Ever feel like your pets have a secret society dedicated to sabotaging your professional life? Well…welcome to my world, where my 6 lb and 11 lb fur lunatics (yes, you heard me right) have mastered the art of conference call chaos! “Join Meeting” is their activate button to take over my attention, much like Pinky and the Brain try to take over the world!”
Suddenly, my office transforms into a WWE SmackDown ring, with my pint-sized pooches as the headliner. They bark at invisible intruders (perhaps the ghost of my work-life balance), engage in heated debates about how many scratches they’ve each received so far, and alert me to breaking news like “Squirrel Spotted Three Counties Away!” I swear, these four-legged gremlins have a sixth sense for detecting important calls, and they use it to perform a symphony of chaos that would make a toddler’s tantrum look like a cakewalk. Is it just me, or do our pets secretly moonlight as corporate saboteurs? 🤷🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Now let’s talk about how I co-exist during the work day with those fur monsters.
The Pursuit for the Perfect Home Office
First, there was the legendary pursuit of the perfect office setup to appease my A-type personality. As a marketing professional, I needed the crème de la crème of natural lighting for those video calls paired with the perfect Wi-Fi sweet spot for seamless communication (if you saw how many tabs I have open during the day 🤦🏻♀️). Who knew that moving my desk two feet to the left could be the difference between a smooth video call and feeling like I was auditioning for one of those Verizon commercials – ‘Can you hear me now’?
Speaking of video calls, there’s always that moment of panic when you realize your prized collection of Harry Potter collectibles is in full view. Suddenly, I’m not just Candy from marketing; I’m Candy, the secret Master of Potions.
Plot Twist: The Great Migration
Life threw me a curveball just when I thought I had it all figured out. My family and I decided to spice things up with a casual 1,000-mile move from Houston to Orlando. Does anyone else feel life just isn’t ‘normal’ without a dash of chaos sprinkled in? Goodbye, carefully curated office space. Hello, living out of a cardboard box (which also doubles as a work desk)!
A Day in the Life
Let me paint you a picture of my typical morning:
- Oversee the offspring’s school prep (read: herd cats).
- Turn on the coffee pot (aka, life support system).
- Check emails while simultaneously planning world domination.
- School drop-off, featuring a soundtrack of Sabrina Carpenter and pre-teen drama.
- Battle through the fur blockade to re-enter my own home (I mean they don’t even pay rent).
- Finally, reheat coffee! (Cold, of course, because who has time for hot beverages?)
By the time I sit down to work, I feel as if I’ve already lived a full day. And that’s when the real fun begins! I juggle client needs, project deadlines, and the occasional “Mom, I forgot my lunch” emergency call.
Hope for the Home-Based Heroes
But fear not, fellow remote rockstars! After countless cups of reheated coffee and a questionable grip on sanity, I’ve compiled five tips that will boost your productivity or, at the very least, give you a good laugh, in this beautiful chaos we call working from home. And remember, chaos is just another word for opportunity, right? After all, we’re marketers — we can sell anything, even the illusion of having it all together!
*Bonus tip — if you find yourself forgetting why you walked into a room, don’t worry. It’s not a sign of aging; it’s just your brain making room for more important things – like every lyric to every 80s song. Because of priorities, right?
Now let’s discuss the not-so-glamorous reality of working from home…
1. Your Couch Isn’t Cutting It: Why You Need a Real Workspace at Home
One of the most effective ways to stay productive while working remotely is by establishing a dedicated workspace. Having a specific area for work helps create a physical and mental boundary between your professional responsibilities and personal life. Whether it’s a quiet corner of your living room or a fully set-up home office, the space should be organized, comfortable, and as free as possible from distractions. An ergonomic chair, good lighting, and the right tools at hand can go a long way in improving focus and reducing fatigue. My favorite work chair is a gaming chair by Secret Lab. I have set up dual monitors and have an overhead light from Amazon over my screens which helps avoid eye fatigue. By creating a workspace that promotes productivity, you’ll find it easier to stay engaged and maintain a healthy work-life balance. I have a door to my office so I can close it at the end of the day helping to separate work from home.
