Working at home can be challenging for many people. I know this because I used to dread working from home, mistakenly thinking that I needed the structure offered by working in an office. Working from home is doubly hard for parents, especially moms, because imagine working around piles of dirty laundry or having your kids run into you as you work. The ton of distraction and work schedule may not be the best for your productivity. Whether you have been working from home for some time or just getting started, there is always a thing or two you can do to stay motivated and more productive. 

This laptop case never fails to make me smile Purchase it here

Work with a schedule

A structured workday may make it more challenging for you to get hold of time. In most cases, you may find yourself shifting your priorities to work on your home chores. The result may be long working hours. Working from home has blurred the line between working and taking a break. I used to work until 2AM every day at my former job, until I had enough. If you want to stay on top of your work, ensure you create a schedule. Establish when you begin your tasks, take a break, and focus on home chores.

Create a home office 

Do not give in to the temptation of working from your bed or couch. Understandably, working from home comes with flexibility. However, you should not get too comfortable. Create a dedicated workspace where you do all your work-related stuff. Establishing a home office helps you minimize distractions and interferences. My work desk is in my bedroom, but I never sit on it for leisure/ when I'm not working.

Minimize distractions 

There is no denying that getting back to work after an interruption can be very challenging. How many times do you postpone work after receiving a friend’s invitation call? Limiting distractions is the best way to stay motivated and more productive. Mute your phone notifications and emails when working. You may also want to let your family and friends know your working hours to avoid interrupting you.

Take a break

Sometimes changing your environment can make you more productive and motivated. Working from home limits your interactions, meaning no chatting with a next-desk colleague. However, you can take a break from the normal to stay motivated and boost your productivity. For instance, carry your laptop and work while enjoying the fresh breeze from your garden. You can also pack your ergo travel keyboard and head to the nearest park, if there's one nearby. Just make sure to wear your mask.

Prioritize self-care

You work best when you are fresh and relaxed. Instead of forcing your body by working late into the night or multitasking, get that rest to reset and start afresh. Any time you feel overworked and exhausted, take a break to focus on yourself before you resume. You should also reward yourself after every task to stay motivated and productive.

Experiment with different techniques

There are many ways to stay motivated and more productive when working from home. And with many online resources, you can never know what works best for you unless you try them out. Try different strategies to see what works for you. If one does not work, do not hesitate to experiment again until you are certain you have the right recipe.

Working from home is the order of the day. However, this model may not be manageable for everyone. With so much on your plate, you may find it hard to work at your best level. Use these tips to stay motivated and productive when working from home. On top of it, do not ignore physical exercise. Choose the right waist trainer for home workouts or find a fun physical activity, like I did with roller skating. :) Good luck!

I get all these ideas when I'm in the shower, and when I'm lucky I get to write/ type them all down before the words escape me.

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One of the things I've been obsessed about lately is watching pantry organization videos on TikTok. It makes me want to get all these clear acrylic cases and sort all our food and snacks into a semblance of organization. It kinda makes me wish we got a bigger refrigerator, but I know that we have now is already big enough for J and me. I've never been the organized type of gal in that my style is more like Serenity in Chaos, but these videos make me wish I'm that organized. Heh.

Which brings me to my next point = Compartmentalize.

I throw this word around a lot whenever people ask me for advice about work, about relationships, or about life in general, but it all boils down to this. Compartmentalize.

It's what I did when I overheard my friends in highschool talking about me my behind my back. It's what I did when I had my heart broken and had to see the people who broke it every day at work. It's what I did when there were too many family issues popping up. It's what I did when there was too much toxicity at work and it was affecting how we did our jobs. It's what I am doing now, grieving my Tatay's death, while at the same time living my life to honor him. I let myself feel emotions, then I let them wash over me. There is work to be done. Compartmentalize.

Relationships getting too toxic because of, I don't know, political biases maybe? Cut them off. Life is too short to spend time with the wrong people. Work getting too demanding? Nothing a good ol' to do list can cross off. I acknowledge that hitting the sweet spot of a work-life balance is near impossible to achieve, but I am in my 30s and I have learned to manage my expectations. After all, there can be no work-life balance when you don't have work to begin with.

So, yeah, different drawers, different compartments, different things to deal with. When one aspect of your life gets too challenging, maybe close that drawer for now and open another one, and then just come back to that drawer again later. :)

I love my iPad and my little journaling apps, but nothing beats putting pen to paper. There's a different kind of satisfaction to be had when I physically cross off tasks on my to do list, my jumbled thoughts become clearer, and it is just so easier to manifest things and work towards my dreams when I write them down.

