I am coming up on the two-year mark of working from home – hard to believe! And while throwing the kids in to the mix has definitely changed things for me, I am sharing a few tips to help make working from home a little easier for everyone in your family!

10. Get outside for at least an hour a day.

It is still really chilly here in Indiana! Most days, the temps are only about 40 degrees. But we bundle up and make the best of it! It is so good for all of us to get out of the house! Sammy has never been happier! I think he is enjoying the quarantine the most!

9. Exercise.

While you may be unable to leave the house, there are several great options that you can do from home! I have been doing Beachbody on Demand for the past year, and truly love it! I just finished the Barre Blend program! I loved it because the workouts are 40 minutes or less, it was a challenge and got me sweating, and it requires little to no equipment. There are thousands of different workouts to choose from (including yoga, dance fitness, strength training, and more), and I am getting ready to start a boxing workout next week! And get your kids involved in doing the workouts too! Lucy loves to join me for my workouts!

8. Keep a schedule.

Briton and I sat down and created a schedule for our family. We are both working from home, the kids are home, and things can get crazy pretty quickly! We wanted the kids to still have a routine from home even though things look a little different now. I cannot tell you how much this has helped our days run smoother! It is easy to work non-stop and feel like you are accomplishing nothing. Make sure you schedule in a few breaks for yourself! It also helps me to make a to-do list for the week or day and cross things off as I go! The kids know when we are in “work mode” and “family mode”!

Download a free schedule for your family here!

7. Take care of yourself.

It is so easy to skip this step, but is beyond important! Even if you don’t feel like it, taking care of yourself is so important for your mental health! My kids are old enough to take care of themselves for a little bit in the morning. So when I wake up in the morning, I take 30 minutes to myself to do my devotions and pray before I even get out of bed. I am rereading the book Calm My Anxious Heart and find it so fitting for the time we are in. After my devotions, I get up, wash my face and make breakfast for the kids and coffee for myself! And even though my outfits have mostly consisted of leggings, joggers, and sweatshirt, I am getting dressed every day!

6. Create a space that is functional and comfortable.

Whether it is a corner in your bedroom or a home office, if you are working from home right now, create a space that is both functional and comfortable for whatever job you are doing. I have been working from home for nearly two years and finally decided that it was time to convert our guest room into my home office (full details coming soon!)! This process has made working from home so much easier already! Briton also works from home and has an office in our basement.

5. Do some fun activities with your kids.

Whether you are creating TikToks with your kids or doing more arts and crafts, there are so many fun activities to do! The kids and I have been doing more baking! They also created a menu and restaurant in our kitchen! They loved doing this! Another fun thing we have been doing on the weekends is having a king and queen for the day! When the kids are king or queen, they get to decide the fun activities that we do, the foods that we eat, and the shows or movies that we watch! I haven’t played so much hide-and-go-seek in years! My inner child is enjoying making an appearance.

4. Set goals for things you want to get done at home.

We typically do get spring cleaning done every year, and this year, we got a jumpstart and more time to get things done. I sat down and made a list of every room I wanted to tackle. Day by day, we are all working together to purge, organize, and clean! My house will never be in better shape! I don’t know about you, but I feel like I can breathe better when I walk into a room that is organized. Shop all my pantry organization here!

3. Set break times.

I mentioned this earlier, but it is so important to set break times when you are working from home! Otherwise, you will end up working more than you would on a typical work day in the office. Set a timer on your phone to remind yourself to get up and stretch, move around, or get outside to breathe fresh air. I read a quote that really stuck with me when I started working from home. It remains true. “The great thing about working from home is you can work whenever you want. The bad things about working from home is you can work whenever you want.” Shop my laptop case here.

2. Teach your kids (or yourself) some new skills.

Lucy and I have wanted to make macarons for a couple years now! They are our favorite dessert! And with all of our time from home lately, we finally did it! Even though the kids are not in school learning traditional school things, this is a time that they can learn real life skills like cooking, cleaning, and working together as a family. We are taking full advantage of this!

1. Allow yourself some grace.

I would be lying if I told you that every day was rainbows and sunshine. Many days I am frustrated by the lack of things I am getting done, annoyed by the fighting and complaining coming from my kids’ mouths, and generally tired of the current situation. But here’s the thing… it’s okay to feel that way. It’s natural. But feeling that way should not dictate how our entire day should go! There are so many positives that are coming out of this. Most people are showing more kindness, this is a time to slow down and breathe at home, and this is a time to teach your kids important life lessons. I read a quote in my devotional book that really stuck with me. “Two women looked through prison bars. One saw mud, and one saw stars.” May we choose to see stars.

I am praying that God grants me grace and peace as we go through this unknown time. I am thankful for all of the medical professionals and first responders. THANK YOU! May we use this time to grow.

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