I ended up reflecting on this question more than I expected and saw how far I’ve come with the work I do, so I turned this question into a full post/article! Thank you to the person who sent this a long time ago, and I’m sorry for responding so so late!

Quick background: my first work experience happened way before COVID, but I also started a new job two weeks before our country went into lockdown. I’ll be anchoring my responses from these experiences. Please note that things may be different for anyone!

On a work desk tour
You can check out snippets of my desk setup on my Instagram Stories Highlights (filed under - work: upd, work: abs-cbn, and desk mini-tour)! My high school/uni study space is my dedicated work space now that I’m working from home (since March).

I’d love to do an official mini-tour as well because the way I currently use this space is way different from my school days, and it’d be nice to reflect on that! I’ll post more pics - or maybe make a vlog soon??

On first day jitters
Small disclaimer: some of these tips might depend on your employer’s hiring and onboarding process, and you know *gestures vaguely* COVID, but these are things that helped me a lot in my first job as well as my interns before their first day!

First things first, breathe! Although it’s normal to be nervous about starting a new job and stepping into a new environment, you can mitigate some of the anxiety by preparing days (and even weeks) before.

• Coordinate with your recruiter or HR. Aside from pre-employment preparations, ask them if they can give you a tour of the area and show you where the following places are: where to clock in and out, your work area, your immediate superior’s office, your teammates’ area, HR department, cafeteria, and the nearest lavatory from your office. These places are crucial to your survival on your first day. You can always familiarize yourself with the other surroundings as the days pass anyway.
• Refresh your memory about the company/organization. Sure you might have done your research for the job interview, but that doesn’t mean you no longer need that info. Browse their website and revisit their mission statement, org chart (if available), and other important details.
• Plan your outfit! The dress code is usually explicitly stated in the employee handbook/orientation (or you can ask HR about it). You can even get some outfit ideas from the people you come across in the building. It’ll help you adapt to the company culture and blend in.
• Make sure you pack a notebook and pens. And water! Check with your recruiter/HR if you need to bring other documents or supplies too.
• Optional: do a dry run of your commute to work. I usually do this early on (sometimes in the job interview and/or job offer stages) to make time adjustments.
• If it’s your first day and you’re already working remotely, try to have a plain background when attending video calls! This puts the focus of others on you and what you say rather than what’s around you in the room.

Lastly, try to relax the way you normally do. It’s easier than done, but remember that you were chosen out of the many candidates for a reason. You got this!

On making friends
Normally, someone else will make the first move to welcome you to the team. In any case, set a goal to talk to at least one person that day. This person can be your new teammate or someone who’s next to you/near your work area (okay now that I think about it, my first friends at work are always the receptionists and security guards rather than my teammates). You can make small talk (what do they do, how long have they been in the company, etc.) and even ask if you can get lunch together. Do keep in mind though that they may not be available to talk often or for a long time because of their own tasks.

People will naturally gravitate towards you the first few days. Take advantage of it and do be kind and respectful.

On showing up even if you’re tired
The first 3-5 months will be challenging because this is a period of adjustment for you. You’re navigating social circles and figuring out norms all while getting acquainted with your work. It’s a lot! But this also a good time to reconnect and remember your personal whats and whys - what is it about this company that made me want to work here? what is my favorite part of my job so far? what do i wish to achieve with this job? This may help you build purpose and motivation as you go to work everyday. Also, if things get overwhelming, it’s alright to take a step back and breathe. You have the skills to do the job, but it doesn’t mean that you need to have it all figured out at once.

In the long run, set clear boundaries, use your leaves or PTO, and use up that one hour ✨ unpaid ✨ lunch break. This is for your mental health and peace of mind. You are giving 7 or 8 hours (or more) of every day to your job but this is not all there is to it. A lot of people are very passionate about what they do and strongly identify with their job, and that’s okay too! Just remember to cultivate your inner life - make time for your hobbies and things that are important to you, hang out with your friends (ideally not your work friends + do this responsibly please), and take care of yourself.

