How to Be Productive Working From Home | Ingrid Nilsen

Working from home tends to have this glamorous, free-spirited aura around it, but if you’ve ever worked from home for extended periods of time then you probably know that it can often be the exact opposite of glamorous. I’ve been working from home for the better part of the last decade and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that setting boundaries isn’t easy but it’s necessary. For me, the line between my personal and professional life got so blurry I was never truly present for either one. I was exhausted, working at hours that made me less productive and I felt like I had to please everyone all the time. Over the years, I’ve worked hard to set boundaries and strive for a balance that allows me to be creative, get my work done and replenish myself. Life is always shifting and my routine changes on the outside but the core is always the same: you must nurture yourself in order to nurture your work.

WEEKLY UPDATE: Okay, this is pretty exciting because I’m currently typing this update from a REAL DESK in my office. It feels sooooo good! This room is really coming together and it’s wonderful to have a space filled with lovely natural daylight. As of this morning, all the shelves for the office have arrived and they’ll be put up next week. That means I’ll FINALLY be able to unpack some of those boxes you saw in my apartment tour last week. They’re filled with books and personal trinkets I’ve collected over the years and I can’t wait to be surrounded by them again. On a personal note, things have been a very mixed bag. I’ve been pretty sad due to a death in my immediate family but on the other hand, my life in NYC has been so incredibly enriching. Grieving is difficult and it’s a process I live with every day with multiple people in my heart, but what I’ve learned about grief is that it’s a vital part of life. It means you have love and been loved, in all its complex and varied shades. It’s hard holding space for contradictory truths and emotions, but this is the work of being alive and I’m here to live this life, one step at a time. ❤️

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OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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MISSED MY LAST VIDEO? WATCH HERE:

My NYC Apartment Tour:

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WHAT I’M WEARING IN THIS VIDEO:

Pajamas: Suuuuuuper old Wildfox Jumper that I still love. Pants were a gift from my mom.

Dress: from & Other Stories (this was gifted to me)

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DISCLAIMER: This video is not sponsored.

[dianelee]

me in 2018: that's cool
me in 2020: THE CONTENT THAT WE NEED

[FriendlySpiderFriend]

this entire video applies to college students too! do not go to class in ur pjs, do not do hw in bed, study for 45min and then take a break, ect!!!

[dawnnoele]

I really liked this video because I am a stay at home, homeschooling mom and even though I don’t make money doing what I do, the same principles of boundaries and self care still apply (which I am going to implement.) I am in my early forties, and it never ceases to amaze me how much I learn from people younger than me.
I love your videos. I’ve been watching you since 2011 and the way you’ve grown and changed is inspiring. I loved cutie pie, young Ingrid and now I love beautiful, zen Ingrid and all the Ingrid’s in between. Thank you for bringing lightness and beauty to our world. 💕

[melaniemurphyofficial]

this is so helpful! I'm terrible for working from bed and then freaking out later in the day like THIS IS MY OFFICE I CANNOT RELAX...thank you for this, lady!

[SarahHublerTheBeautyHub]

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given is to schedule my energy. We often talk about how we fit everything in, what’s on our calendars, what do we have to get done today. And that’s important, but it’s also important to recognize how much energy those things take.So for me, if I’m going to have a huge conference call one afternoon that is going to require a lot of energy, I’m going to make sure that I’m giving myself a less intense schedule before and after that call. It’s hard to manage sometimes, but I think it make a huge difference. Just because we can make all “the things” fit on a calendar, doesn’t mean we have it under control from an energy perspective.

[jen_navales]

You getting emotional at the end made me smile. Vulnerability is the best. You have evolved so much. I sense so much maturity and self awareness. I'm happy for you.

[kdeluca]

Well this is the most relevant video I’ve ever seen pop up in my sub feed. Literally just opened my iPad and came on YouTube for a break as I’m sitting here working from home. Guess I should put my iPad away, right? I watch this of course!

[Fallofasparrow]

I work a government office job, but often have to work from home when I have a large case I’m working on. This gave me a ton of great ideas! A lot of these would be good on weekend days where you need to be productive with non work-related things.

[vantoten]

I love that this is just more of a sitdown vid no music in the background, minimal editing & just listening to these tips

[susanharkema]

I just love your mindful approach to working from home. I've been doing it off and on for over a decade and I'm still searching for ways to make it more nurturing. LOVE the idea of spreading out the newspaper of the week...small but fun!

[IamtheFluffyUnicorn]

When Tayto laid down in your lap my heart melted ♥️

[Ginab]

You seriously are an embodiment of light and love. I saw you in this video. And you turned talking about something ‘mundane’ and trivial into something meaningful and deeply spiritual. I definitely relate to this too. More videos like this!

[connie]

I have worked from home for 7 years. And I think the first video I watched of yours was a morning work from home routine.. I am constantly tweaking my routine. Staying in pajamas is a sure fire way to make me grumpy. I have started planning outings when I know I have an extra tedious work day ahead and it's a great break in the middle of the day to clear my head and MOVE!

[MT-lulf]

I'd like to see a video on your thoughts of having a creative job. I'm trying to start a career as a creative but am having trouble committing to it. How do you handle taxes? What about health care? How do you stay motivated when friends and family ask you about getting a real job or question your decision to leave another job? How do you network with other creatives/industry people? What are good ways to handle people/companies insisting they shouldn't pay you because they're giving exposure or whatever? I'd really appreciate any advice you could offer to help make committing to it less overwhelming and scary.

[hebronwatson]

I love your genuineness and commitment to self betterment and productivity.

[deannlovesalot]

I kind of could feel like you were about to cry right before you said it, which made me emotional as well. You are such a sweet person but one of the things I have always liked about you is how deeply you feel and how it is also able to translate through just a screen. I can always feel what you are saying and I can’t say that about many YouTubers. You have always been true to yourself, not changing for others and I admire that. 💗

[fancynancy]

I have worked from home for over 17 years now (not self-employed) so I work a regular "shift" as there is a lot of interaction between me at home and the people who work in the lab and offices. So many things still apply - get on a schedule, get yourself ready for the day, take breaks, don't let yourself work through lunch, set boundaries, and when the work day is over, shut that office down!

[julieanne]

Me: how to be more productive
Also me: let me watch youtube videos on how to be productive. After 5 hours of "learning how to be productive" 🤔

[cassiecozman]

Haha! When you asked your Google home to set the 45-minute timer my Google home registered your voice and also set a 45-minute timer.

[zuleimaapodaca]

Thank you for this video. I have gone from working in the medical field to working from home in 3 diffrent jobs and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Lately I had been so stressed and I was looking through and filling out tons of job applications. Your last words just made me remember why I love working from home. Thank you Ingrid you’re amazing! 💕