How Team Zoella Are Working From Home

Working remotely isn’t such a new thing for me as I’ve been doing it on and off for years; working on planes, shoots, colleagues houses and all over the world is not unusual. That being said, working alone day in day out definitely has tested my motivation and concentration skills. Staying in regular contact with colleagues has been essential to keeping me going. We’re extremely fortunate that we’re able to carry on thanks to technology and the nature of the business we do, at a time where so many people’s livelihood is so uncertain, it’s important for us not to take that for granted.

SO this is bloody crazy isn’t it! Every time I think I’ve got my head around it I have this moment of sheer disbelief that I’m just at home for another day. The second day into WFH I set up a whole desk situation at my table and decided to be very strict on only working from here. I live in a one-bed basement flat that’s open plan so basically my living room is the kitchen is the dining room etc. it’s all one room! So I figured I’d set up a proper area to separate work from play. I also try and keep to work hours as much as possible. It’s so easy to start working at 8 and find yourself still on your laptop on the sofa at 8pm and in the current climate looking after my mental health is so important. Most days I’m up showered, had my daily dog walk, and sat down at ‘work’ by 9:30 as honestly it just makes me feel happier but some days I take the evening dog walk and roll out of bed at 9pm. My wardrobe is loungewear only. I love being comfortable so putting on my best outfits is absolutely not an option, I also go makeup-free often and slather myself in moisturiser. I’ve found my free time is actually harder to get satisfaction from at the moment, I was so excited about our first weekend and then it came and I was so bored! I’ve been trying to get off my screens and have invested in games, puzzles etc. I’ve also been baking and cleaning but sometimes I just have a bit of a ‘meh’ day, and that’s ok.

I’ve found working from home easier than I first anticipated, especially as I’m working from my bedroom, I thought I’d be quite distracted. But, I’ve actually found I’ve been able to stay focused and get everything done on my lists (I write lists every day with all my tasks, in or out the office and this keeps me organised!). But asides from work, when it comes to getting ready in the mornings, I’ve not really been too good at this. I’m not washing my hair often as I want to try and prolong how long I can leave it till washing, I haven’t worn makeup once since being inside and I don’t plan on doing so either. So on a good day you’ll see me with wet hair (staying away from heat too) and a cute loungewear outfit on! I’ve found staying productive outside of work hard, but I’ve realised this is okay. Some days I want to clean the whole house and other days I want to just sit on my bed all day watching Netflix and eating snacks. I’m trying to take every day as it comes, but there have definitely been some tears! I keep telling myself to remember that you don’t have to leave this isolation as a better version of yourself, there’s no pressure.

At the start, I was determined to be as positive and productive as I am at work, but I quickly realised that’s just not realistic. I’m taking every day as it comes but know that it’s OK to be sad and shit scared. I’ve found that following a similar routine to what I usually would really helps, getting up at the same time, lunch breaks etc. I also have been picking flowers from my garden to bring some cheer to my house. Lunch breaks have taken on a whole new meaning and I use this to do something useful and it makes me feel a lot better, see Macrame Plant pot behind me. Overall I’m surviving but looking forward to the day I get to give my wonderful work colleagues a cuddle.

I’ve come back to my family home for isolation which sadly meant saying goodbye to Brighton but hello to more conversation, support and security with my mum and sister. I’m finding working from home to be relatively easy- when I’ve got a long to-do list I’m quite good at being able to focus and power through tasks when the clock is against me. I’ve loved being able to catch up with the team in meetings and during our Friday evening drinks- maintaining that face-to-face (or should I say screen-to-screen) contact has been invaluable in keeping my spirits high and boosting my motivation.

The hardest obstacle for me so far has been my down-time! I’m struggling to fully relax as my brain is still convincing me I could be using this time to be productive, and when I do down tools and catch up with my boyfriend and my friends, it makes me miss them more! At the moment I’m taking each day as it comes, being kind to myself and watchful of falling into bad patterns with my mental health and anxieties.

I have turned the whole house upside down, cleaning and organising every cupboard and doing all the chores we begrudge spending our precious weekends on in normal circumstances. I have to say, it has forced me to slow down and reset – there’s something very wholesome about only going to the shops for what you need, using all the bits in your cupboard and gaining a whole new appreciation for the little things we perhaps take advantage of; things like the freedom to run outside whenever we want! I’m struggling a little bit with the constant noise from our neighbours, you can tell EVERYONE is at home and as someone who really values writing in silence or at least quiet, I’m finding it pretty challenging. In the grander scheme of things though, it’s a small price to pay when there are angels out there working 12-hour shifts, saving lives so I can put up with a bit of aggressive guitar playing and drilling. I can’t bloody wait for things to get back to normal though, gimme ROUTINE. Gimme my people back, a pub garden, a body combat class, an innocent sneeze.