Julie’s WFH Quarantine Survival Kit

If you’re like me, you’ve been working from home for almost 7 months now. My hour long commutes where I used to scroll Instagram and listen to podcasts on the CTA are now replaced by maybe an occasional 5 minute drive to the Starbucks drive thru. Running into co-workers by the coffee machine now turns into my fiance walking out of our home office every hour or so to get some water or a snack, and me chirping “HI WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Before, my “must haves” to do my job well were some boots sturdy enough to trudge through the Chicago snow, some good headphones, and a fun new bar to grab cocktails at after work. Now, my must haves look more like SPF that won’t burn my eyes, comfy yoga pants, and a new favorite work manual.

Here are the game changers that help me get sh*t done in 2020:

• A Zoom Shirt.

  • C’mon. At this point, we all have it. Your Zoom shirt! A top that from the waist up makes you look poised, polished, and professional. My current favorite is this drapey shirt from Madewell. I tested out the black and loved it so much, I’ve got every other color in my cart as I type this. I may have PJs and slippers on, but this Zoom top would never let you know.

• SPF That Gives You GOOD Glow.

  • I had been a fan of Supergoop products long before the quarantine, but as my tube of mineral sunscreen ran out in mid-March, I decided to give their newest product a try. Supergoop Glow Screen has light coverage, and gives your skin a gorgeous glow like you just dabbed highlighter on your face. Not to mention, blue light from laptops and phones can emit harmful UV rays that can damage your skin, so a good SPF is just a vital to working from home as it was in the great before. You’ll never catch me without it on!

• Beyond Yoga Sets

  • These buttery soft athleisure ware pieces are definitely an investment, but feel like absolute heaven once they’re on. In addition to transitioning to working from home full time, I’m also transitioning to being a California resident from Chicago. These matching sets give me a cool, laid back vibe that California carries. Popping my Zoom shirt on top, I can go from video call to hiking the Los Gatos trail in no time at all.

• Hoka Clifton 7s

  • A tragic first date in Brooklyn where I ended up walking approximately 3 miles in 4 inch heels (don’t ask) seven years ago has plagued me with foot problems ever since. Heel spurs and plantar fasciitis became familiar frenimies and would rear their ugly heads at the most inopportune times. Enter Hoka’s Clifton 7s. I was * influenced * by the amazing Katie Sturino of Megababe (more on her in a minute), who shared on her Instagram that her Hoka’s had helped her with similar foot problems. I ordered myself a pair, and after about a month of wearing them…I don’t have plantar fasciitis anymore?!?! I don’t know what it is about these magical chunky sneakers, but they cured me of almost a decade of foot pain. So do yourself a favor and get a pair to help turn your sanity strolls into walking on clouds!

• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

  • My best friend Meg went to an event moderated by Priya Parker in LA last summer, and sent me her book as a birthday present. “I thought of you,” she wrote in the card, “I think you’ll really like a lot of Priya’s ideas.” BOY DID I, MEG. I read Priya’s book about making our gatherings more meaningful during the start of quarantine; she covers everything from week long conferences to intimate dinner parties. Her perspective and ideas changed not only how I approach my consulting work with my clients, but also helped me to plan my wedding for September of 2021 amidst a growing pandemic. I was going to lend my copy to a coach I work with, but soon realized it was too full of highlighted passages and notes scribbled in the margins to share with anyone! I’ve since gifted it to several influential women in my life, and recommended it to other friends who are Brides to be planning their big days. When working with a new client, I keep my copy close at hand so I can dive in and get fresh inspiration. Priya Parker, if you ever read this please know that you are my HERO and I’d like us to be friends and I really really love your book.

• Bed Desk

  • This is the newest edition to my little WFH tool kit, but it is making a big impact. I’m even using it right now to write this blog post. I found this Laptop Bed Desk via Danielle Prescod’s Instagram. She uses it to literally work from bed, and although tempting, seven years in a studio apartment where my bed was also my desk taught me that my sleep schedule will get down right vampiric if I try to work from where I rest my head at night. But hunching over our coffee table, or several hours in our uncomfortable dining room chairs, or splayed out on our couch weren’t doing me any favors either. And my laptop kept heating up and the fan began to whir in a way that made me worry a small house fire was in my future. I needed a hybrid of all 3: the casualness of the coffee table, the structure of the dinner table, the comfort of the couch. And this bed desk has delivered. The chaise on our sectional sofa is my new home office, where I can comfortably take calls, write, and edit all day long.

• Megababe Squeaky Clean

  • Told ya we’d get here. Megababe is the brain child of body positive blogger Katie Sturino and their Squeaky Clean hand sanitizer has been nothing short of mana from heaven this year. The plant based alcohol kills 99.9% of germs, but without making your hands feel dry and cracked afterwards. Seriously, this is the only hand sanitizer I’ve used that doesn’t make me immediately reach for my hand cream after. Also, Megababe has always kept a healthy inventory, that’s allowed us to stock up and feel well-protected all quarantine long. I keep a mini bottle in my purse, my toiletries bag, and in the glove box of my car. We have 3 of the mega-pumps in our house; one by the front door for when we come and go, one for our camping gear when we get out of the house for the weekend, and a bonus for back up. I’m also a huge fan of their masks, shower sheets, and thigh rescue!

So, now that you know the secrets to my success, I’d love to know what’s in your WFH survival kit? What’s made your work easier, your life more enjoyable, or your productivity sky rocket?