MENU

Top tips for working from home during lockdown (Plus How to Stay Productive)

HOT OFF THE PRESS 

So many of us have been working from home for nearly a year now so I figure it’s time to reflect on that. Of course, everybody might have different ideas about working from home now that they’ve experienced it long-term, so I’d love to explore this topic further.  Working from home used to be such […]

June 10, 2021

Top tips for working from home during lockdown (Plus How to Stay Productive)

Growth

So many of us have been working from home for nearly a year now so I figure it’s time to reflect on that. Of course, everybody might have different ideas about working from home now that they’ve experienced it long-term, so I’d love to explore this topic further. 

Working from home used to be such a treat! Sleeping in longer, control over your day-to-day schedule, working in pyjamas and no one would know. It was such a luxury! However, there are some downsides, in that before you could leave work but now because your home is your work, you really can never leave.

The work/home boundary lines have become blurred.

For me, because I used to shoot globally around the world (10-12 times a year!), this topic really resonates with me. I mean, I now have an online business that helps other creators who have gone from global trotting or office environments to working from home!

But my experience of shifting to a full-time work-from-home atmosphere was very different because being a freelancer and business owner, I was used to not having a routine. I always had to create one for myself so I would stay on track. 

My Experience Shifting to Working From Home

Travelling globally for work, I often didn’t know where I was going to be working, when I was going to be there, and for how long. So for me, it was particularly important for my well-being to always have a routine when I was at home. I would get up in the morning, get ready for work, get dressed well (wearing nice colours so I felt good!), and stick to a 9-5 routine. 

When COVID happened, I started my online business, and with that my 9-5 turned into 5am-7:30/8:30pm!  I felt I had to learn a load of new techniques and strategies to build my online business and I didn’t have that usual break where I got out of my environment to go to work.

Because I wasn’t going out, I felt I had to take/make up for that time and work more at home, to the point where my vision started to get blurry. 

I remember calling the optometrist they asked how long I was sat at my computer for work. When I answered 15-16 hours a day, they were shocked!  They insisted that I start putting breaks into my routine.

This was difficult, I wasn’t used to sitting at home and consciously thinking about the need to take 10 minutes every hour or have a 30-minute lunch. I just continuously worked away. 

Throughout lockdown there was this idea if you weren’t sitting at your computer, then you weren’t working, and with the idea of not working came the worry and anxiety. It was catch twenty-two, needed some time off but had this incessant need to keep working because you were always in your workspace.

That physical and mental boundary was gone. 

Lack of Trust with Working From Home

Before Covid, there was almost a lack of trust, for having people work from home. You’d almost have to work harder when working from home to prove yourself because it was seen as a luxury. This helps explain why many of us had boundary issues when we started working from home all the time.

It’s human nature to feel like you have to do more because you feel like working from home used to be a treat. When we go through school and university, we are almost brainwashed to think that we have to work this regimented time and do this regimented work, so if we’re not doing that, then we’re not working.

However, the pandemic has somewhat changed that.

I do feel that now big companies understand that to get the best out of your workers they have to have some sense of well-being as well. And what I realise from working from home is it gives you the opportunity to think about what you want to do, what you want to achieve and who you want to be at the same time.

You’re in your own environment, you’re creating your own routine and, in a sense, you’ve become your own boss.

You must self-regulate yourself and be more self-aware about how you’re going to navigate your work-life home-life environment. It makes you think differently about where you want to go in the future. 

Having Time to Change Your Direction

For myself, I realized that even though I travelled for work as a photographer and director, when I had the time to stop travelling and take that break, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

Was there something more that I could offer?
Were there things that I could learn while I was at home to change my direction and path?
Did I really like the environment I was in when I was working consistently? 

And so, I went back to university to do my Masters in Positive Psychology and Psychology Coaching because I realized that this was a passion of mine that I had never had the time to pursue. 

This time gave me the opportunity to break through from that regimented working environment where I was on that hamster wheel working for money. It gave me the ability to change my direction and my viewpoint and realise that I wanted to focus more on my well-being as well as other people’s wellbeing. 

The sense of putting time into your routine for breaks and thinking about PPIs (Positive Psychology Interventions), such as going for a drive, a 30-minute walk and listening to the bird’s song, or sitting in a park or woods. Just getting in some green environment.