Life lately made me do a lot of rewriting my story, what with moving out and learning to be independent again, changing jobs, and grieving my Tatay's death. Through all these, I had my journal to pour all my thoughts and feelings into.

On its 15th year of providing every planner babe their perfect planner companion, Viviamo is staging #YouGotThis, a planning and journaling summit that will empower you to rewrite your story and move forward with your life even during this pandemic. I still have sweet memories of the Make Today Magical event held back when we could still hold face-to-face events, but I'm sure this online summit will be just as fun and informative!

You may check more information and sign up FOR FREE here. Aside from the freebies you'll receive, when you attend for free, you'll also get to join the raffles peppered throughout the two-day FREE summit!

I have already registered. It's happening this weekend so don't miss out. ;) Register here.

I used to dislike working from home because I always ended up falling asleep in the afternoons. I used to think that I liked the structure that going to a physical office gives me, not to mention being able to socialize with workmates-turned-friends. But now that I have been working from home for more than a year now, I realize that if there is an option to work from home, I would always choose this, mostly because I cannot imagine going through my everyday commute again. Heh. I am blessed to be employed by a company that has a work from home setup, even before the pandemic.

Working from home is a great way to save money, but if you're like who always adds to cart, it can also be expensive. How do you work from home without spending too much? Here are some tips that will help keep our working-from-home costs low.

#1 Skip the commute

By working from home, you can save on your transportation costs. One doesn't realize how much money you spend on gas just going to and from work every day, and how much other things you can do with that money instead! Also, by using your car less, you'll probably save a few bucks on your car insurance as well, seeing as you won't be putting yourself and your vehicle at risk as much as you would've if you had to drive on the freeway twice a day, every day.

#2 Consolidate errands

I really avoid going out as much as possible in that even my groceries, I do online, but if you do happen to need to leave your house during the day, try and consolidate errands into one trip. Not only will this help save gas, but it'll also allow you more time at home! For example, if there's a centre close by that has all the stores you need to do your monthly grocery shopping, try and set aside enough time to slip away for a while and buy everything you need in one outing? The less time spent outside of your working space means fewer distractions and more hours to complete tasks that contribute to earning money.

#3 Free lunch

Who doesn't love free food? If you have a fridge, microwave, and some water to boil things in, there are plenty of recipes that allow for healthy meals at little-to-no cost. Some people buy lunch every day of their lives, whether it be at a nearby food truck that's conveniently located next to the office or even at a coffee shop. Unfortunately, these small expenses add up to quite a bill at the end of each month because it's not as if you can run home to your fridge at lunchtime and have a quick snack. By working from home, you'll be saving on all those coffee and lunch bills, ensuring you have even more money saved each month that you can use to buy other things!

#4 Save on utilities

You may be wondering how you can save on utilities when you're at home more often and use more electricity to work and get everything that's needed done? Well, that's where technology and innovation come in. Now, you can utilize the cost-effective option of solar power to cut your utility bills in half and save tons! Sure, you don't want to spend a bucket load of money on solar panel installations and only start saving a few years down the road when the installation has paid for itself through savings, but that's where this gets even better. You can learn more at www.choosesolar.com and find out how you can reap the fruits of solar energy without needing any solar panels! This is one of my dreams for my future home, too.

By utilizing the above steps, you’ll be saving a ton of money while working from home and amping up your productivity at the same time - it’s a win-win situation! 

Do you have any more work from home tips? Let me know! :)

In yet another failure of our governance to provide hope in this seemingly never ending quarantine, the other best thing we can do aside from demand more from our leaders and vote better in the coming elections is explore other interests. These are truly stressful times and if I did not have anything else to divert my attention to, I would have gone crazy. I am listing here some activities you can do in our nth form of quarantine.

Skating

Thanks to J's sister C and her forming a skating squad, I took an interest in roller skating. It's a really fun activity whether you are just practicing on your own or trying to find some friends at the park, or, in my case, skating with a squad. Heh. My dream skates arrived the other day, and I cannot wait to dress her up!

Look at my Luna Princess!

B-E-A-UTIFUL!!

