10 Ways to Make Working From Home A Little More Glamorous

Still in your PJs at 3pm? Replying to work emails at 6am? Not sure what day it is? Sounds like you’re working from home! Though working outside the office can get a bit disorienting, we’ve found 10 ways to make working from home a little more glamorous. Now, you can get the comforts of home, the benefits of a daily schedule, and more time to make your life as glam as you want it to be!

Start With A Shower

It may sound obvious to start your day with a shower, but when you work from home, sometimes regular habits go out the window. Maybe you started answering emails in bed and before you know it, it’s 9am and you’ve got to get on a group meeting! It’s easy to see how the basics of your morning routine can get shuffled around. But when work overtakes your day, it can make working from home feel overwhelming.

Instead of starting your day with an email — start with a shower. A hot shower wakes you up and tells your body “it’s time for the day to begin!” Since you don’t have to worry about beating traffic, give yourself extra time to luxuriate. Add an extra minute to inhale the steam to help clear your sinuses and throat, enjoy the scent of your favorite body wash, and imagine the water melting your worries away. Taking this moment of calm will set you up for a great day with a productive, yet relaxing morning routine.

Make a Coffee or Tea

After your shower, there’s no need to rush to your desk. Take a few extra minutes to help transition from “waking up brain” to “working brain” with a cup of tea or coffee. Brew the coffee or heat up the kettle and give yourself these moments to think about your day ahead. Once the drink is ready — you’re ready to get to your desk and get started.

To make it a little more glamorous, get adventurous. Try a new tea you’ve always wanted to taste. Add cinnamon to your coffee. Use the fancy glassware you usually only take out for holidays. Make your morning drink a glamorous occasion and you’ll feel extra glam every time you take a sip.

Even having just two steps of a morning routine (shower, then coffee), gives your day a sense of order. Already you aren’t answering emails in bed and forgetting to brush your teeth. You have a simple, unhurried schedule that helps calm anxiety and keep you as productive as you need to be.

Get A Little Exercise

Working from home can have an unexpected side effect: a lot of sitting! Though it’s nice to lounge around every once in a while, if your days stay sedentary, it can make you feel sleepy, foggy, and affect your overall energy. Groggy is not glamour.

So, to boost your energy, get a little exercise. Take a short walk around your house, take an extra trip up and down your stairs, or do a home workout video. 

With this video from 1950s, you don’t even have to get out of your chair for a workout! Feel like an Old Hollywood star by following Jack Lalanne’s simple moves. And who doesn’t love working out to live pipe organ accompaniment? It makes any apartment feel like a grand mansion.

Or if you want a workout from the Mad Men era, follow Debbie Drake. She was the first female fitness guru and her 15 minute show aired every weekday to give the Betty Draper’s of the world a good daily workout. You don’t need to wear tights, a leotard, and a bullet bra like Debbie...but you could. When you work out at home, why not wear something a little glamorous?

Accessorize!

Part of the beauty of working from home is the dress code: Wear whatever you want! Some people prefer to get fully dressed each day even if they never leave the house, other people want sweatpants and only sweatpants. Do whichever works for you. Though we highly recommend changing clothes before you start your workday. Even if that means moving from night pajamas to day pajamas, the change of clothes helps get you into work mode.

If you’re not in the mood to get fully dressed up at home, you can still accessorize! Since you’ll probably be doing a lot of video calls, it’s a great time to experiment with necklaces, bold earrings, and any other fun accessories that you can show off from the neck up. Have a fancy hat you’ve never worn? Put it on for your next meeting! That necklace you always forget on your way out the door? Wear it now! Those earrings you thought were “too big” for the office? There’s nothing too big for a video call! 

Accessories are a quick and easy way to feel dressed up and have a little fun with fashion (without any uncomfortable clothes to get in the way).

Put On Your Favorite Playlist

Since you don’t have cubicle mates to worry about, you can crank up your favorite tunes. Make a playlist full of songs that make you happy and keep that playlist pumping throughout the day! We recommend The Hawaiian Party Playlist on Spotify. It’s relaxing, retro, and brings a little bit of the beach to your home.

Light the Lights 

With more Zoom meetings going on than ever before, it’s important to have good lighting in your work space. For video calls, try to sit in front of a window. Natural light makes everyone look more beautiful and it gives you a chance to gaze at the beauty of nature from time to time.

If you can’t be near a window for video calls, add as much light as you can. Turn on your overhead lights and if you have a small lamp, move it near your computer. The extra light helps you see, helps your coworkers see you, and makes them all jealous that you look so great in every call.

Add A Little Lipstick

It’s tempting to forgo your makeup routine when you work from home. And that’s completely fine! It’s great to give your skin a break from makeup from time to time. On the other hand, a little lipstick can add a lot to your day.

When you put on a red lip, you can’t help but feel glamorous. Even if you aren’t wearing any other makeup, your face immediately lights up with lipstick. For some, the process of putting on lipstick makes them feel more put together, professional, and ready to take on the world! 

And for video calls, lipstick immediately makes you look more awake and even more beautiful than you already are.

Of course, you don’t need to wear makeup if you’re working at home (and you look great on video calls no matter what you’re wearing!). But if you’d like to add a touch of glam and sophistication, put on your favorite lip. In under 30 seconds, you’ll feel like a movie star, even if you’re still rocking pajamas!

Make Delicious Snacks

One of the biggest perks of working in an office is the snacks. Without coworkers, you get to have all the best snacks, all to yourself! Why not serve yourself some grapes in the middle of the day on your nicest dishware. There’s no rule that says you can’t eat snacks off a silver platter! These little luxuries might sound silly, but try to eat strawberries off of silver and not feel like a glamour queen. Be playful with your snacks and your whole day will feel more fun.

Have a Lunch Date

A big danger to working at home is becoming isolated. In some jobs, you can go days without talking to anyone. Keep in contact with your friends and loved ones by scheduling lunch dates. 

Pick a day, then meet over FaceTime or Google Hangouts as you both enjoy your lunch. The one on one time with a friend (even if it’s a virtual meetup) will help you from feeling lonely. Plus, stepping out for lunch with a friend is a high glamour move...even if it’s via Zoom.

Turn Off At 5 O’Clock

Just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean your hours have to change. When it’s time for work to end, turn off your computer and step away from the work day. This is a great time to meditate, stretch, or take a walk. Doing something physical gets you away from screens and starts shifting your brain from “work mode” to “home mode.” 

Then, you can do an at home happy hour, where you Facetime with a friend. Or, you can go to the couch and watch TV! Your workday is done and you deserve to do whatever glamorous, relaxing activity you choose.