Welcome!
Today is day 1 of our 5-day Work From Home Challenge. Thank you so much for joining us.
Our goal by the end of the challenge is to give you the skills, habits, structure, and tools to work from home. We want you to be as productive at home as you are in the office (or even more so!).
Before we deal with all the distractions and challenges that working from home can throw at us, we need to deal with one significant roadblock: ourselves.
A piece of advice that stuck
Back in 2010, I left my corporate job in downtown Vancouver and planned to work from home.
Well, “planned” might be overstating it. I knew that I wanted to work from home. I knew that I wanted to take my kids to school, and I knew that I wanted to be home with them when school was out. I knew (more or less) what I would do throughout the day for work.
I can’t honestly say I had given too much thought about how I would work from home.
On my last day in the office, one of my soon-to-be-former coworkers pulled me aside with a concerned look on her face.
“Brooks,” she said, “my boyfriend works from home, and he does NOTHING all day. Make sure if you’re going to work from home, you treat it seriously. If you don’t, you’ll end up being lazy like him.”
My immediate thought was, “I wonder what my wife says to her coworkers about me,” but then I realized I had to do some thinking about how to work from home successfully. Clearly, it doesn’t just happen.
The first thing I did? Get dressed for work, even when working from home.
Why dressing for work is important
At first, being able to work from home sounds great. You can roll out of bed, stumble over to your laptop in your pajamas or workout clothes, and go.
It is certainly possible to do that — after all, no one is going to send you home for your dress when you are already there.
However, getting dressed for work has three benefits that will make you more productive when working from home:
- It helps maintain some semblance of your routine. If you are switching from working in an office to working from home, getting dressed in the morning before you go to work will be at least one constant. And routines are a strong defense against overwhelm and procrastination.
- Showering, doing your hair, and getting dressed up is a powerful signal to your brain that you are transitioning from “home time” to “work time.” This is especially important when you are living and working in the same physical location. It may be just a few feet between your kitchen table and your workspace (or your kitchen table may be your workspace), so you need all the help you can get to trigger the shift in mindset.
- Getting dressed up for work is a signal to others in your home that you are switching from “home you” to “work you.”
What do we mean by “dress up for work”?
We aren’t saying you need to put a suit and tie or your favorite power dress on when you get up in the morning (unless you think it will help you get focused).
It’s okay and only natural to be a bit more casual when working from home, although studies have shown that more formal clothing encourages deeper and more perceptive thinking.
The key is to wear something approximating what you would wear to the office. Something that says to you and everyone around you “I’m working” vs. “I’m watching Friends on Netflix.”
Having said that, stores in the US are reporting that sales of tops are increasing, but not bottoms because of the increase in Zoom and Skype calls. Walmart’s EVP of Corporate Affairs says:
We’re seeing increased sales in tops, but not bottoms. So, people are concerned, obviously, from the waist up.
If you’re wearing sweatpants or shorts on your next Zoom call, your secret is safe with us.
Exercise
Now it is time for you to take action. Every day of this challenge, we’ll have homework for you. Remember — there’ll never be meaningful change in your life without action!
Put space on your calendar to take action on this exercise and the rest of the activities for the next five days. You want to make sure you have time set aside to do the exercises. We appreciate you reading, but reading is not enough!
Here are your action items:
- Plan what you’re going to wear for work tomorrow.
- For bonus points, set it out tonight, so it is ready in the morning.
- For extra bonus points, plan your work wardrobe for the rest of the week. Then you won’t need to think about it, and that’s one less decision you need to make every day.
- Let us know in the comments once you’re done, and even better: let us know what you’re going to wear!
(For the record, I will be wearing a button-up shirt from Muji up top, and Uniqlo pants.)
Update: Day 2 is now live.
This one was easy for me as I normally have to be up and dressed by 5:15 a. m. So I have always set my clothes out the night before. Taking the time to comment each day I didn’t do so today I am catching up.
Yes! This is something I practice & have told my team is a game changer to get into the right mindset.
Before my current job, I worked from home for more than a decade. With my current job, I returned to the corporate campus where biz casual was the norm. With COVID-19, I’m remote again. And based on all that experience, I believe your advice spot on! Thanks for all you share and do!
I’m so glad this was the first step. Very doable but also very tangible. I put on makeup for day 1 and day 2! I am in education, so I can wear relatively comfortable clothing if I need to.
I haven’t laid out my clothes for the week because there’s a little complication in my household as we suspect a member has COVID19 so trying to set up a quarantine situation too with me moving out of our master bedroom. Glad for the distraction of this challenge
Good morning,
Every morning I do short workout, have shower, making breakfast (during eating I watch morning TV news) and finally wear jeans and shirts. It doesn’t matter if I work from home or in client’s office. This morning routine helps me to get started well every working day.
From my side this article is A class.
I was off today, so just laid out my clothes for tomorrow! I can definitely see how both planning the night before and going through the same routine can help signpost that it’s time to get to work. I’ll be wearing jeans, a shirt, and a fleece – the same as pretty much any other work day.
I always dress for work everyday I get up put clothes on like I’m going to leave the house and only return to my bedroom if absolutely necessary otherwise I am in my work area!
I’ve been working from home for quite some time and being able to find a routine can be hard work. So many things can get in the way. So I’ve laid out work clothes for each day this week AND workout clothes and sneakers for each day this week. Thanks Than!!! This is great!
Look Mom, I put pants on! And an Aloha shirt, and shoes, and …
Done – laid out clothes for the week. NO sweats! Casual clothes and will dress all the way to the shoes. Somehow that also triggers my brain that I am ready for work. Thank you!!
Work clothes sorted for the week and some clearing out done too.
Spot on and the same advice I provide new employees I meet or whenever explaining one of the pitfalls of working from home. Still need to wake up and go through the same steps you would if going to a place to work. Only difference is your commute is much shorter meaning you have more time to devote to other activities (journal, exercise, making breakfast, etc.,).
Wearing one of my work blouses and standard pants. Hair is done and earrings on. I am dressed for work and it definitely helps separate work me from home me. :D
I am one step ahead on this challenge! One of my weekly habits is to set up my clothes for the week, and I haven’t stopped this habit since working from home. My clothes are already selected for the week! And since I work for an active wear company and am encouraged to wear our brands every day (at the office or not), my go to is hiking pants and a branded t-shirt. :) If I happen to wear a non-branded shirt (featuring a favorite sports team) I do get called out.
I’m thinking the other daily challenges may not be quite so easy for me.