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Felt like the previous paragraph was a pep talk to myself so yeah! We’re all just figuring things out one day at a time. You’ll be okay. I hope anyone who comes across this still finds this post helpful especially since COVID has drastically changed the way work works! For new or follow-up questions, don’t hesitate to reach out via DM or my ask box!

…okay then

So air pollution in the states is back to pre-pandemic levels. I can’t believe it took this long.

Crazy how not adhering to that micromanaging, office culture capitalism hellscape can benefit all of humanity.

That’s definitely why our owners won’t let it continue. It makes life too tolerable.

Work to-do list for the week is done, barring last-minute requests from others. It’s my last 5-day week of work (holiday-shortened week next week, 4-day weeks start after that).

This job, as I’ve said many times now, is the best one I’ve ever had.

Being recognized and forced to become more and more feminine at work too - a tempting idea. Erasing Christian step by step, replaced by Nicole. A strong hand, not accepting excuses why make-up and female attire is not possible at the one or other videoconference. Just missing exactly this strong and ruthless person.

Nicole wird im Home Office anscheinend übermütig - das könnte ihr gefallen, jeden Tag geschminkt und gestylt ins Büro zu gehen. Warum Christian Behrend sein, wenn sie doch Nicole sein kann?

Nicole seems to get cocky in the home office - she might like going to the office with make-up and styled every day. Why being Christian Behrend when she can be Nicole?

Personal ramble post:

Thinking a lot about mental health in relation to my career and work-life balance lately.

Dealing with ongoing mental health issues like ADHD and depression can be a very uneven experience.

Sometimes you’re doing great, taking your meds, having what I like to call “good brain days”. And these might last a while! Long enough that you start to feel like you have a handle on things, even like you might be in something resembling remission.

Then you go downhill. Often you’re still taking your meds, still practicing the healthier coping mechanisms you’ve learned, all of it. Despite that, you’re really struggling again. You remember that no, this isn’t something you can be cured of. There is no silver bullet, and this struggle will continue to be a large portion of your life.

I’ve mostly accepted that, but it can be hard when a long good period is what’s been allowing you to get up and go to work like every one else. When that period comes to an end, what do I do? Am I ever going to be able to maintain a 40 hour week for more than a few months before I burn out?

The pandemic has really opened my eyes to this, because I’ve been working costuming jobs mostly from home, which requires me to keep close track of my hours. I’m realizing that left to my own devices, I struggle to put in more than 30 hours a week. Sometimes I can’t even make 20. And the ADHD can make it very hard to work as efficiently as another seamstress would.

I think actually working around other people again might help with that, but my career goal is costume designer, to which independance & time management is crucial. And in the meantime, the average wardrobe stitching job is often a lot more than 40h/week. How can I ever hope to make a good life for myself when I can only handle part-time hours?

I guess I just hope that it will become easier if I find a job I actually like that pays a living wage? But there’s no guarantee for any of it.

Working

all-things-nice-and-sexy:

Happy Halloween

Alice Antoinette is one sexy, naughty witch

STUDY HACK: How I get things done in 4 hours a day

Hi guys, Lala here! I want to share with you guys how I am able to get things done in 4 hours a day. I know that for some of you the idea seems ridiculous. I thought the same 3 years ago. But I realized that while I would study, I was actually pretending to study because I would actually drift away from my studies and work and end up reading something completely unrelated to what I was supposed to get done. 

I would “study” for very long hours and didn’t get even half things done. And what is interesting is the fact I was actually burned out and stressed. About 2 years ago, I came across this article on Quartz called “The 4-hour workday is not a crazy idea”. While this is targeted towards businesses, I said to myself “School is basically work, so why not give it a shot”. And I am not kidding guys, it has helped so much. I actually get more things done, and I am not overworked because studying or working for 4 hours a day leaves me with plenty of time to focus on personal goals and my health. And while university leaves you with a ton of work, I am able to do it following the principles I shared with you above. 

