I’ve worked from home for the majority of my career, spending only a few stints here and there in offices.

When I first started working from home I struggled with feeling isolated and a lack of routine. But as time went on, and I got into my WFH groove, my productivity and work-life happiness improved. A lot.

Though the 2020/21 version of working from home for me has had some restrictions, my work life hasn’t changed much in the wake of COVID-19. Something I am super grateful for.

All that being said, I still get spells when my energy when working from home is best described as “meh”. A thoroughly greige level of energy. Ha! Have you been there too?!

If you are in need of an energy refresh for your WFH life, I hope that today’s blog post can help!

Read on for five ways to refresh your energy if you’re working from home . . . 

5 ways to refresh your

energy if you’re working from home

1. ‘Cleanse’ your space of negative energy

   If you have listened to episode 77 of Let’s Discuss Podcast, you’ll have heard me tell Ella that I recently got into Palo Santo. Otherwise known as Holy Wood.

   If you have heard of smudging with sage, the practice of using Palo Santo isn’t too dissimilar.

   To use Palo Santo you simply light the wood (which is a similar size to kindling), allow it to burn for around 30 seconds and blow it out. You then use the smoke to ‘cleanse’ your area of any unwanted energy, and welcome good energy in its place.

   Pay special attention to doorways, windows and the corners of your room.

   Since doing this in my own home I feel like I got rid of some ‘weird juju’. It felt like I was starting afresh.

   If you’ve felt like the energy in your home office has felt stagnant too, and no matter HOW many times you open the windows to change the air, it just won’t quit, maybe try Palo Santo too?

   If burning Palo Santo in its wood form doesn’t float your boat, you can take a shortcut by purchasing one of Lord Home’s amazing-smelling Palo Santo | Patchouli candles. Or you could try a Palo Santo oil.

   Let me know how you get on! I’d love to hear from you if you try this.

   

2. Re-jig your work space

   

   When you are working from home it’s important to keep your space feeling fresh. Especially when it’s not easy (or possible) to break-out from your home office for a coffee break or a change of scene.

   If you are working from home and in need of an energy boost, let me be the one to say that you deserve a comfortable, practical space with good vibes to work from!

   If you haven’t already done so, you need to allocate a ‘space’ to work from. Be that a corner nook, a part of your kitchen table or a spare room.

   Now, give your work area a good tidy and a clean. You know, the kind where you actually get rid of stuff, file things away and generally channel alll the Netflix-home-show vibes! There’s nothing like having a good de-clutter and tidy-up to boost your energy.

   Then, if you are in need of any additional work items—a great ergonomic chair (my faves are by Cult Furniture), laptop stand, desk lamp—close this tab and get shopping! You need your work space to work for and with you. And for it to be somewhere you are excited to head to.

   Non-essential things I like to have to hand:

   – a nice mug ~ mine are mostly from Anthropologie.
   – a framed photo of Oli and I ~ I just got one from Addison Ross which I love!
   – amazing-smelling hand cream ~ I use Molton Brown.
   – candles ~ I love Lord Home.
   – slipper socks! Gotta stay cosy.

3. Schedule in your exercise and time outside

   

   Don’t snooze on this one! It makes ALL the difference to how energised you feel when working from home.

   This is one thing I have struggled with a LOT this year. Not having a gym to go to has impacted how often I have exercised (read: minimally), as well as limiting ‘other locations’ I head to in my day.

   Fortunately a new gym just opened up near me and I signed up right away. It’s only been a week or so but already it has felt SO good to be moving my body again, and breaking up my work days by heading somewhere other than my home.

   If you can’t get to a gym, or don’t feel comfortable attending, try as best you can to factor in some exericse.

   I admit that I have not found exercising from home appealing, historically, but the other day I signed up for a live barre class and it was amazing! Knowing that I had to be there by a certain time, meant that I had accountability, and so I properly factored it into my day.

   I booked my class via the Louisa Drake Method website, which has loads of great classes at a reasonable price. My barre class was led by a lovely instructor called Lydia, and I truly felt like I had a spring in my step all day!

   And let’s not forget good ol’ Vitamin D. At this time of year our daylight hours are significantly shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, making it harder to absorb Vitamin D naturally. If and when you can, get outside and literally ‘turn your face to the sun’. Whenever I need to boost my energy, a walk does the trick! Plus it is such a fun way to catch up with friends – either in person or by walking and talking on the phone.

   I also top my Vitamin D levels up by using a supplement. If you think you’re in need of getting your Vitamin D levels tested you can reach out to your GP or Naturopath. I had mine tested during my visit to The Maas Clinic.

   You can read about my experience with Functional and Integrative Medicine here.

4. Take an Ashwaganda supplement

   

   If you are reading this and thinking “Ash-wa-what”?! I was VERY much there just a short while ago. But I kept hearing about Ashwaganda and adaptogens and decided to give it a go. Now, I am so glad I did!

   Ashwaganda is an ancient adaptogenic herb, which can be taken in supplement form to help you to manage stress and anxiety.

   Adaptogens – as the name suggests – adapt to your needs. In the case of Ashwaganda, if you are stressed and your body is producing excess cortisol, taking Ashwaganda can help to bring those cortisol levels down.

   I started taking Link Nutrition’s Ashwaganda supplements a couple of weeks ago, and I have noticed a positive difference.

   It is not a cure-all. But I have felt like taking Ashwaganda has helped me to feel calmer. Stresses don’t feel so urgent. Its effect on me has been a bit like meditation.

   If you have noticed that your energy levels have dipped when working from home of late, or that you’ve been feeling anxious, try exploring Ashwaganda and see if it feels like a good fit for you.

   You can listen to episode 123 of the Calmer You podcast, by Chloe Brotheridge, to learn more about the subject too.

5. Use timers for focused blocks of work

   You know the saying “act how you want to feel”? If you want to feel more energised when you are working from home, bring more energy to the table, even if you have to fake it for a bit!

   When I need a burst of energy, I set a short timer and power through a ‘block’ of time. I tune out all distractions (emails, phone, social) and focus purely on the task at hand for that set amount of time. Usually once that timer goes off, I am focused enough to tap ‘repeat’ and power through another time block.

   Bonus Tip!

   

   Move around! If your energy levels are dipping when you are working at your desk, change things up and work from your sofa for a bit. Or another spot in your home. Sometimes simply changing the location you are working from can bring a new energy into your work.

Overall

If you are working from home and need to refresh your energy, I hope that these tips can help. Fundamentally, I come back to my Health. Home. Hustle. principle time and time again. If your energy at work is low, is it because your energy generally has taken a dip?

More often than not when I am in a weird work space, it is because I am in a weird personal space. Be that because I am stressed, tired, PMT, whatever. 2020/21 has thrown A LOT at us all, so if you are feeling off balance, maybe take a step back and get a sense of what’s going on, on a larger scale?

If it IS that your WFH environment is messy and uncomfortable, get to tidying! But if it’s because you’re generally feeling “blah”, cut yourself some slack, get an early night and readjust your priorities as best you can. YOU first. Your home and WFH environment second. Work third.

The work part will flow with much more ease when you’ve got the energy to give to it.

What’s Your Take?

How are you finding WFH life? Any tips or tricks you have been using to up your energy levels?

I would love to hear from you!

Love, Monica x

Photography by Charlotte Bryer-Ash