Planned my wardrobe for the week AND cleaned out my closer while doing it!! Have a big online presentation today and dressed for success even though no one will see me online 😎
I’m on so many video calls that continuing to dress for work was a given. And no, I haven’t tried wearing sweats, jams, whatever below camera view. :) For one thing it’s cold in my basement!
I put out khakis, company branded polo and sweater (my home office is in the basement so it’s cool). I having a standing 8:30 call with my team using MS Teams and I try to lead by example by using video chat.
Great post!
Lululemon Shirt long sleeved. collar shirt. I have one for each day of the week that I rotate. I wear lululemon pants and alternative with Khaki’s and jeans.
Great article and tips! I’ve been WFH for a month now and it’s easy to get lazy when you know no one is looking. Starting today I’m making sure I fully dress up (jeans, polo shirt, sneakers) instead of just a T-shirt, sweats, and slippers/barefoot. My law firm has a very casual dress code so this is exactly what I used to wear to the office. Now I just need to figure out a way to get a handle on this huge corona-beard I’ve grown! 😃
Great idea. I always make a point of getting dressed when I ‘go to work’ at home. I usually wear a pair of jeans or chinos, a button down shirt and zip to sweater when it’s cooler.
I like the idea of planning the week and will try that this week!
I’m In.
I always put on casual work clothes on workdays. No jeans and always a button down shirt.
After reading the article yesterday, I was wearing my pajamas. So, I decided to see if this worked and I went upstairs and just changed my top but still had my pajama bottoms on .
I could say it made me physically and mentally get in gear. Made me want to get in gear and stick to the challenges ahead. Thank you!
I do get dressed every day. Always have. I dress appropriately to the tasks at hand. I’m doing a lot of decluttering with dust and vacuum cleaners in addition to my business, so it’s long-sleeved shirt, zip-up sweater, sweatpants or jeans (because it’s appropriate to the task). In the best of times, I only wear nice pants on days I go out for meetings or to see clients.
Every day :
Polo or button down shirt
Chino Shorts
Exact shirt will depend on what comes out of the wash. Been doing this for the entire work from home so far.
Jumpsuit trousers a t shirt and a classic white shirt for outfit. That confort offered by the jumpsuit trouser pays a lot in term of satisfaction. Set up my working place in my child’s bedroom. Going there equals start to work. Always be sure to freshen the room with clean air for at least 10 minutes before starting while having my breakfast.
I have been working from home for over 5 years, so my wardrobe is usually jeans and a casual shirt. What’s happened to me in the past few weeks is that I’ve only been wearing slippers since I am not going anywhere. I am going to make a plan to put my sneakers on right after my shower so I feel more “dressed”!
I’ve been working from home 90% of the time (1 or 2 days at the office) and now 100%. The first two years i had issues with productivity, etc and started having a normal morning routine like a shower and start of the day activities and it helped. While i don’t wear normal work stuff during the day but i do shower and dress for the day.
I started doing this a few weeks ago. Then, my wife asked if I was going to wear the same two flannel shirts for the next month. Realized I needed to mix it up a bit. Jeans are the staple with a rotating mix of shirts, sweaters, etc.
Standard. Work polo and dockers.
Little secret, this past week I’ve really been focusing on working out. I’ve managed to increase my workouts (which is super important given that I’m getting so much less incidental exercise during the day) by wearing my gym outfit underneath my work clothes. And I have been doing the waist up dressing thing. I do my hair and makeup etc, all is the same except I have leggings on instead of work pants. And it’s working a treat!! Tomorrow I’ll be wearing a “ruffle neck” long sleeve top and my trusty fresh leggings ;)
Monday: Blue Giordano polo shirt with Dockers Khaki pants and White converse sneakers
Tuesday: White Uniqlo plain tee, blue wrangler jeans and White converse sneakers
Wednesday: Red white Lacoste stripes polo shirt with blue skinny jeans and White converse sneakers
Thursday: Navy blue Uniqlo Vneck tee, Acid blue wash wrangler jeans and White converse sneakers
Friday: White Uniqlo Kaws Snoopy white shirt with beige dockers pants and black vans sneakers
We always wear a polo shirt with a company logo on it with jeans and work boots. Don’t have to think about what to wear.
I work in IT and my normal attire is jeans and a polo or button down shirt. This week is as follows:
Monday (today): khaki shorts and department t-shirt
Tuesday: jeans and a printed t-shirt
Wednesday: jeans and a corporate logo polo
Thursday: jeans and a printed t-shirt
Friday (my regular day off work): jeans and a printed t-shirt
I learned this tip years ago when I first worked from home. It is so easy and got me positive results. I am retired now, and I still use this tip to be productive. When I change out of my PJs into “work” clothes, my mind shifts into a more focused mindset and I get more done with less effort.
I’ve been dressing for work even though I’ve been having to work remotely from home for about a month and it’s been a huge help to keep some semblance of regular daily habits.
We have a shared washer/dryer so I do cheat and wear the same thing for a few days to reduce laundry.
Oh well — close enough.
As someone who has worked from home for a number of years, I tend to wear a polo shirt and dress shorts while working at home and get changed into more business attire of slacks and button up shirt when I go visit a client.
For me its more about the morning routine, getting out of bed having a shower etc and when its time to start work going into my office (which is a room downstairs off the garage).
Khaki pants, blue buttoned down with a tie. A different tie and shirt combo each day.
I have my jeans and light brown sweater ready to go.
A tank top and a nice grey sweater ready for tomorrow!
I ironed 5 button down shirts and hung them up in my closet and set aside jeans and chinos to go with them. That gives me the flexibility to tske a walk during the dsy when i have a break
I roned 5 button down shirts and hung them up in my closet and set aside jeans and chinos to go with them. That gives me the flexibility to tske a walk during the dsy when i have a break
I ironed dress shirts fir the week and hunf them seperately in yhe closet. I will be wearing jeans or chinos with my shirts
Fortunately, my workplace has recently gone casual so I don’t need to dress up for video calls from home. For WFH, I still have a routine to get ready in the morning, wear “work casual” attire instead of “home casual” attire. The main difference is that my pants are a bit more comfortable than what I normally wear at the office because I have started doing a few sets of stairs every hour to keep me somewhat active and simulate activity missed at the office walking around to chat with coworkers.
Done! Dress shirt and jeans.
Part of my evening routine is to put out the clothes for tomorrow. Jeans and a white dress shirt – it’s my no effort in fashion goto.
Chambray button shirt with an orange pencil skirt and white low top converse.