If you guys want to know more about the methods that I talked about here, you can find more info below:

Time-blocking 101

Avoid the urgency trap with the Eisenhower Matrix

Productivity 101: An Introduction to The Pomodoro Technique

How to improve productivity with time batching

Hope you guys found this useful, and if you want to know more study hacks, feel free to check out my blog.

I have to tell you guys since this lock-down started, I’ve been trying to keep sane. It’s been 5 weeks for me and the key to keeping me sane is cooking, reading and having routines. Today I want to share the latter with you.

MORNING ROUTINE

04.25 Drink 1 glass of water (1 min)

04.26 Arrange bed (2 min)

04.28 Weight check (1 min)

04.29 Stretching (15 min)

04.45 Read (30 min)

05.15 Get inspired (5 min)

Note: I wake up this early not because I want to, but because I have to help my parents at the bakery at 05.30. I realized waking up and immediately going to work makes me moody and it just isn’t the best way to start my day peacefully. Which is why I wake up an hour earlier. 

________________________

PRE WORK ROUTINE

7.00 Make and drink tea  (15 min)

7.15 Workout (1 hour)

8.15 Make breakfast and eat (30 min)

8.45 Shower (10 min)

8.55 Change and get ready for studying/ work (5 min)

_______________________

WORK ROUTINE

9.00 Clean workspace (5 min)

9.05 Distraction proof (5 min)

9.10 Plan upcoming work and check calendar (15 min)

9.25 First Pomodoro (35 min)

10.00 Break (10 min)

10.10 Second Pomodoro (35 min)

10.45 Break (10 min)

10.55 Third Pomodoro (35 min)

11.30 Break (10 min)

11.40 Fourth Pomodoro (35 min)

12.15 Write down what got done, what didn’t get done and follow up tasks (10 min)

Note: My Pomodoros tend to be a little longer. I have been using this technique for about 2 years now, and realized 25 minutes was too short for me. I started to play around different times, and figured I am my most productive with a 35-minutes Pomodoro followed by a 10 minute break. That’s just what works for me. 

________________________

NIGHT ROUTINE

18.00 Shower (10 min)

18.10 Skin care (5 min)

18.15 Change clothes and pamper (10 min)

18.25 Clean bedroom (10 min)

18.35 Choose clothes for tomorrow (5 min)

18.40 Make and drink tea (5 min)

18.45 Write in Journal (15 min)

19.00 Log info to Samsung Health (10 min)

19.10 Listen to Podcast (40 min)

19.50 Meditate/ Breathing exercises (10 min)

______________________________

So that’s how I spend my days. Sometimes, I won’t do all 4 Pomodoros because I don’t have much to do. I do try not to work after 1PM, I like having my afternoon free to do what I want to do. Maybe I want to draw, or read, I also do some gardening around 5PM, but I just do things that I feel like doing. I’ve been doing this for about 2 months, and I honestly feel much better. Hope you guys get some inspo out of the routines that I have! 

If you guys want to share your routines, feel free to do so and tag me! I really want to read what your routines are like!

the apps that helped me go through all sorts of shit in college

GOOGLE CALENDAR

God bless all the people on the Google Calendar team. User interface is friendly, easy, notifications arrive just when I need them. Without Google Calendar, I would be lost. You can read more about how I use Google Calendar for my studies and overall life here.

EVERNOTE

Evernote’s web clipper has saved my ass many times. I love how advanced the web clipper of Evernote is. I get to save all the links in their respective notebooks. Or if I’m in a hurry, I just use tags. If I didn’t do any of that, Evernote’s search engine is so crazy good, I just have to type some keywords in the search bar and J am guaranteed to find the webpage I save. The web clipper is a just, especially when researching. I just login to Evernote to find my sources and all I have to do is put them in the literature. 

SCRIBBR

Talking about literature, Scribbr is also another website that has saved my life. Citing your sources is just so incredibly easy on Scribbr. All I have to do is copy-paste the link and Scribbr will automatically cite your source in APA or MBA. And it is also available in several languages. Saved me from all those last minute details so fast. Honestly, Scribbr should be more hyped among college students. It has seriously added so much value to my academic life.

