Editor’s Note: Looking for creative ways to improve your days when you work from home? This post, originally published in September of 2020, is full of helpful tips that are still just as relevant today.

Work styles are a very personal thing. What works for one person may be an absolute nightmare for the next.

I’ve worked in advertising for a decade now, and if you’d asked me a year ago I would have told you I pretty much had things figured out. I’m a morning person (a five-thirty meeting? No thank you!). My brain can only be in one place at a time (no podcasts for me, please!). And I work best in the office or a coffee shop with lots of people buzzing around.

Then, COVID-19 hit. I was working from home with only my husband. My anxiety skyrocketed, and my regular 6 a.m. alarm slowly crept to 7, and then 8. My productivity tanked. I was back to square one.

I’ve completely transformed everything I ever knew about work. I have been forced to examine my faults, find new routines, and learn ways to cope and grow as a professional.

Over the last six months, I’ve completely transformed everything I ever knew about work. I have been forced to examine my faults, find new routines, and learn ways to cope and grow as a professional.

Someday, I’ll look back to 2020 and remember a lot of anger, a lot of stress, and a lot of sadness. But I’ll also see a lot of personal growth. I hope you can do the same. 

Here are eight tips to improve your days when you work from home.

Most of us prefer to purchase online these days, but there is a higher danger of purchasing something you haven’t tried on. Fortunately, most stores provide a risk-free trial period, allowing you to lace up your shoes and go for a test run just as you would in the store. (Just double-check the return policy and retain the box in case you need to exchange sizes or send them back.)