Tuesday – Jeans and a golf polo
Wednesday – khaki shorts and golf polo
Thursday- slacks with polo
Friday – jeans with polo
I’ve always made it a goal to get dressed but I’ve been wearing athletic gear. So trying to see if new outfits will help me be more productive.
Hi,
Great post. I try to wear as “office” style as possible. However it’s still hard for me to wear formal shirts at home
Tuesday – Jeans and a golf polo
Wednesday – khaki shorts and golf polo
Thursday- slacks with polo
Friday – jeans with polo
I plan to wear a company branded logo and work appropriate jeans each day this week.
I also wear slippers inside because my feet get chilly working in our basement and no shoes in the house.
I’ve programmed my wardrove this way:
– If I have to record a video for my students or clients, I’ll wear long sleeve shirt.
– If I have just video calls I wear a t-shirt.
– If none of the above then sleeveless shirt.
All of them with shorts and no shoes at all.
I have a system where I pick the next shirt in the line, so I waste no time to think about it.
Regards
I`ll be the wearing khaki slacks, a blue button down shirt, and a tie. I don’t usually wear a tie to work, but I`ve found wearing a tie while working from home helps orient my mind, keep my sanity, and improve my focus. The local YWCA has been emailing HIIT routines that will serve as my exercise break.
I already do this when I go into the office so I’ve continued to do it when working from home. Tomorrow it’s jeans, a blue top and cardigan!
Jeans and I have my business casual shirts on hangers For the rest of the week. Ready for the next challenge!
I continue to get up by 5 shower and dress business casual then make the commute to my home office down the hall. :>)
I plan my week on Sunday and then make any daily adjustments the night before.
jeans and red work pollo shirt
The what I’m planning to wear is easy. I’m a teacher and am being required to wear our uniform top. Shorts for the bottom. I am not a morning person (currently trying to re-establish my morning routine) so I always keep the next day’s clothing next to my bed so I can get dressed without having to think.
T-shirt dress, leggings and makeup so I don’t look washed out on videoconferencing. “Laced up from the waist up!”
I’ll be wearing khakis and either a blue or red buttoned shirt every day. Don’t have many other colors in the closet! 😂
My work wardrobe is usually dress, leggings and some sort of shawl or shrug. I’m sticking with that at home. Maybe ugg boots instead of work shoes. It’s colder in my house!
What a great post! I’m excited to be here after my husband recommended I come along for the challenge. I’m mainly working from home but check in to the office on a very limited basis, so I’ve been taking advantage of the casual dress too much. I keep that bottoms more casual today but put on a nice blouse and sweater to get inspired. I’ve noticed a significant amount of productivity today compared to the past few weeks, especially early in the day. My husband and I are going to pick out tomorrow’s outfits, and maybe the remained of the weeks too. We’ll hang them on the closet door handle tonight before bed so we are ready to rock and roll in the morning. I’m looking forward to challenge number two tomorrow.
This season, I will be mostly wearing jeans and a plaid shirt! 😎
Comfy work clothes dressed and face on to be Zoom ready for meetings this morning!
I can definitely see the need to make a transition plan at the end of the day. It’s hard to break the work connection and distractions when work is a table away from my family. Spoke with my husband about making this a priority today and in the future while he holds down the fort. I’m glad to give myself permission to get out work stress so I don’t add that stress on my family.
I do this already after I read an interview with a nun who has been social distancing for 25 years living in a convent. She said that you need to dress for the day and set a routine up, including getting up and to bed at same times. I am usually business casual anyway so I wear jeans and a nice shirt as my normal uniform unless giving talks or at outside meetings. Thus, tomorrow is jeans and a tank top with a green cardigan. I also will complete it with a green leaf necklace.
Monday – blue shift dress with thick tights and cardigan
Tuesday – leopard print tunic top with blazer and leggings
Wednesday – Aztec design dress with jacket
Thursday – green tunic dress with thick tights and cardigan
Friday – poloneck top under grey tunic dress and leggings
Monday through Thursday I plan on wearing a dress shirt with a sports coat and jeans. Friday’s are always more casual at work so I’ll be wearing a work polo with jeans.
I love this tip – it has changed my mindset and my work dramatically.
The thing that really helps me switch into work mode is my shoes. I normally just wear my flip flops, even in winter. So I’ll be wearing my next clean shirt in the closet, my nice jeans, and my nice shoes.
I’m gonna start the day with a few push ups and sit ups, a quick shower, getting dressed, meditation and journalling, then breakfast with the wife and kids.
I normally walk at least 3 miles every morning before I get going so the exercise and shower component is in check. Concerning wardrobe for the week.
Monday: wore jeans with a white button-down shirt
Tuesday: kakis with a white and light blue plaid shirt
Wednesday: kakis with a white button-down shirt
Thursday: blue slacks with a white dress shirt
Friday: jeans with a blue button-down shirt
Polo and shorts everyday I’m working from home.
Tomorrow, I will wear a blue dress shirt and jeans.
Done. Tomorrow I plan to wear denim slacks and a black sweater.
Challenge Day 1:
Monday: Jeans w/ Work P olo
Tuesday: Jeans w/ different work polo
Wed: Jeans w/ third work polo
Thu: Jeans w/ fourth work polo
We work 4×10!
Well, I spent half the day in my Pj’s and got dressed to take the dogs and kids out. Whoops!!!
Tomorrow, polo and jeans, pretty much what I’d wear on dress down Friday. That’ll probably repeat for the week unless the weather in the UK gets warm enough for shorts
Done. Tomorrow I’ll wear blue pants and a light blue shirt.
My dad convinced me to try this challenge out. I’m working from home as a student, but it is still “work.” I threw on a polo that I usually wear golfing today, but need some time to think about what the remainder of the week looks like. I’ve been in sweats and a t-shirt for the last few weeks, so this should help put me in the right mindset when I sit down first thing in the morning to get to class and homework.
I love how simple this step is. It goes way back to the domino video Thanh linked to where a tiny domino leads to knocking over a huge domino (https://www.asianefficiency.com/habits/focus-1percent/). You have to start with the small/easy steps before progressing forward. I changed immediately after reading this blog post and am already working on setting aside some space in my closet to plan out the remainder of the week’s outfits later this evening. I’m thankful for the polos I picked up from Costco this weekend, as it’s going to make this a bit easier, at least for the first week.
Great starting point, following my morning ritual [drink water, stretch, bathe, meditate, review goals *dress* and do MIT].
Monday – blue blouse and black slacks
Tuesday and Wednesday – Webinar conference (3 hours on both days): Dress with jewelry and make-up
Thursday – Mastermind session: Pink top and black slacks
Friday – blue knit top and dress jeans (casual Friday)
I will keep my usual work morning routine of getting up, showering, putting in contacts and doing hair and light make up. And changing before I even open up my email. Once email is opened up – all is lost!
