Spring is in the air and it’s time for a little refresh. Along with a good spring clean, adding new bright decor or simply moving furniture around can feel like a breath of fresh air. Here are some great ways to brighten up your apartment for spring.

Bring the outdoors in with house plants

Plants can always help to bring some life and fresh air to your apartment. Indoor plants not only make your living space more inviting and luxurious; they also make your home’s air healthier. If you don’t have much of a green thumb, there are plant options that are low maintenance and don’t need a lot of care. Choose your plants based on your lifestyle. Bringing in fresh flowers in a beautiful vase can also add a fantastic accent and a fresh fragrance to any room.

Include New Details

The tiniest changes can have a huge impact in a room, creating an area you’re excited to return to after a busy day. For example, a new duvet cover and fluffy pillows can change the whole atmosphere of the oasis that is your bedroom. Or we can always rely on mirrors. A full-length mirror is a beautiful accent to add to any area to trick the eye and make the room seem larger than it actually is. This can be perfect for a cozier apartment setting.

For the bathroom, a new shower curtain and bathroom accessories can really switch it up. An expensive set of towels is another excellent investment, since you use them every day, and they offer a luxurious feel for a small price.

As for the living room, a warm-light lamp will add a homey feel to it. New candles can spread an amazing fragrance while adding an extra level of coziness to a room. When you’re relaxing at the end of a long day, lighting some candles, cuddling up on the couch with a soft blanket and a good book can help you unwind completely.

Give Rugs Some Thought

Does it feel like your floors need some attention? Whether your apartment has carpeting or hardwood floors, a new area rug can give the room flair and add a whole new vibe to the atmosphere. There's a reason they say area rugs can bring a living space together – with this piece, you can make an incomplete room feel more composed almost seamlessly. Use the existing decor in your apartment to choose a color that would look best but be sure to keep popular spring pastels in mind to follow seasonal trends.

Pops of Color

Bring color to your bedroom by mixing in new throw pillows, blankets, and vases in a spring-appropriate hue. Whether you’re switching up the neutral shade on all the walls or adding a bold accent on just one of them, a fresh coat of paint can bring a room from 10 to 100. The colors we surround ourselves with can impact our moods and evoke emotion, so choose your color palette based on how you want to feel.

Treat Yourself

Have you been eyeing that mini Keurig machine for a while? How about a stand mixer? After all, you deserve it for all the spring-cleaning work you’ve done. This is the perfect time to splurge on something for yourself and your home, especially after decluttering and creating free space for new stuff.

Spring is all about incorporating decor that makes you feel comforted and happy when you see it.

Be creative as you infuse spring into your apartment. A joyful apartment will give anyone who enters an instant mood boost.

The post Spring is here. Time to discover your spring look. appeared first on Fairfax Square Blog.

We find ourselves in the middle of unprecedented times where we are adapting to so much change all at once. Focusing on what you can control in times of uncertainty is one of the best well-being and resiliency strategies there is. Identify ways you can make goals happen in small and meaningful ways and remember, be gentle with yourself. One choice or one day will not make or break you. 

1. Routine is key. The number one thing that has seemed to have changed during coronavirus is our daily routine that got turned upside down. Without a structured routine and full day to feel an entire day at home may be tempting to just let the day unfold. Resist the urge, because maintaining structure is critical for physical and mental well-being.

2. Remember you zzz's. Sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your physical and mental health. Sleep supports your immune system, mental health, and overall well-being in many ways. Aim for 7-9 hours of good quality sleep a night and avoid the temptation to stay up all-night binge-watching Netflix or, worse, scrolling through (never uplifting) news.

3. Fuel your body. It may be easy to snack while home all day but fuel your body with quality nutrition which will help you sustain energy levels and boost immunity during this time. Focus on meals that include lean protein, fruits, vegetables and fiber-rich carbohydrates (think whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, sweet potatoes and oats). 

4. Get Going. Staying at home doesn't have to mean sitting still. Regular movement throughout the day helps boost your energy, reduce stress and minimize tightness and discomfort—all things that are so critically important during these times. Exercise can also help you feel more mentally grounded. 

5. DIY. You've been pushing off those at home projects for years well now is your chance! Use breaks to work on things around the house or creating fun projects for you and your family.

6. You Time. Lastly, don't forget to schedule time for you. Create boundaries for those things that are most important to you. Boundaries are something you can control, and they give you the time and space to take care of yourself. What do you need to feel your best?

The post Ways to Practice Self-Care During Quarantine appeared first on Fairfax Square Blog.

Working from home has its own set of unique challenges. Follow along for a few of the tips we've found most helpful in creating a work environment that establishes a healthy work/life balance, increases productivity, reduces feelings of stress, and more.

