As a member of the Outshine summer campaign, I received incentives in exchange for participating in brand related activities and spreading the word about Outshine Fruit Bars as a work from home snack. #SnackBrighter
A lot of family and friends don’t know that I work from home. Yup, it’s not all sweatpants and bonbons (much to my chagrin 😉)! In 2008, I started my costume design business from a small room in our apartment. That eventually led to a basement of creation, plus private design clients, my beloved blog and, of course, my two littles that I take care of. I count myself among the lucky that I can have a flexible schedule built around my family and the workload I want to take on. I usually want to try to do everything!
All of that adds up to an extremely full day (I often wish I had a few more hours!) and the workload can leave me feeling zapped if I don’t take care of myself properly. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the best at self-care, and though you’re supposed to put your oxygen mask on before assisting others, I’m the worst at actually doing it. That’s why short recharge breaks are important to me. They help me feel better about myself, my workload, and I end up getting more done. Here are my top five ways to recharge when working from home:
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Get Some Quiet Time
I completely understand how hard this one can be if you’re working from home with kids. They are noisy little things that are either playing loud or asking you for something. Try to breathe deeply during your 30 second potty break. Or perhaps meditate for five minutes with your new “sacred mountain” essential oil diffusing in the background. When my youngest is napping, I have my oldest do a quiet activity, like coloring, LEGOs or play in the basement. This earns me at least 45 of low-volume time for my nerves. A little peace and calm can go a long way during your day.
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Cross Something Off Your List
Often, the sheer feeling of accomplishment can give me the power to finish strong. I’m the queen of to-do lists and giant, lined post-its, and dragging my gel pen across the brightly lined paper feels good. Take a look at your to-dos for the day. Is there something small and quick that you can knock out that would make your list shorter? I love to combine tasks, line errands up for the day so I’m getting multiple things done, or save those quick phone calls for when I need a break from data.
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Move and Dance
Maybe you’ve been at your desk too long. Do your legs need a stretch? Perhaps the kids are a bit antsy, too? Grab your YouTube and play a fun music video (Red loves to “move it, move it!“) and dance around for a few minutes. This is guaranteed to give you a little fun in your afternoon and move your 3:30 right along. It will also make your kids smile and even throw them into a fit of giggles. Go on, you know you want to “MOVE IT!”
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Get Out(side)
A breath of fresh air can change everything for me. If I’ve been working inside for too long, I can feel cooped up, and a walk outside to check the mail can put some pep back in my step. Just yesterday, I put Scarlett in the stroller to deliver some notes to neighbors for my outdoor break. We both enjoyed it and I felt recharged when I got back to work. If you have a patio or backyard that you enjoy, set up a chair and a small workstation outside! I love sitting on my southern deck with my computer and a sweet tea.
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Have a Snack
My favorite way to take a break from work is to eat something. Because I’m a hungry girl. So while you’re outside in your summer work spot, grab a snack, too. Between my conference calls and (admittedly self-made) spreadsheets, I’m living for my snack breaks. Outshine Frozen Fruit Bars are a yummy snack option that help me cool down and shine brighter. The strawberry bars are my favorite, and just right to share with Red when he gets home from camp, too. Most Outshine Fruit Bars feature fruit or fruit just as the FIRST ingredient, and NO GMO ingredients, which is awesome! (I’m always looking to go greener a little bit at a time). They have also improved 8 of their most popular flavors by adding an average of 77% more real fruit or fruit juice and reduced the sugar content by about 11%. Pretty awesome, huh? That means Outshine can be my official work from home snack that refreshes me from the inside out!
How do you recharge when you work from home? What are your best tips or your favorite work from home snack options? 
Those bars sound really tasty. I have to make sure I remember to eat a snack every so often to keep my energy up. When I really get rolling, I completely forget! Which of course makes me feel worn out.
It’s so important to recharge when you work from home because you never really get away from your office. These are great tips!
I am always looking for new ways I can recharge when I am working. A cold treat made with real fruit sounds like a great tip!
Those bars are soooo good. I kind of want to come snatch that one right out of your hand.
I try to make sure I drink enough water because I often forget!
We love Outshine over here. They would definitely refresh me about now.
These are all really great things to do. It’s so nice to take a step outside after being inside all day!
As someone that works from home, I find it hard to detach at the end of the day, which means I work far longer than I actually should. Taking a break is absolutely crucial, especially if it involves a yummy snack.
This is a great list. I work from home and I definitely need to take more breaks and relax sometimes.
Recharging is so important. All I need is a little alone time here and there. A quick shopping trip does it for me. So does an ice-cream bar.
I’m liking your ideas. I need to schedule in some quiet time and some time to get out of the office space.
I love the idea of a fruit pop break. I have a freezer full of Outshine bars. I’ll have to start snacking on them when I am feeling a little run down from my work at home duties as well!
For me, the most effective way to recharge is to reward myself with a vacation. It may not come as often as I wish, but at least, I get to really relax and unwind. I would love to check out those fruit pops too. That would make do until I get to my next vacation.
I like fruit bars too, I find them so refreshing. It is really hard to work from home so this is a great snack for us.
Love the idea of cooling off and having a dessert with real fruit.
Working from home has a lot of benefits and down sides. I miss talking to adults!
I recharge from my work at home by relaxing outside, a sip of fresh air really helps me. And of course, an aromatic coffee helps too!
It’s tough when you work at home. You don’t often get a break especially when you have kids running around and asking for you all day. I think these tips are very helpful and they’re effective as well. We have the same list!
These look like a great treat. I like to take a break and have a quick swim in the pool. It is refreshing and I am ready to get back to work.
You are correct, those fruit bars would be a great way to recharge. I am feeling some right now. Wish I had some near me. *Sigh*
For me, I head to the gym OR head to Starbucks for a change of scenery while working. I seem to get more done when out of the house working for a few hours.
This is so great! I always need a change of scene throughout the day.
These resemble an extraordinary treat…those organic product bars would be an incredible approach to recharge..Love chilling and having a sweet with genuine natural product.
This looks like a refreshing pick me up after a long day. Nibbling on one of these out on the front porch would be lovely