It’s no secret that we have all been spending a lot of time in our homes lately. Our routines have shifted quite a bit, some of us are now working from home, switching our roles from “mom” and “dad” to “teacher”, or maybe you have always worked from home but now you have the added distraction of the whole family being there. The space around you actually affects your mood more than you’d think. If you’re feeling a little stir-crazy, unable to focus on getting your work done from home, or noticing your sleep schedule is off, it may be time to change your scenery. A few small changes may help more than you think.

1. “Mess causes stress” for many of us. Put on your favorite music and make cleaning and organizing fun. Who knows, your kids may even join in! It’s hard to focus on work when you’re thinking about the laundry that needs to be done or the dishes in the sink.

2. If you’re working from home, or teaching your kids, set aside a specific area or room that is used only for that. If it’s normally an area where your kids play, it might be hard for them transition into “student” mode with the distractions around them. Likewise, if it’s an area where you normally watch TV, it might be easy for your mind to wander while you are trying to focus on work.

3. Try changing out of your pajamas (we know, it’s easier said than done!). Waking up and getting ready might help tell your mind that it is time to work and stay focused. It might be easy for friends who have been working from home for years to wear their pajamas all day and they are probably highly effective at it. However, many of us just started this new way of working a month or so ago, and so it might not be as easy to focus.

4. Set specific “work” or “school” hours if your job allows. This helps you and your family to know when it’s play vs work time! Another bonus to doing this… it also gives you a deadline! If you know you are supposed to be signing off at 5pm, you are less likely to procrastinate your work.

We ALL have “off” days with work and school. It is important to remember that we are all doing the best that we can! Try not to be hard on yourself!