Ya girl got promoted!

I haven't received the letter yet so I haven't made it Facebook- nor LinkedIn-official yet, but early last week our Country Manager/ my boss told me the good news that I am being promoted from being a Senior Campaign Manager to being a Campaign Director! WHOAH! What a great way to usher in my first year with Clozette PH! I am SO thankful to be with a company that appreciates my contributions and takes care of its employees. I have grown so much in the less than a year that I've spent here because of their trust in me and my capabilities. Happy tears!

One of the things I like about working here is that everyone functions even without the hourly check-ins and meetings. Add to that the fact that commuting in the Philippines is a nightmare not only for one's personal time but also for one's wallet, so the work-from-home set-up is a HUGE advantage. In March 2020, an unusually large number of individuals started working from home, because of the COVID-19 outbreak,  There was insufficient time for companies and individuals to make preparations for remote work or to consider the most effective strategies for adapting their teams, procedures, and cultures to an online-only environment, This prevented them from preparing for remote work or considering the most effective strategies - making sure there was somewhere to work, having the right technology and finding a wifi analyzer. No one knew, and no one now knows, how long the COVID-19 pandemic will go on for; as a result, the increase in the number of individuals working from home is still larger than it has ever been.

The Clozette team has been working from home even before the pandemic started, so this set-up will continue. Admittedly, I wasn't a believer of this kind of work set-up before as I believed I needed an office structure in order to be productive, but all it took was the right mindset and of course, deadlines.

If you are new to the work-from-home lifestyle, whether as a result of the coronavirus or because you have managed to locate a remote-based employment opportunity, you may have discovered that you need to adjust your habits and routines in order to make working from home a successful endeavor. This may be the case whether you have become accustomed to the work-from-home lifestyle as a result of the coronavirus or because you have been successful in locating a remote-based employment opportunity.

Here are some tips to make sure you are ready to work from home.

Have a set workday - and stick to it.

Make a plan and try your best to follow it, at least most of the time. Many people who work remotely find that having clear boundaries for when to work and when to call it a day helps them maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Having said that, one of the most advantageous aspects of working remotely is having more freedom, provided that the employer in question permits it. To accommodate the time zone of another person, you may need to extend your day or begin your day earlier than usual. To make up for the lost sleep, either go to bed earlier than normal the next night or allow yourself a little extra time in the morning.

I didn't have this luxury in my previous workplace as I found myself working until 2AM most days, and that was one of the reasons why I left.

Have a morning routine to get you in the mindset for work.

One thing is to make the decision that you will begin working at a specific time by sitting down at your desk. One more thing you could do is develop a routine that helps you get into the chair.

When it comes to getting your day off to a good start, you may find that sticking to a pattern is more effective than looking at the clock. What aspects of your morning routine give others the impression that you are getting ready to go to work? Before you start working on your to-do list, you might find it helpful to get yourself a cup of coffee. It may be coming back to the house after going for a run or getting dressed. Consider using an activity that you already do on a regular basis as your signal, such as brushing your teeth or coming in from taking your dog for a walk. In this way, you will be able to incorporate the new routine of getting your workday started right away.

Even though we use the term "morning routine," not all people who work from home adhere to a typical nine-to-five timetable. At a different time of the day, your routine may consist of "getting started" activities. Nevertheless, search for a routine that you already engage in and make it a point to begin each working day with it.

Schedule breaks.

If you work for a company, it is important that you get familiar with its policies regarding break periods and that you take such breaks. If you work for yourself, make sure you give yourself enough time during the day to get up and move away from the phone and the computer screen. The majority of people take an hour-long lunch break in addition to two shorter breaks of 15 minutes each. It is crucial to get up and walk at least once per hour, especially while working at a computer or doing other types of sedentary work. This will help keep blood flowing through your body. It is also helpful to take frequent breaks away from the screen, even if they are only a few seconds long. 

Create a distinct workspace.

In a perfect world, remote workers would not only have access to their own private office but also two computers, one of which would be used for business and the other for personal usage. 

However, not everyone has a spare room in their house that they can convert into a home office, and maintaining two computers is not always feasible. Instead, designate a certain place, such as a desk or table, as well as some other items that will be used only for work. For instance, when your laptop is connected to the display and an external keyboard, you are ready to start working. When it is on your lap, you may relax and enjoy some time to yourself. You might even want to go so far as to establish a second user account for your professional life (or school). Your brain will be able to better recognize when you are off the clock if you train it to differentiate between work time and personal time, even in the smallest of ways, and this will lead to a better work-life balance.

Use a VPN.

Always make use of a virtual private network (VPN) anytime you are connected to a network that you do not own or control. This covers Wi-Fi connections found in co-working spaces, cafés, libraries, airports, hotels, and other similar locations. Off-site workers who need access to certain servers or websites that contain information that is solely for internal use typically have to utilize their organizations' very own virtual private networks or VPNs. In certain circumstances, you will also need to utilize a virtual private network when you are at home. It is always better to have it on than not, thus it is a good idea to make it a habit to keep your virtual private network (VPN) connection active as much of the time as you possibly can.

When virtual private networks (VPNs) are one step you can take to improve your online safety, there are other precautions you may take while working from home as well.

These are just some tips I found helpful, but I am happy to update this list when more comes to mind. :)