While I have worked a few normal 9-5 office type jobs for the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to work from home as a content writer. This is definitely been my preference when it comes to work environments, but it also presents its own unique set of challenges. Like staying motivated when you’d really like to just take a nap! Below I’ve rounded up a few ways I like to get my morning going in the right direction.

1.)   Coffee, coffee, coffee. A healthy snack and a devotional or inspirational podcast. When you work from home you don’t always have a ton of communication with the outside world unless you count endless emails and the occasional meeting (depending on your role or position). So I like to start the day off with a good book or listening to someone inspirational. (I’m currently on a kick with kind bars, the Embraced devotional and the She Podcast)

2.)   Get moving. Lately, I’ve really been loving yoga and barre workouts. However, sometimes I’ll opt for taking my pup for a stroll around the neighborhood to help myself wake up. This is also a good way to get your brain pumping and to center yourself before you start the day.

3.)   Put yourself together. At least a little bit. I don’t know about you but when I sit at my desk in yesterday’s pajamas and don’t do my mourning skin routine I still feel a bit out of it and not as excited to start my day. Even simply changing into a fresh pair of athleisure wear can help.

4.)   Reevaluate your priorities. When I first sit at my laptop I go through any emails, messages, or edits that need to be responded to or made that day. I always start with what is due first or what is the most pressing. Sometimes you may have something come up that morning that trumps another project that you previously thought you’d spend most of the morning working on. So it’s always a good idea to start fresh with a new to-do list to keep you on task and accountable.

5.)   Take a moment to breathe. If you start to feel overwhelmed take a minute to breathe and meditate. Remind yourself why you are thankful for the season of life that you are currently in. There are also a few apps out there to help with this including the Calm app (which is free to teachers via their website!) and the Headspace app for some guided meditation.

Those are just a few of the ways I like to get a healthy start to my day! If you work from home, what are some of your practical tips for fellow remote workers?

Xo,

Jess

While we may have got engaged at the end of March, I’m just now getting around to sharing more about our engagement story here. For those of you who don’t know, my Fiancé Dylan and I have been dating for over 4 years and he is my very, very best friend. I absolutely cannot wait to marry him! Ah!

The day we got engaged I’d been led to believe that we were taking a belated birthday trip for one of my best girlfriends and I (we share the same birthday). Even though it was still pretty chilly, we decided to take a day trip up to South Haven, Michigan from our small town in Indiana. I was expecting to just wander around town and check out the beach and lighthouse with a few of our friends. Let’s just say I definitely got more than I expected.

To start the day, we got coffee at my favorite bakery and explored some of the local shops. After that, we had decided to take a walk out on the pier to check out the lighthouse. Prior to taking that stroll, Dylan had asked me if I had to pick between the lighthouse in South Haven and one in Saint Joseph (another town we were meeting my parents at later that day) which would be my favorite. I thought this was a little random but I told him South Haven. So, then we went on our way.

When we got to the end of the pier I was looking out at the lake and we were about to pose for a picture when he started to take something out of his backpack. He then handed me a drawn picture in a frame that said, “Can I bug you forever?” and got down on one knee and popped the question. It was so cute!

Earlier that week he had been working on the drawing, asking me lots of questions on which characters to include. So, in a way I unknowingly helped with my own proposal! After he asked, we drove back down to Saint Joe to meet my parents for dinner. Apparently, they were in on the whole thing as well. We spent the rest of the day with friends and family. I couldn’t have asked for a better belated birthday present!