Chino pants and long sleeved shirt!
Overslept today and “got to work” late… and of course, never changed out of my sweatpants (though I had a Zoom call, so I did put on a nice sweater and actually brush my hair. I got halfway to being dressed I suppose)
Setting out clothes for the whole week is a great idea. But for simplicity’s sake, I think I will just pick two outfits and rotate them this week. So, it’s slacks and a sweater, and a different pair of slacks and a different sweater. As you can tell, my wardrobe is very, um, “varied”
I do get dressed for work even when working from home including putting on my shoes. I will be working on laying out my clothes for the week so I don’t have to decide what to wear each morning.
Monday, Long sleeve shirt w/pants
Tuesday, black shirt w/pants
Wednesday, Purple shirt, pants
Thursday, Blue shirt, pants
Friday, Red tee, jeans
I love this! I always put out my clothes the night before – just makes my morning much less hectic.
Tomorrow will be black stretchy dress pants, and a black v-neck shirt so I can wear the necklace my husband gave me. :) And a colorful sweater in case it’s chilly.
The rest of the week will be variations on the same theme. My usual knit top/contrasting sweater/stretchy pants is as close as I can come to a uniform. :)
My work from home “uniform:” jeans, long- or short-sleeved v-neck t-shirt + a cardigan sweater/fleece/hooded zip-up. And pretty earrings!
I think having a consistent wake-up time will also be helpful, which means going to bed at a consistent time…you know what they say: “A good day starts the night before!”
:)
I will shower and dress each morning after walking the dog so that I can signal the transition to work. I will wear a pullover top and comfortable black pants. I will do my morning skincare and light makeup. I will set out my workout clothes so that at the end of the work day I will transition to signal the end of the day by changing again and then going to work out or run.
Looking forward to this 5 day challenge to resest my mindset.
Normally putting on pants IS dressing up. I’ve got my sweats on and washing my jeans, as I write this. I’m gonna wear my never before worn Aloha shirt tomorrow, along with jeans. My wife will be terribly worried about me, no doubt. I’ll even put on deodorant and cologne, to fully embrace normalitude. It might be the weather here in MN, but I haven’t put on deodorant more than a handful of times during the quarantine, without offending my wife or making my eyes water, so thats kinda weird. Cologne, maybe once in that time. It could be the lack of a health club and stretching my homebound exercises out over the day have not impacted my olfactory projected profile.
As part of this viral imposed quarantining, I have decided to wear all of my t-shirts, without repeating. I am currently about 2/3rds through my collection, including all the “dress work t-shirts”. I’m getting down to where the remaining shirts have hit the Kondo threshold. I had to fold the ones that I had washed and dried, as they were piling up and the flat pile was exhibiting signs of structural integrity issues.
I dressed as I normally would for the office. Jeans, jumper and t-shirt. I even planned which t-shirt & jumper combination to use last night. As an added bonus, I had a shave!
So my clothing for this workweek are:
Monday: jeans with a blue button down shirt
Tuesday: jeans with a blue button down shirt
Wednesday: jeans with a white button up shirt
Thursday: jeans with a blue button up shirt
Friday: jeans with a green button up shirt
When working from home I normaly wear a pair of jeans with one of my hoodies. But to see if I will be more productive I definitely gonna be dressed for work.
This is key! I may be able to do a few emails while still in my bathrobe, but there is no way I can get myself into “project mode” until I have washed my face and changed out of sleepwear.
I have two levels of work-from-home-wear: For “no client Mondays”, I am in comfy pants and cozy tops since my home office is chilly in the mornings. For other days, which are full of Zoom meetings, I put on a full work outfit, complete with jewelry and a bit of makeup, partly because I can’t stand seeing myself on Zoom otherwise, which has an impact! The first few days of WFH I wore a work outfit on top with sweatpants, but I felt much better and more in full work mode when I switched the sweats out for “real” pants (or dress and leggings), and even shoes with a little style.
Monday: Casual shirt and dress shorts (89ºF here)
Tuesday: Smart Polo shirt and dress shorts
Wednesday: Black Polo shirt and navy Public Rec dress/casual trousers
Thursday: Polo shirt and Public Rec dress/casual trousers
Friday: Organisation’s Polo shirt and shorts
Normal shower, morning routine, Bible reading, meditation, exercise each day beforehand
I’ve been doing this to mark the transition. Although my clothes are more casual than what I would wear to office ( I have a baby at home I need to chase throughout the day), I find getting ready and changing out my pj’s to be really helpful. I have planned out what I will wear tomorrow since I do have a video conference call. Black leggings and a blue sweater.
Thanks A/E team for all your support!
I swear by this, and two other pieces of advice:
– set office hours… no wandering in late or cutting out early, or engaging the dog walker in a half-hour conversation because you’re lonely
– don’t do anything you wouldn’t be able to do at a place of business i.e. unload the dishwasher or do laundry… this may feel productive, getting multiple things done during your day, but these become very expensive chores when they take you away from your productive high earning time! Leave them for after dinner when your family can help or when watching a movie together everyone can separate and fold their own laundry.
All the best and stay well!
I’ve been working from home for years and know the value of a run and shower before opening my email. Not getting dressed for the day sours my mood as the day goes on. I am interested in setting out my clothes for the week and what benefit that might have for me.
I’ve been working from home for more than 10 years; but recently started to do my daily check-ins from the gym; so I guess my work dress is the gym clothes to start with and then jeans and shirt; always with slippers (we do not use shoes indoors here in Sweden…
Well, I agree to dress when working from home and not to stay in pajamas. Still, I save a great deal of time taking on a black t-shirt and jeans. Quick, simple, versatile, working for 99% occasions even when having to switch on my camera for video conferencing.
Since I haven’t changed out of pajamas since quarantine this is, personally, a great challenge. My job requires scrubs, so I’ll be wearing stuff a bit different from that and utilizing this week to wear my overlooked clothes.
Monday: orange blouse, checkered blazer, black slacks, simple heels
Tuesday: black pencil skirt, purple blouse, Mary Janes
Wednesday: white checkered blouse, black slacks, white pumps
Thursday: floral sun dress, strappy heels
Friday: (casual day!) Jeans, maroon shirt, white sneakers
My office environment is pretty casual so I don’t have to dress up, only when I feel like it. So working from home, my tops are pretty much the same (anything from casual button up to work appropriate tshirt), but my bottoms are now leggings or yoga pants.