Some people like to do yoga or breathwork meditation and other people like to do 30 minutes of journaling so they can get out their thoughts and ideas. These are just a few things you can add to your routine, to get back that sense of balance.

When working from home, it’s so imperative that you become more self-aware of who you are and what your needs are for you to be able to move forward and flourish.

Having that anxiety about coming back into the working environment

For me and other creators in my industry, there was this anxiety about “oh my god everything’s going to open up”. It was as if we weren’t ready for it yet! 

Most of us are quite comfortable working from home now. We’ve gotten used to it.  We see our partners and family, we get to do what we want, we’ve regimented our working hours. For me, I’ve self-regulated, and I’m more self-aware. 

What was it that I’d gotten anxious about? 
Was it that I was going to jump back on that hamster wheel and forget my goals, ambitions, meaning and purpose? 
Was it that I didn’t know what to expect (because we all fear the unknown)? 

But then I realized, what time has given me, and what it can give many others, is the strength to understand that you can go on and you do have control of your life. You can make well-tuned decisions about where you want to go in the future. 

There’s nothing to fear, you just need to understand who it is that you want to be and where you want to go.

Who do you want to be?

Where you want to go?

What if I’m working from home forever? And what if I want to?

We need change and we need to develop and adapt. If we continue the way we have been over the last century, how do we achieve better greatness and understanding of who we are as a species? 

In a sense, this challenging time has given us the opportunity to move forward and adapt the way we work and the way we live our lives. Some for the better, some for the worse, but at least it’s given us that something to consider for the future. That’s what’s quite interesting.

Building an online business is something a lot of people consider an achievable option. If anyone has to go back to that office environment, and they don’t want to, they now have the opportunity to create a business for themselves. We’ve all been made more aware that there is another way to make a living.

Building an online business.

It’s been an experience and a journey, it’s been difficult building this online business, but I’ve had that opportunity because we’ve been in lockdown to focus on it. And now I’m seeing success from all that hard work!

If you’re going back to an office environment and you want to do something different, you now can learn new skills and get yourself out of that environment if you feel it’s not for you anymore.

Have you become more introverted?

Many people have noticed that they’re more introverted than they thought! Being in lockdown and isolated for weeks, months on end can emphasise the want and need to stay in, but social relationships are important, who doesn’t miss the team or office banter. One of the great benefits of my job as a photographer is working with a variety of teams across the globe and creating positive environments.

I’m lucky that I get to work with people I know are supportive and will have my back. This is important when you’re shooting fast-paced campaigns, and you’ve got to organise and inspire your team, the clients and the people you’re photographing especially when it is the first time many people have left their house.

I would consider myself an extroverted person, but I do love to have that “me” time. It’s important to know that you can be both! You can be introverted and have that “me” time because you need to re-develop and re-energize

This is especially true if you give a lot to yourself when you’re in your working environment. When you’re networking, meeting people and talking, you have to be high energy. It’s so important that you can come away and re-energize yourself for the next time that you go out.

Social interactions are 100% something we need as a society to survive; just be sure you’re energising yourself with rest afterwards if you feel you need it.

What About Virtual Networking?

You can still have this type of interaction virtually though! You can make your virtual meeting a little party. It’s about bringing your energy to it and bringing your personality to the screen.

Though many people can find this quite daunting! We’re not used to having cameras stuck in our faces and having to express ourselves that way. We’ve gotten used to it though it’s still always nice to see people face to face and have a cup of coffee!

It’s all about balance.

Integrating the parts we like about both sides. Integrating the online world with our past, more in-person life. Maybe you work virtually, but you hang out with friends and family after work or on the weekends in person.

Take what you like best about these two worlds and create the life that you want to lead.

And that suits you best.

My Key Takeaways on Working From Home

Working and living in the same space can be a lot. You don’t get to go to a different space to work and then a different space to sleep or live. So, it’s important to keep your mindset healthy to flourish in this environment. 

Here are my key takeaways that you should keep in mind:

  • Make sure you have a routine, starting in the morning. A routine that not only gets you doing the job that you want to do, but also a routine that looks after your well-being at the same time. Getting ready, wearing clothes that make you feel good.
  • Prioritise having a scheduled lunch break as well as 10-15 minute breaks if you’re working at your computer for an hour or more.
  • Take that PPI (Positive Psychology Intervention) where you can go out if you’re near green space and take 30 minutes to walk around (whether it’s first thing in the morning, on your lunch break or after work). 

