at home during this extraordinary time.

We can help you, each and every day, in what you wear, what you want to wear, how you want to look, and how to achieve the best personal style for you.

Top 3 tips to thrive during Covid-19

These three practical tips are a great way to start.

Is balance possible when we’re so busy juggling everything?

Balance is the name of the game these days, and all work and no play makes for a very boring life. If you feel like you struggle between a busy working life and being the woman you are, you’re not alone.

What you may be surprised to learn is that by taking charge of your wardrobe you can gain back control over the balance, put stronger parameters up to protect your private time, and become a better employee too, as well as be reinvigorated and refreshed ready for work each day.

It is possible to have a better home/work balance by simply organising your clothes and we will show you how.

Expectation and Intention – your work/life balance arsenal

It all boils down to expectation and intentionality. Your expectations set your intention. What is your expectation of what you will wear at work and what you will wear at home? It may be that you have no positive intention when it comes to what to wear, but rather, you dress by default. In this blog post you will learn how to set your expectations accurately so that you can love your life at home, be effective in your work at work, and excel in both.

Getting a better home/work balance while staying at home

Work expectations.

Start simple. Identify 5 outfits that you can wear each week that are comfortable, but smart, and that you love.

If you’re not very good at putting outfits together, or don’t feel you have the right outfits to wear for home, read How to create stunning outfits you love from clothes you already own here.

Even better, sign up to join the Working Frocks list and never have to worry about what to wear again!

That is a longform article which you can enjoy one evening. Spend some time going through the post and working out what you want to wear.

If you’re reading this and want a quick, short solution to what to wear, here is a quick list of what to wear when you’re working at home:

Dress

– Keep it easy while you’re at home. a dress is easy to wear, doesn’t need readjusting or tucking in or pulling down. Dresses are comfortable to sit in all day

Earrings

– If you’re on Zoom or hangouts and participating in video meetings, other participants are only going to see your upper body.

Clean hair

– I know it goes without saying.

light make up

– If you wear it

shoes

– Optional. Shoes make some women feel organised and in the work frame of mind. If that’s you, wear your shoes.

Other accessories

– If you would normally wear other jewellery, wear that. Put your watch on.

General grooming

– Paint your nails, wear lipstick.

Keep to a routine.

Get up at the same time each day. And get dressed in the morning when you have finished with your morning ritual.

Remember that you don’t necessarily have more time in the day just because you are at home. You are still showing up for work, and you still have a house to run, or other obligations. You might not have a commute right now.

Second, expectations at home.

Again read this list and see where you could tweak your attitude or adopt a new one in order to achieve a better home/work balance:

When you are at home, be truly at home. For the sake of your children, your spouse, your siblings and parents, and for your own sanity. It’s ok to have a home life. Therefore I would reserve clothes exclusively for this home life. If you work in a very formal work setting, you may have to reserve informal wear for the weekends, however,
Decide exactly what you want to wear at the weekend. What is your look? What gives you great pleasure to wear? What do you prefer wearing above all else?
Try and wear different, non work colours at the weekend. I love grey but really don’t want to wear great all the time every day (maybe I do really…). Can you leave black, blue and grey in the wardrobe at the weekend and wear your weekend colours instead?

See below for my fb live roundup of the post outline

Please don’t neglect to do these small steps: read the 3 step lists; see where you could tweak your habits; put a plan in place to implement the changes you have planned. Short, easy steps to get you the work/life balance you desire.

Have a great weekend, and wear what you love, love what you wear.

Bye for now,

Sarah