Done!
I can’t actually do my normal job from home. Nevertheless, I am planning on staying as busy as possible so I will be ready to go right back into my normal routine as soon as I can.
No pj’s for me. I am laying my clothes out every night and making sure my mind thinks “Work time!”
Brooks, I found this first work from home post very helpful. Specifically about setting routines and about the mind-set change. I’m looking forward to the rest of the challenges.
Thanks.
Done!
I set out my clothes the night before, but have been sleeping an extra two hours and getting up just before I start work at 9.
I don’t own a lot of non- work clothes, just my gym stuff.
I get videoed for work, and for a promotion will be videoed in my most respectable pyjamas!
Routine is my big challenge because I’m too tired to enjoy it- everything from having a bath to cooking is a bit much. Which is a shame because I have the most fun projects if I can just add a bit of energy and creativity. So I’m going for this challenge.
My wardrobe for the week:
Monday: Black jeans, black long sleeve
Tuesday: Knitted dress with leggings
Wednesday: Mom jeans with a knitted sweater
Thursday: Blue jeans with a tucked shirt
Wednesday: Black dress with leggings
Done!
I was really doing this before. As a physician, I would have to shower and get dressed for my virtual clinics, which occur 1-2x per week. I’m also forced to shave, since if I’m called into the hospital and use an N95 mask, a beard will prevent a proper seal.
On days that I don’t have clinic, I usually have meetings, so my dress will depend on how formal the meeting is. However for this week I will be wearing:
Mon – dress shirt/pants (due to formal meetings)
Tues – jeans/hoodie (meetings with students only)
Wed – dress shirt/pants (clinic)
Thurs – jeans/T-shirt until 6:30pm, then a suit (I have an online presentation to 500+ people)
Friday (my Deep Work day) – sweatpants and a T-shirt (not meeting anyone).
I’ve set out khakis and a blue sweater set for tomorrow. Very similar to what I would wear to the office.
Routine wise, I am taking a morning walk before getting ready for work. I couldn’t do it before because of my commute, but am taking advantage of the extra time.
Monday: Button-down collar shirt, and Meyer trousers
Tuesday to Friday: Same type of combination as Monday
This is a great reminder – I literally started the day in leggings and a hoodie. BUT, after reading this, I changed into a casual work sweater that I normally wear to the office and put some makeup on! I’ve set out the following for the rest of the week:
T: Capris and flowy-top
W: Leggings and chambray tunic
Th: Midi-skirt and white shirt (let’s see how well I chase my kids around in this skirt after work)
F: Leggings and oversized white button down shirt
Thank you for this! I’m actually excited about the work week!
I’m going to see if I even fit into my suits and business casual pants :o)
This week I’ll be in Jean’s (step up from sweats) and either police or button down shirt.
I totally agree that planning the way you dress with anticipation is good to stay focused. I normally plan and prepare the night before but will follow the challenge recommendations on planning for the full week. As working from home this is pretty easy
– all days: running shoes to be as confortable as possible
– all days: blue jeans
-Tuesday/Wednesday will wear a shirt as I have a couple formal meetings, rest of the week just a T-shirt as the meetings I have are not that formal
Every day one of my different color polos (I’ve got 5 of them) and on week-ends a T-shirt or sweat shirt.
For the bottom either a jean or a cotton trousers, or a short, depending on the weather. Don’t forget to feel comfortable!
I’ve been dressing for remote work throughout this cycle and before – even (especially) now while I’m actively seeking new employment. It provides a bit of structure and seriousness, as highlighted.
Today – clean pants, and a buttondown (flannel) shirt.
A pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt
In the last year I have really streamlined my wardrobe. So it’s business as usual—this time of year, black leggings, black skirt, and black top or leggings, black print dress, and colorful blazer. Since I am not meeting with clients in person I will probably forgo the colorful blazer.
Never thought to do this when WFH as I wear a suit every day when going into the office and quite frankly hate having to iron it (lol) but I always pick out my suit for the following day and iron the night before. I’ll be sure to do the same when working from home from now on!
Everyday:
– blue / black jeans with belt
– Abercrombie T-Shirts – various colurs
This was a big HELLO to me this morning. Usually I work from home on Fridays and we always did video conferences so I always got dressed (business casual). Now that we’ve all been working from home for 5 weeks (I’m in NY), almost no one in my department shares their video including leadership who has accepted that no one will be “dressing up”. I didn’t realize that working in my jammies or ultra casual sun dresses cuddled up with a blanket on my couch were really changing my behavior and mentality. And like someone else said, makeup will be added back into my routine.
Vacation is over!
Today: Grey striped blouse/black leggings
Tues: blue/rose floral blouse/black leggings
Wed: Light green blouse/black leggings
Thurs: White blouse/black leggings
Fri: Brown floral blouse/black leggings
I always set out my clothes for the next day, even at weekends. Since the pandemic I have been furloughed from my outside job so now working from home every day instead of commuting 3 days a week which saves me so much time and money. I wear pretty much the same thing every day – nice top and jeans, comfy shoes. I don’t bother with make up as I’m not doing meetings except once in a blue moon
I’m in! Okay, I’ve selected my clothes for the week…
Mon: Black cargo pants and blue collared polo shirt
Tue: Black cargo pants and blue collared polo shirt
Wed: Black cargo pants and blue collared polo shirt
Thu: Black cargo pants and blue collared polo shirt
Fri: Black cargo pants and blue collared polo shirt
Working from home isn’t new to me, and I took the advice of Steve jobs years ago and purchased clothes that were all exactly the same so that I wouldn’t have to use a lot of valuable energy in the morning to make unimportant choices like deciding what to wear that day. So, all I have for work clothes are 7 pair of cargo pants in black and 7 collared polo shirts in blue – which makes getting dressed in the morning super easy.
My office is pretty informal. So getting out of jammies and into my sweatshirt and jeans is normal weekday wear. I do plan to wear a polo tomorrow because I have a couple meetings that I want look better in.
Deal!
I’m actually dressing a bit up in comparison to going into work :)
I normally work in a production area with a “uniform” for clean rooms, allthough most of my work is in front of the computer. So normally I only have to dress for the commute.
Now I can wear a nice T-shirt and put on make-up and jevelery (not allowed in the production area).
I always lay out cloth the Night before and I will continue with that.