GOOGLE DRIVE

Le Holy Grail of productivity: cloud storage. I love Google Drive because you get 15GB storage free, which let’s be honest that’s more than enough for most people. Everything goes into Google Drive. Literally everything. From the syllabus, to slides, handouts, class notes, essays. Everything. All categorized by year-semester-subject. I can easily search for whatever I’m looking for in a matter of seconds. And I can scan documents right from the app, allowing me to go paperless. Google Drive has helped me be so organized, I have become the reference point for both students and professor alike when something is needed.

09.17.2020// I like to move around a bit sometimes, as I do get a little bit cramped working in my room. I have also found the classic Pomodoro technique to be a really useful work tool right now. Currently, I’m working on Italian homework and any other assignments that might be coming around the corner soon! I’m also trying to think up more ways to get involved.

giraffegal:

lifewithlala:

Hi, there! I’m Lala! Today I am sharing my WFH routine. Some things to keep in mind are that I only work 4 hours a day and my pomodoros tend to be longer. Usually it’s 25 minutes, but for me 25 minutes is too little, I tend to work better in 45-minute pomodoros. I hope this can be of info to you guys, it really has helped get my shit together. 

I am using this app called Routinery to help me manage my routine AND IT WORKS WONDERS. I love how simple and customizable it is, it has made following my routine a breeze. I love it so much I even have the paid version, and I never pay for apps. This is not sponsored post or whatever, this is me genuinely recommending you this app! You can check them out here if you want to download the app. 

#personal references

all-things-nice-and-sexy:

Happy Halloween

Alice Antoinette is one sexy, naughty witch

Because of COVID-19, a lot of workplaces have switched to home offices. Which, overall, I think is great! At first, transitioning from the office to home was a bit rough for me. But after tweaking some things, I LOVE working from home now. I also want to mention that I’m very grateful to have a job during this time.

Here are my pros & cons for working at home:

Pros:

• No more commute time: I’m saving about an hour a day from no longer having to commute to the office. That means, an extra hour to sleep!
• Increased savings: I’m saving money that would’ve been spent on gas, lunches/snacks, and impulsive “quick” runs from the store after work. From gas alone, I’m saving about $100 a month!
• Customized work office: I’d argue that most offices are pretty standardized. At home, I have things that are more personalized to me, because well, I bought them. I have a huge desk, a succulent plant from my garden that I can easily maintain, a very comfortable ergonomic office chair, and a cubby of snacks nearby. This overall improves my productivity and desire to work!
• Easy access to food: When I work from home, I typically grab food from my kitchen to eat and often do a working lunch. This means more time I can focus on doing work and clocking in my 8 hours sooner.
• Easy access to my dog: When work gets slow or hectic and I need a break, I can just walk outside to my backyard and play with my dog! This wouldn’t be an option if things hadn’t transitioned to home-offices. Usually when things get slow in the office, I just sit there and try to get through my 8 hours so I can leave and it definitely impacts my morale.

Cons: 

• Lack of privacy: Depending on who you live with at home, you may not have the best privacy at home. For example, my mom often talks on her phone with the speakerphone on (she won’t do headphones either) and would constantly disrupt me when I’m working. After a few conversations, this has subsided but it was definitely incredibly annoying for family members not to respect office time. They think that because I’m at home and visible, they can ask me to solve their problems and make phone calls for them at the drop of a hat with no consideration to my work schedule. It drives me crazy! 
• Lack of routine (at first): Initially, I struggled with the transition to work at home because I’m not used to change. I missed waking up early, grabbing coffee, taking time to think on my commute to work, etc. But I soon got used to my “new routine” and it’s been working ever since! 

Overall, I’m quite liking working from home. My company is flexible and in general, doesn’t micro-manage and I think this provides way to a comfortable, ideal working environment.

I will be going part-time (and entirely remote) in September so I’m hoping that this work-from-home situation lasts until then and I never have to return to the office… hehe.

What are your thoughts on working from home? Is it working well for you? Let me know!