2. How to Stick to a Routine Without Losing Your Marbles
A well-structured routine is essential for staying productive when working from home, especially in the fast-paced world of social media. Without the natural structure of an office environment, it’s easy to let tasks blur into one another, leading to inefficiency or burnout. Defining your work hours is a great start. My A-type personality takes it further by blocking out time in my Google calendar for specific activities like content creation, engagement, and analytics weekly to ensure I have time set aside for repeating tasks. Having a routine not only keeps you on track but also allows for better time management, helping you prioritize what’s most important throughout the day. When rush projects come along, I drag and drop those weekly activities to another spot to ensure I keep all the balls in the air. Sticking to this schedule will improve your focus, increase productivity, and create a sense of accomplishment by the end of the day.
3. Work Smarter, Not Harder: Let the Apps Do the Heavy Lifting
In social media management, efficiency is key, and productivity tools can be game-changers for getting more done in less time. Platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social allow you to schedule posts across multiple channels, ensuring consistent content delivery without constant oversight. For project management and collaboration, tools like Trello or Asana help you stay organized by breaking down tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress. Automation tools for analytics and reporting can further streamline time-consuming tasks, freeing you up for more creative work. By leveraging these tools, you’ll not only increase productivity but also gain better control over your workflow, allowing you to focus on higher-impact activities.
4. To-Do Lists: Because Winging It Only Works for Dinner Plans
As a social media professional, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the constant demands of content creation, platform management, and community engagement. To stay productive, it’s important to set clear, measurable goals for your day, week, and month. Breaking larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks makes it easier to tackle them one step at a time. Prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance—this is where project management tools like Asana mentioned above can be helpful. By consistently reviewing and adjusting your goals, you’ll ensure that you stay on track and make meaningful progress, without feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list or that urgent press release that needs your attention right away. Remember we all have to be agile and most days won’t go as planned. Being flexible and having extra time built into your weekly calendar can be a lifesaver when things go sideways. Our team loves our meeting-free Fridays, which allows us to power out on projects or things that may have been pushed earlier in the week.
5. You Can’t Pour from an Empty Coffee Cup: Why Self-Care Comes First
Productivity isn’t just about managing tasks—it’s about managing your well-being too. As a social media professional, burnout can quickly creep in due to the always-on nature of the job. To stay productive in the long run, it’s crucial to prioritize self-care. Incorporate short breaks throughout the day to stretch, meditate, or go for a walk, helping you recharge mentally and physically. My coworkers (you remember the fur lunatics from the beginning) are the worst examples of productivity. They spend their time outside of the wrestling ring deciding where to take their next nap. I spend a few breaks daily giving them belly rubs and a few minutes in the sun in the backyard which helps to recharge my batteries.
Staying hydrated, eating nutritious meals (IMO protein shakes count… right?), and getting regular exercise also play a vital role in maintaining your energy levels. Additionally, set boundaries around work hours to avoid overworking, and make time for activities you enjoy outside of work. One of my favorite things to do is have a family dinner in one of the Disney parks every other week—so, we have a 5:00 pm work cut-off and head to the parks for a mental health break. By taking care of yourself, you’ll be able to sustain your productivity, remain creative, and deliver your best work consistently.
Because Crushing Your Day Takes More Than Just Wi-Fi and Coffee
As you work to enhance your productivity from home, start by identifying which of these tips will have the greatest impact on your routine. Finally, make the time to set up your dedicated workspace (and all jokes aside it shouldn’t be your couch!) or try out a new productivity tool you’ve had your eye on. Pay attention to how small changes, like establishing a routine or taking appropriate breaks, can improve your focus and creativity. Experiment with these strategies and see what works best for you. If you found these insights helpful, I would be honored for you to share this article with your network. I would love to see your comments and tips for staying productive.
At the end of the day, it’s about more than just getting through your to-do list. Working from home may be challenging, but it doesn’t have to drain your energy or hinder your growth as a professional. It’s about finding harmony in the chaos and remembering that you’re not alone in this journey. I’ve had days where I’ve felt like I was failing at both work and motherhood (my human children and my fur children), but what I’ve learned is that it’s okay to have moments of overwhelm. What matters is how we pick ourselves up, learn, and continue to move forward with grace. You’ve got this—one productive step at a time.
*This blog post is a collaborative effort between my insights and the capabilities of generative AI.