Whilst working from home I have adopted a casual but smart wear- jeans and a blouse or a nice shirt. I have created a routine that works for me and my two children, who are home schooled at the moment due to the schools being closed. Our day starts with breakfast, PE lesson and shower to make sure everyone’s ready for the day. The kids have to choose comfy clothes for the day and not stay in their pjs. :) Choosing clothes for the week is great as although nobody sees me I still feel Iook professional which boost my performance. In these few weeks of lockdown I have not applied any makeup and actually starting to like the more natural me. So for this week my selection is: Mon: blue jeans and navy blouse, Tue: pink top, light beige trousers, Wed: flowery navy dress, Thursday: blue jeans, green blouse, Friday: something fun from my fancy dress box :) Stay safe everyone and I look forward to the next challenges 😀
I have been thinking about the home ‘dress code’ for a while and this is a good reminder to do it. Sweats are compy but they also signal comfort… and I don’t notice gaining weight…..
So, I will go now and get dressed for today and will do it every day.
Regarding exercising – we have created a walking path in the backyard that makes it easy to get up and do something, its great for my brain too.
When I go to work at my office at the hospital, I normally wear business casual (dress shirt and slacks). For working from home, I get dressed in the morning in the same T-shirt and jeans that I would normally change into after work; this works better because I play with my kids during lunch and other breaks in the day while working from home, plus it cuts down on the amount of laundry that we need to do (one outfit each day instead of 2). The rest of my morning routine is the same as getting up and getting ready for the office: shower, shave, hair, teeth, etc. I find this gives enough of a mental signal of “starting the workday” and honestly there is a lot more housework to be done since the whole family is staying in the house all the time. I find that I don’t need to put on a dress shirt to get in the mindset for work; going through the rest of the morning routine of getting ready to go to the office, and then going to a secluded part of the house and jumping into my digital work environment, works great for me!
I normally wear a tshirt at home but for work I will be wearing a shirt with a collar but not the tie I usually wear for homework. Cords on the bottom or shorts if it is warm.
Wearing hager khakis and a Charles Tywritt button down white shirt(I love these. They are so comfy), perfect for the office. I have my shirts and pants all lined up for the week.
I have gotten a little lax on the planning of outfits since the pandemic. I just struggle downstairs in whatever and frantically pop on a fancy shirt and make-up before the first call of the day that requires video. That time ranges from 8 am to 3 in the afternoon, so no consistency there.
I am going to plan a week of tops (and bottoms) tonight. I think this will make it easier to get up and jump into my day dressed from the beginning.
I’m planing on wearing long jeans and a short shirt because of the warm temperatures right now.
I work in student support for a community college and have been remote since March 25. While my normal work attire was fairly casual, I founf myself adopting leggings, t-shirts, and sweatshirts while working from home. I had a zoom workshop for HS counselors last Friday and realized it felt really good to “dress” for work. I’ve got my in-office “uniform” (blouse, cardigan, casual pants) planned for this week.
I haven’t changed much about working from home from 2 days/week to 5, except loving not having to get up at 4:30 am each commute day and dealing with that stress. Morning routine the same. Loving the ability to wear my “thinking” clothes every day: clean & comfy outfit and sneakers! After the first 2 weeks of increasing muscle stiffness I now use a timer that I set to force me to get up away from my laptop and move each hour or two.
I’ve picked out a week’s worth of clothes and put on nicer shoes. Also, I decided to ditch the hoodies this week. I’ve always dressed for my workday when working from home but laying out a week’s worth of outfits, that is new. Thank you.
There was an interview with the writer/journalist Gay Talese in the Paris Review years ago where he talked about his work from home ritual (his office is in the basement of his Manhattan townhouse — he calls it “the bunker”):
Paris Review: How does your writing day begin?
Gay Talese: I get dressed as if I’m going to an office. I wear a tie.
PR: Cuff links?
GT: Yes. I dress as if I’m going to an office in midtown or on Wall Street or at a law firm, even though what I am really doing is going downstairs to my bunker. In the bunker there’s a little refrigerator, and I have orange juice and muffins and coffee. Then I change my clothes.
As my working from home reality grows longer term I’ve been trying to create a better routine. I was just thinking to myself last week that switching up my wardrobe might help me be more productive and focused–glad my thinking wasn’t wrong.
I always set my clothes out the night before, but for the rest of the week I will be rotating between two pairs of black pants, then wearing jeans on Friday, paired with the following tops: blue floral print, grey, black and grey floral print, and red.
Looking forward to the next challenge items!
To work from home, I’ve adopted a little more casual style : a comfy pair of jeans and a blouse. We almost never turn our webcams on, but I like to know that I won’t feel bad if it ever happens ;)
We have a very informal office culture, so I’m used to being able to wear what I’m comfortable in. I’ve developed my own “uniform” habit of button down white cotton shirt and good jeans. After the first few days of working from home I’ve found myself reverting to this for the reasons you outline in the blog. And also to help distinguish weekdays from weekends :)
I have several t-shirts and polo shirts with my organization’s logo that I have been wearing accompanied by jeans. I was actually teased a little on my morning call today for having my logo shirt on while my boss was still in her PJs! Since working from home on a consistent basis, as opposed to once every couple of weeks, I have already gotten into a habit of laying out my clothes for work in my “office” to 1)make sure I’m getting dressed and 2)not interrupting the mornings of everyone else in my house.
I be wearing the same style shirt every day (blue, collared, and 100 % cotton) places on the chair beside the bed the night before.
Bottoms: depends on the weather; mainly shorts 🤓
I’m using this time to also minimize! I’m going through my clothes and wearing every top once and if it doesn’t fit or needs mending, I do something about it. I’ve gotten rid of several work tops that I just don’t like in the past month. I’ve also settled into a work “uniform” of a casual top and a sweater, usually with jeans or yoga pants.
I’ve kept up basically the same clothing that I wore to the office. Except I occasionally do wear jeans. The psychological shift from work clothing is real for me.
This one totally makes sense to me. I’ve been home for over a month now, and have been going through the same dressing routine that I do when I go into the office. I don’t lay out my clothes, but have them hanging in order in my closet. In the morning, I don’t have to think, but grab the shirt and pants that are the next ones in the lineup after I get out of the shower. Easy peasy!
Nice tips on transitioning to work while at home. I will be wearing blue button down shirt and dark blue jeans pant. Need to decide for the rest of the week.
I’ll be getting out of my insane collection of yoga pants and hoodies, and wearing black dress pants, and a spring-feeling airy, work appropriate top.
I usually wear jeans. they are quite confortable and allow me to go shopping groceries or whatever I have to do outside without changing my outfit.
Concerning tops, I always wear a t-shirt and a jumper on it if I feel cold. If I have an important meeting I prefer to chose a blouse or a more elegant shirt instead.