Keeping these things in mind helps you make sure that you’re self-regulating yourself and being self-aware about your needs.

Making sure that throughout your workweek you’re managing your time to prioritise looking after yourself will benefit your productivity, health and prevent burnout.

I’d love to hear about your experience with working from home over the past year.

Share it with me in the comments! 

jerri jarmeh

0

0

Thriving 
Self-Employed

Services

Brand Shoots

GROW TOGETHER

Level up your
Marketing

BUILD YOUR BRAND

Coaching Container

PURPOSEFUL PLAN

Book in your content brand shoot, supporting you in showcasing your professional and personal personality.
So, you can engage with clients with passion and confidence, while you promote your product and services. 

Guiding, supporting, and serving high achieving creative trailblazing freedom seeking self-employed souls on how to get control over your mindset and personal development, enabling you to work towards your goals and profit from your passions with the "PURPOSEFUL PLAN Coaching Container"

Products and services to support, empower and enable growth for the ambitious freedom-seeking self-employed, business owners and proffesionals. You are not alone, my friend, with years of experience in the visually creative marketing space. As well as, being accredited in the psychological and coaching area, I'm here to walk alongside you and support you on this ever-changing personal and professional life journey!



LEARN MORE

LEARN MORE

The Channel

MIND MATTERS

No time like the present, right! On my new channel, I'll teach techniques to overcome external and internal obstacles, provide tools to grow personally and professionally, and inspire motivation to keep you moving forward while always supporting you on your self-employment journey. COMING SOON

LEARN MORE

SCOLL DOWN TO LEARN MORE, AND SEE HOW i can be of service to you?

Mind Matters
tool, tips, techniques
to thrive 

Mind Matters
tool, tips, techniques
to thrive inside and out!

TOP TIPS, TRICKS & TECHNIQUES 

THE CHANNLE 

DIVE DEEPER!

THE BLOG

Tools, Tips, Techniques to Thrive

COMING SOON!

How to just  get started

MSc POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY & COACHING

CERTIFIED RESILIENCE COACH

DIGITAL MARKETING EXPERT TRAINING 2022

(BRITISH PSYCHOLOGY SOCIETY)

MSc ADVANCE PSYCHOLOGY

MAPPCP & EMCC COACHING AWARDED 

(Brain Station Training)

(Kirros Training)

TRUSTED ACCREDITATIONS & EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT YOU

Hey, Guess what...

You deserve to be happier, healthier, and wealthier.
So, let's get to it!

This is complete guidance at the highest level. First, Jerri opens her Rolodex of industry contacts and shares all her business and personal success secrets. Then, with a single deep dive session, we will work out what is holding you back and lay down a path to guide you towards your goals. These sessions are created for the newbie self-employed, freedom-seeking freelancer or the stuck self-employed veteran who can't seem to get out of their own way. 

The package is tailored to provide solutions, answers, and steps so you can progress forward and upwards onto inspired action. Dissolve the self-doubt, limiting beliefs, and procrastination and work on the simple, effective steps that move you towards your dreams, ambitions, and goals.

My tailored 1:1 coaching, and mentoring will support, guide, and nourish your growth while providing practical, solution focus steps to expand personally and beyond.



Finally, complete guidance at the highest level. 

ONE-ON-ONE
COACHING

Jerri

WITH

I'M READY, LET'S FLOURISH & THRIVE, JERRI!


I cannot thank Jerri enough for helping me find my way when setting up my new beauty business. Not an easy business to set up in the middle of a global pandemic!!!!
Her enthusiasm for business and marketing is second to none. Her knowledge in social media blew my mind and helped me engage in a wider audience and even gave me the confidence to do my first ever live Instagram.

The coaching she provides just fills you with excitement and positivity. I cannot recommend Jerri’s coaching program enough. I promise you will not be disappointed

Louise 

SOCIAL MEDIA CONFIDENCE CREATOR 

HOLISTIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 

Before meeting Jerri, I was struggling to get my new creative shop off the ground, but since our meeting she has moved my business forward by helping me to build my confidence with promoting, marketing and finding my customer base, all these essential elements which unknown to me were important for my business to be a success. I found her attitude very professional, and she made it fun and easy to understand, I can now use all the knowledge to help my business continually grow with confidence. I would happily recommend Jerri to anyone who is stuck in moving forward or looking for new creative ideas in getting their business on the map. I am extremely grateful for her support and guidance.

