When it comes to living in a post-pandemic world, there are two things we can all agree on – streaming services are truly #lifesavers and working from home are here to stay.

I was used to being on a couple of flights a week, meeting and interviewing dozens of people a day, bouncing from coast to coast. When our states and communities across the country began implementing mandatory stay-at-home orders, I, like so many of my friends and colleagues, was struggling to cope with the change of lifestyle. Instead of ‘working from home,’ I was struggling to ‘work at home’.

I realized that I had to redefine my routine and, for once, turn my focus inwards.

As of June 2020, 42% of Americans are working from home full-time. As more companies are developing plans for more work-from-home options, the #WFH lifestyle is morphing into a more permanent reality.

Below are some of my tips on how to avoid instant work fatigue and make the best out of your #WFH situation!

1) Shift Your #WFH Perspective!

Look, I get it. It’s so easy to feel discouraged about working from home. Just as you may be reminiscing about the little things you took for granted, like getting that freshly brewed cup of coffee from your local bodega, try to shift your #wfh perspective. Truth of the matter is given an opportunity to work from home is a luxury, no matter how chaotic your home life may be. Too many frontliners, first responders and essential workers don’t have that option. Change your perspective. Shift your focus from missed opportunities to exploring new opportunities!

2) Get Dressed

Hey, put some clothes on. It’s tempting to roll out of bed and stay in your pajamas all day long, but if you take time to do a full morning routine including showering, brushing your teeth, doing your makeup, etc, you are essentially setting mental boundaries and telling your brain that you’re in work mode! I’m a firm believer in that you can change your mood and the way you think from the outside-in through style.

3) Get the Right Set-Up For Your Office

Nowadays when we are relying on technology more than ever, it is important to have the proper set-up for your office. This has been the biggest challenge for me because instead of heading to a studio with a camera operator, an audio engineer and team of video editors, I had to do live hits, record myself, and conduct meetings at home.

I worked closely with the entire team at LA Furniture Store, including marketing director Aren Gevorgyan and lead designer Erasmo Flores to transform my guest bedroom into a multi-functional at-home studio that caters to a wide variety of shoots. Natural lighting is optimal, so we made sure that my modern brown oak and faux concrete desk from LA Furniture Store’s exclusive LaMod Collection is facing towards the window.

4) Turn Your Home Into a Sanctuary

When you live and work at the same place, it’s hard to draw boundaries. Pre-COVID, most of my life was filled with travel, events, and tons of outdoor activities. Now, I’m focusing my energy inward. In order to find inspirations from within, I had to create my own sanctuary so I can relax, reflect, and reset.

My fiancé Dr. William Puetz and I purposely chose our LA pad because it’s west-facing and north of the Hollywood Hills. This means we can watch the gorgeous sunset over the mountains every single day! In collaboration with LA Furniture Store, we transformed our entire LA pad into the ultimate sunset dream that captures the minimalistic aesthetics of the golden coast.

We found the perfect situation for our cozy dining area – a mirror dining table with gold brass legs that opens up the space, two grey chairs, and a stunning velvet green settee!

Our bedroom is airy and dreamy. I’ve always thought of my bedroom as my little private oasis. We went with a modern and elegant Nova Domus Angela – Italian Modern White Eco Leather bedroom set from LA Furniture Store. We also got a sleek and modern TV stand (STANDiT Pro from Erard) so it gives the allusion that our TV is floating on the wall!

 My favorite part of the day is around 7pm at night, when the golden hour hits, and we’re just sitting on the couch, watching the sun set over LA. It truly provides us with a renewed sense of gratitude in all this chaos of at-home isolation.

5) Turn It Off

Perhaps the biggest no-brainer yet hardest-to-achieve is to just “turn it off”. When we were working in office, our “work mode” was separated by location, traffic, and other variables. Now that we are working and living in the same physical space, it is highly effective to compartmentalize different sectors of your day into an hourly schedule. This is a big challenge because nowadays, we are constantly tuned into all the noise – our phones, social media, emails, etc. But set a clear boundary between work and play. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you.