Mo: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
Tue: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
Wed: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
Thu: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
Fri: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
I wear daily business shirts (clean every day, so I can have professional video calls. After work I dress casual for walking the dog, eating and having a family live.
Our office attire is typically button downs and khakis at a minimum, but since working from home I have been wearing more polo shirts as they have a collar, but you don’t have to iron them as the webcam resolution is not that good. AFTCO shorts every day
Monday: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
Tuesday: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
Wednesday: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
Thursday: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
Friday: business shirt with jeans, + brogues
I wear daily business shirts (clean every day, so I can have professional video calls. After work I dress casual for walking the dog, eating and having a family live.
I will be wearing a button-up shirt and (relatively) good jeans. I will change this up, but keep similar themes, throughout the week. This is a bit more formal than I usually wear; excited to see if the difference helps!
This is about week 4 or 5 working from home (Perth, Australia) and I’m glad I have a full suite of company polo shirts to get me through the week. It’s easy, acceptable as a minimum standard when we’re in the office, let’s my family know I’m “heading to work” and better than most of my colleagues when we’re constantly on Teams to collaborate.
Hi Asian Effeciency!
I typically work in casual clothes as I am a college student currently at home with deadlines to meet and assignments to complete.
Therefore:
Monday: Grey jeans and a warm overall (the weather is rather chilly)
Tuesday: A semi formal jumpsuit + minimal accessories to make it feel like I’m working from college.
Wednesday: A formal shirt and blue jeans
Thursday: A sweater top and black pants
Friday: A baby blue dress to end the week in “work style” :)
I’m wearing my workout clothes to start work at 7am following my morning workout, but putting a smartish hoodie on top. That minimises transitions so I can then do my evening workout without changing again (I shower after evening workout) and can easily get in quick yoga sessions in the working day. It’s a much better approach for me. I do lay out my clothes the night before.
When I started teleworking last week, I knew I needed some sort of cue to tell me “Now I am at work!” So getting at least the top of me business casual was the first thing I did. I do my regular morning routine… I just do it an hour later. My wardrobe planning isn’t complicated. It’s by color, not by specific outfits. e.g. Monday is black, Tuesday is blue, Wednesday is brown, etc. Those are the slacks, then I just pick tops to match. Thank you for this challenge. This exercise affirms that I am making the right decisions… so far.
I dress more casually at home (jeans or comfy pants but no sweats). Most people in my online meetings (all of my coworkers) and most clients and collaborators don’t go on camera. I also live alone so there is no one to signal by my appearance. Still, I look tidy for the day and keep my morning routine the same as it was to go into the office.
I usually dress in designated at home/work cloths, outside of my pjs, and have a set of sweaters I wear, I would have to say this has happened less as work has been so busy, but now that I am slowing down, and my mornings are not as chaotic, I actally look forward to getting dressed, which consists of, me, and my 11 month old.
Although one day this week, my family wants to wear all matching Met’s tshirts. So 1 day this week, Thats what we will be wearing.
I have 2 pairs of black pants, and then a series of tops and sweaters that I wear. Always bearfoot!
When I’m not in the office, I fall into my normal relaxed attire: smart casual. I just can’t do ultra casual!! I wear jeans most days, alternating between colours/cuts, although occasionally I wear a skirt just for a bit of variety. I add an unbranded top, a cardigan and a piece of jewelry. I had my colours done years ago so I know I could dress in the dark and everything would go with everything!! This has saved me a fortune in wardrobe mistakes and time.
I’ve always just grabbed a pair of jeans and a golf shirt in the morning (they all match in as much as I’m going to worry about matching), and I’ve started laying out the clothes in the morning after the arrival of our newborn, and the bassinet being placed in front of the closet doors.
Even before COVID hit I worked from home, but having so many different cancellations (physical meetings and so on) has caused me to have to plan my time more strictly so that I won’t be wasting it! It has been a consistent pattern that when I get ready for the day, I’m more productive for at least the first few hours, and most often the rest of the day. I like to dress up tops and bottoms; that extra bit makes me feel like I’m ready for the day and need to do my best.
I’m in video meetings for at least three hours every day, so my clothes are planned out for today and tomorrow!
Coincidentally, I started dressing for remote work in my work clothes. I have a nice pair of jeans that I am strongly considering to be my work jeans. But I will wear a button down collared shirt the rest of the week. One reason that I like this tip is it’s setting a boundary between work and personal modes which should help signal to my family that I’m working and also help me with mental transitions.
I have video calls first thing every morning, so I get dressed, do my hair and makeup so that I am ready for the day by 7:30. Interestingly, I’m the only one on the call who is fully dressed and hair done. When I get teased about it, I just say the workday starts at 7:30.
I ensure that I have my clothes selected each night before going to bed. Even though I’m working down the hall rather than across the state line, I am still getting the morning shower and dressing as though I was going to the office (except shoes since we don’t wear shoes in the house).
I always wear the company t-shirt M-F. Makes decision making easier.
On Sunday evenings I usually plan out my week. I check the weekly weather and put it in a spreadsheet, I then add all my crucial activities to my sheet (lately Zoom Happy Hours), then I go day by day and try and plan out my clothes plan accordingly. Not always is it perfect but it gives me a nice base for the week. As a part of my nightly ritual I do layout my previously planned clothes. As you are probably curious, I do take a glance at the weather throughout the week and update it accordingly because in Chicago it could go from 40 degrees to 60 degrees at this time of the year, and vice versa.
When we were going in to the office (seems like ages ago!), my normal style was “business casual”. In an engineering environment, that would be something of a button down shirt and casual slacks. Now working from home, I find that I’ve relaxed the pants requirement, opting for the more comfortable jeans vs slacks. However, shirts remain the same; I definitely feel more of the work mindset when I’m dressed appropriately.
So for the rest of the week, nice button down shirt and alternate between slacks and jeans.
I shower and wear either my workout gear (to motivate me to workout after work) or a shirt and sweats so I feel comfortable but the shower helps me feel like it’s time to work.
I learned a while ago from Asian Efficiency to avoid as much as possible the “decision fatigue”.
So I do it like some famous people (e.g. Steve Jobs and others) and dress every workday the same for the time I’m working. At the end of “work hours” I change into something depending on the situation (sport, leisure, …).
I already worked from home and have always gotten dressed first thing. It’s usually in work appropriate clothes, but occasionally I’ll put on workout gear to encourage me to exercise before lunch.
Another reason not to live in sweats or elastic waist pants for too long is the weight gain that can creep in without a zipper to fasten. Happened to me in the 90s when work went casual dress and stretch pants became the norm at work.