Start a Blog

It's easy to start a beauty blog, really. What's challenging is maintaining it. But I guess if you are passionate about sharing what you know and experience, then you should be okay. Look at this blog, it's been here for more than a decade now. :)

Learn New Recipes

One thing that I am proud of is that I was able to learn how to cook! If I can do it, believe me, so can you. Quarantine isn't the time to let your creativity die. It's a great time to try something new. if you have been itching to learn how to cook, now is the perfect opportunity to try something new. Try learning how to cook a new dish each week. Make sure you ask your friends and family what they like or don't like when it comes to food so that way you can make recipes for the whole family, or if you live alone you can prep ahead for the whole week and save so much time and effort!

Host a Virtual Party 

I am an extrovert and I thrive in interpersonal relationships so you bet this quarantine has hit me hard. Hosting a virtual party is a great way to keep yourself and your friends entertained during the quarantine. Invite as many people as possible so that you can play games or watch movies together even though everyone might not be able to meet up in person. Also, make sure someone takes pictures of all the fun things happening at the party. This will help those who couldn't make it feel like they are still part of the fun. This is also a great way to connect with friends and family even when we can't be physically together.

Journaling 

Since you can find yourself in some phase of quarantine you can pen either a journal about what is happening around you or what's going on in your life. You can also write notes to yourself that may be helpful for the future, like how you felt during quarantine and any tips that worked well for you.

It doesn't even have to be very long at all. Two sentences will do. Just write a few quick notes about what you did or thought during your quarantine period. You can always go back and add more later on, too. It's up to you how much detail you want in your journal entries, so feel free to get as detailed as you'd like. Besides, doing something imperfectly is better than not doing it at all.

Take care of a pet

Our front yard has become a home to cats and these adorable kittens, and they will be coming with us to our new home when it's finally built.

Hopefully, this list has given you some ideas on making the most out of your time in isolation or quarantine. Just note that there are tons of other options to explore for those who aren't interested in spending their stay inside playing video games or mindlessly scrolling through social media, although I know we have our owns ways of coping. You are doing amazing. :)

Yesterday I saw an Instagram post about wanting to put up a tree and call it a year, and I realized that I've lived away from home since I was 22, sometimes with roommates, most times alone, but it was actually the first time I felt excited to decorate for the holidays. It also got me thinking about my blog post back in 2008 when I first decided to move out. The years flew, and I have had a lot of growing up to do since then.

Are you contemplating relocating? It is definitely challenging at any given time, more so now that we're in a pandemic, but not entirely impossible. After all, I was able to do it! I moved out on February this year, and before I knew it my first contract is due to expire next week! That was quick! We were able to renew it already though, so I should be here for another year. :) And I am telling you, it has done wonders for my mental health and sense of self.

Now whether you are moving across the street, across town, or across the globe, it is important to plan ahead of time. One thing is certain no matter where you are going: you will need to organize your move in a systematic and effective manner. Here are some suggestions for making the transition from one location to another considerably smoother.

1. Allocate money

It will not be cheap, so set a budget and make sure to stick with it. It is easy to get lost in Pinterest but you also have to note how much you are willing (and capable) to spend.

2. Make a detailed plan for your relocation

The most important thing you can do to ensure that your move is as cost-effective as possible is to plan ahead of time. This will provide you with the opportunity to ensure that every little element of your relocation is meticulously thought out in advance. You will save a significant amount of time, effort, and money as a result.

3. Pack all of your belongings in advance

One other key thing that you can do to make your relocation go more smoothly is to pack all of your important belongings in advance. There are numerous "how-to" guides available on the internet that can provide you with this critical information. The aim is to simply ensure that all of your belongings are packed in a manner that will keep them safe and secure during the relocation.

Packing up all of your belongings well in advance of the moving date will also benefit you throughout the actual move. As a result, the crew that comes in to load your belongings will have a much more efficient and straightforward time of things. All of this will contribute to keeping the overall process running smoothly, on schedule, and under budget. It is the most time-saving strategy available.

4. Use the services of a professional moving company

The last thing you need to do to make your move complete is to hire a professional moving service such as Mybekins.com. I am stingy and I had my boyfriend to help me, but it would've been easier with a professional moving company like what we used when they moved from Taguig to Parañaque a couple of years ago. This is an absolute must if you want things to proceed in a smooth and efficient manner. You can contact the company in advance to arrange the move and make sure the price is right.

These professionals understand how to pack items in the proper manner to ensure that nothing is lost or damaged. They are also well-versed in managing relocations on behalf of business owners. There will be adequate insurance coverage and the transfer itself will be carried out at a high level of efficiency.  

If this post helped you in a any way, you're welcome and congratulations! :)