Anna

PRICING, PACKAGE AND CULTIVATING CONFIDENCE

 "Working with Jerri was a very opening and supportive experience. I was completely stuck in my business, holding down a family, and two jobs made me an emotional wreck; each day, I was anxious because I didn't want to waste time focusing on the wrong steps. Jerri provided space for me - showing empathy and understanding - which was powerful. The session allowed me to confront my fears, work through barriers and provide actionable steps to move me forward. It was so helpful to work with someone genuinely passionate about helping others achieve their dreams. Thank you, Jerri, for your encouragement and expertise -
 I will be forever grateful."


Trisha

SHOWING UP WITH CONFIDENCE


"My session with Jerri was precisely what I needed to build my confidence and show up online during live chats. Jerri helped me develop creative and easy-to-follow ideas to help promote my business. Hearing her angle gave me the motivation I needed to open and express myself online freely and in alignment with my personality. The call was just the beginning, and I'm grateful for the coaching, support, examples, tools, insights, and compassion delivered by Jerri."



Rachel

SELECT THE INVESTMENT THAT WORKS FOR YOU:

NOTES

LOVE

THANK YOU

HeyThere!

HeyThere!

HeyThere!

HeyThere!

HeyThere!

HeyThere!

HeyThere!

HeyThere!

I'm Jerri, Your Coach.

I've been a freelancer and business owner for the past two decades. My superpower is supporting other self-employed, business owners and professionals in personal and professional development space so that they can STAND OUT and feel confident in this digital environment.

As your coach, I'll be guiding you in portraying your best personal and business vision, so you can flourish, grow, and thrive day to day and beyond.

Let's go on this journey together and discuss where you're now and where you want to be in this highspeed laptop lifestyle.

Book now, or get to know me better, either way, I'm excited to see you soon and watch you grow!

BOOK YOUR SUPPORT SESSION WITH ME!

Hey, Guess what...

Action taker. 
Enquire here!

I understand that feeling of uncertainty when it comes to hiring a coach. But fear not! I'm here for you and happy to answer any remaining questions on our call. 

I want you to know you're in safe hands, I've been self-employed since I was 18yrs, so I know what it takes to succeed (I've been at the game longer than most). I'm also a certified coach, with dual masters in Positive Psychology and Coaching. Plus, I hold a variety of qualifications in the personal development space. So, tell me, what do you need? I believe a little guidance or support will go a long way--something small might even help tremendously giving you clarity when planning your next steps. Ensuring your mental and emotional success in your personal and professional life. Most importantly, you'll have the momentum and confidence you need to become unstoppable.

SEND, I'M READY TO START!

Hey, Guess what...

Action taker. 
Enquire here!

I want you to know you're in safe hands because this isn't my first shoot (I've been at the game longer than most). If you feel you need a little guidance or support after you've read the FAQs, then I'm here for you. So feel free to ask me anything before booking your photoshoot. 

I understand that feeling of uncertainty when it comes to hiring a photographer. But fear not! I'm here for you and happy to answer any remaining questions on our call. 

If you feel you need a little guidance or support after you've read through the FAQs, then I'm here for you. So feel free to ask me anything before booking your photoshoot. 

I want you to know you're in safe hands because this isn't my first shoot (I've been at the game longer than most). So tell me, what do you need? I believe a little guidance or support will go a long way--something small might even help tremendously in planning your shoot, which ensures it's successful, creative, productive, and fun!! And most importantly, you feel empowered, authentic and inflow!

DOWNLOAD YOUR BRANDING BROCHURE

Hey,Friend

Thank you for taking action!
Download your FREE brochure.

*

"Empower Yourself with Coaching Designed for Real Change and Growth"

Transform Your Mindset and Achieve Your Goals with our free ebook guide: Packed with practical tips and techniques, this guide empowers you to overcome obstacles and create positive change. Whether you're seeking career growth or personal fulfilment, start your journey towards success today by downloading your free copy.

COMING SOON

Let's Hang!

FIND ME ON THE GRAM 

justjerrij

Let's Hang!

get to know
me better!

@justjerrij

Verified by MonsterInsights