Caught me-Monday, just got back from a run and still in my gym clothes.
I don’t have to dress very formally for work even at usual times.
Now I dress similarly: A blouse or polo shirt as top and capri or chino pants. Sometimes my pants are more casual than at other times.
Today I planned which Shirts or blouses + pants to wear for the rest of the week.
I work at a place where everyday is casual Friday so I don’t really plan my wardrobe. I have minimal clothes which means I have jeans/pants for the week. I have enough tops for 2 weeks. I only have one pair of pants that I actually have to pay attention to the top. Other than that they all can mix and match (no decision fatigue).
I have to admit that since I am working from home I wear sweat pants or yoga pants with the same mix of tops. We don’t do video meetings, we do screen share meetings so I don’t physically appear.
Well as I’m one of the few who actually turns on their camera at work, my uptop is generally business casual of some sort. My bottoms? So I also have had a goal to get out of the house. Maybe it’s just me but number of meetings have definitely increased since this started. So if I can figure out a way to setup myself so I can go for a brief run or whatever… I guess I’m going for it. :)
Maybe I’m delusional and should just commit to the extra time of switching clothes.
Monday: yoga outfit for morning, blue blouse with jeans for the rest of the day
Tuesday: a black blouse and jeans
Wednesday: Pink sweater with jeans in the morning, yoga outfit for the afternoon and back to sweater and jeans the rest of the day.
Thursday: black long-sleeved shirt and black pants
Friday: yoga outfit in the morning and a white outfit for the rest of the day.
I typically wear jeans to work with a t-shirt – unless I have a business meeting on.
So usually don’t plan my clothes for the week.
Having said this – will make more of an effort to get out of bed and jump straight in the shower and get dressed.
Otherwise – time rolls by and I can get to 11am and still not be properly dressed etc
I am from India. So I receive your mails in the evenining which means I can only implement the ideas the next day. Here is the plan for the outfits I will wear during work@home
Tue: Blue stripes shirt with grey trousers. I will wear my watch and put my pen in the shirt pocket just as I would before leaing for office. This will be applicable daily.
Wed: White shirt with navy shorts.
Thu: Light blue shirt with navy shorts.
Fri: Red pinstripe shirt with blue shorts.
Sat: Blue shirt with grey shorts.
Since only the upper part of the body is visible in zoom meetings this works for me.
Done
I had come across the tip elsewhere but didn’t take it seriously and forgotten since then. Thanks for the reminder – will implement from tomorrow 😃
Monday – black top and black pants (signing sermon from yesterday posting later today) / distributing sr papers to 2nd readers
Tuesday – white sweater & ripped jeans (grading tests)
Wednesday – green top & Black jeans
Thursday – brown zippered top & brown/black paisley pants
Friday – A red dress! (Just cause🥰)
Awesome tips here!!! I’ll be wearing black pants with a black and white button up shirt today. Nothing too fancy, but it’s definitely not casual either.
For me wearing makeup is the difference between office-ready and home wardrobe! Going to put makeup back into the routine right now!
This is a great tip and something we can all control every day! I will be wearing gray pants and a medium blue short sleeve collared shirt.
I tried for about two days to work with my pjs on. I wasn’t getting anything done. Now I have a whole routine of getting ready in the morning including brushing my hair, shower etc. Productivity definitely improved
I guess the implication here is….I should go change out of my sweat suit and into my normal casual “work clothes.” Deal. :-) Thanks for the inspiration….
Well, that picture of the woman in the robe hit home as that was me as I read the article. Getting up and getting dressed and ‘commuting’ to my office!
So…how many bonus points for “planning” my wardrobe…forever!
I don’t plan what I wear for work ever, so right now things are no different. My system is to only purchase tops that work with all my pants, and vice versa. There’s more variety than Steve Jobs, but just as little effort when I get ready in the morning. Mostly button-up tops (short and long sleeved) and jeans or chinos, but I have some pull over/sweaters for colder weather.
I have an automatic, randomly created outfit because all my clothes are “shuffled” when I wash them. I hang clear items on the far left and right of my closet and every morning just wear whatever top and bottom are next to each other where the sections meet in the middle. Some adjustments need to be made occasionally for weather, but this system has worked for me for about 6-7 years so I’m not looking back!
Monday: Black T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers. Have to write a lot.
Tuesday: White dress shirt, black suit, tie and black dress shoes. Day one of trial at bankruptcy court, via Zoom.
Wednesday: White dress shirt, black suit, tie and black dress shoes. Day two of trial at bankruptcy court, via Zoom.
Thursday: Black T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers. Have to write a lot.
Friday: Black T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers. Have to write a lot.
As an independent attorney, I adopted the Steve Jobs way of dressing.
Nothing different from other weeks on the suit choices. But the difference is that I’m working this week from the dining table instead of the bed, and I’m showering and shaving everyday.
I worked from home before the crisis, but I have a routine that includes getting my day planned, followed by a workout, shower and then I get dressed. It’s almost never “dressed up” but if I do have a remote meeting, I put on a nice shirt (with shorts). I have successfully created a ritual to separate work and home.
I have it easy! We have a relaxed environment. Just wearing polo type collared shirts and jeans every day. I do get up early, shower, dress, and breakfast. I have been working at home since 2011 so this is now a habit for me! I agree that getting up, being showered, and dressed helps a lot. I am on video calls many times a week and have many impromptu meetings. Being dressed means we are ready.
Monday: black leggings and black T-shirt
Tuesday: black leggings and black T-shirt
Wednesday: black leggings and black T-shirt
Thursday: black leggings and black T-shirt
Friday: black leggings and black T-shirt
My clothes are mostly black, that way I do not have to think, just pick up the next T-shirt in hanger, put the used one in the washing machine.
What I do in the mornings is take breakfast relaxedly while reading a bit. Clear up the things and then go to the bathroom to brush teeth, etc. As soon as that is done, I put my water bottle close by, sit down, open computer and start working.
I actually bought a jacket and shirts to create the videos in for work. So I usually start in my greys, then put on the film clothes during the day.
I will be wearing my kakis straight leg along with buttoned collar shirt, no tie, but clean and ironed each day (changing variety of course). I call it office casual, and it helps to stay focused. This regular for me.
Monday: Casual shirt with capris
Tuesday: Navy blouse with capris
Wednesday: Black blouse with capris
Thursday: Light sweater with capris
Friday: company polo with capris
Big change from prior weeks is taking shower after morning walk vs. before bed. This puts me back to how it is when actually going into the office.