These tips will help you make sure that you’re successful, both at getting your work done and at maintaining your mental well-being:

1. Get Dressed

It might seem like a simple tip, but it’s a crucial one. It was tempting to stay in pajamas all day, but any day you give into temptation will be a much slower to start and less productive overall.

You don’t need to dress as formally as you might for work, but the simple act of changing clothes serves as a signal that it’s time to wake up and get things done. “Don’t underestimate the power of putting on clothes suitable for public viewing. It makes you feel human [and] confident and helps draw the line between being at work and being at home,” says Heather Yurovsky, Muse career coach and the founder of Shatter & Shine. “Feeling human” might seem like an odd thing to have to actively think of, but it’s especially important at a time like this, when the breakdown of your everyday routines might make you feel cut off from your “normal” life and the “real” world.

Getting dressed also applies to other appearance-based tasks: Take a shower, brush your hair, even put on makeup if that’s what you’d usually do. You don’t need to go as all out as you would for the office if you don’t want to, but waking up and taking care of your appearance can go a long way toward helping you feel like you’re taking care of yourself.

Besides, just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean that no one from work will see you. It’s 2020 and we’re all about to have a lot of video meetings.

2. Designate a Workspace or Home Office

One of the big challenges when it comes to working remotely is keeping your work and home lives separate. If you never fully disconnect from work, your work productivity will suffer and your home life can take a hit as well.

If you’re used to going into an office each day, the separation between work and home is physical, and you want to try to recreate that as much as possible with a designated physical workspace at home. You may scoff at the idea of a separate room for a home office if, like me, you live in a small apartment. I’m writing this in the room that is my office, kitchen, living room, and dining room all in one. Your workspace doesn’t have to be its own room—in my apartment, it’s a corner—but it should feel as separate from the rest of your home as possible.

Try to make your workspace comfortable with a chair you can sit in for eight hours a day and a few decorations. Find an area with good natural lighting if at all possible. Even if you don’t usually spend a lot of time outdoors, losing out on the time you spend outdoors during your commute can start to weigh on you quickly, and it will only happen faster if you don’t have natural light coming in.

Entering your workspace will help you turn “on” at the beginning of the day and get down to work. On the flipside, leaving your workspace will also help you turn “off” at the end of the day and fully disengage. That’s why it’s also important not to spread yourself across your home—while it might seem great to be able to move from desk to couch to bed, if you let your laptop creep into your downtime space, it makes it harder to keep your work separate from your home life.

If you’re working at a table you need to use outside of work or a room you spend a lot of time in, pack up your work each evening to make the end of your day decisive. When I worked remotely in my last job, I was working on my personal computer, so I’d make sure to close all the tabs and programs related to my job as soon as I was done for the day. The key here is to do whatever you need to do to “leave” your workspace.

3. Keep Clearly Defined Working Hours

Just as you designate and separate your physical workspace, you should be clear about when you’re working and when you’re not. You’ll get your best work done and be most ready to transition back to the office if you stick with your regular hours. Plus, if your role is collaborative, being on the same schedule as your coworkers makes everything much easier.

If you live with other people, this separation is even more critical. Communicate with the people you live with to establish boundaries so you can cut down on distractions during the workday—and then disconnect and give the people you care about your full attention. Having a separate time and space to work will allow you to be more present in your home life.

4. Build Transitions Into (and Out of) Work

Your morning commute not only gets you to work—from one physical location to another—but it also gives your brain time to prepare for work. Just because you’re not traveling doesn’t mean you shouldn’t carve out equivalent routines to help you ease into your workday.

Maybe you usually read or listen to music on your commute. You can do that at home. Or maybe you can spend some time with a pet or loved one. You can even add in a workout (preferably at home because of the new coronavirus, but see what is being recommended where you live) or spend some time on a hobby (again, make sure it’s appropriate given the health recommendations where you are).

At the other end of the day, the evening commute does the reverse. “Commuters often take for granted the time they have in the car or on the train to wind down from a hectic workday and mentally prepare themselves for their evening routine.” Yurovsky says. Generally, you’re not going from getting a huge presentation done right to making dinner or doing chores. If you try to jump directly, “your brain doesn’t have time to hit the reset button, which can make you less present as you transition back into your personal life.”

Give yourself something that will signal the end of work and serve as a buffer. When I worked from home, I made it a habit to take my dog for a long walk as soon as I was done for the day. It helped me decompress with something physical and fun, and the habit was self-enforcing since my dog would lie in front of the door when it was time to go or would come looking for me if I was taking too long.

5. Don’t Get Too Sucked in by the News—or Anything Else

You probably already take a few breaks throughout the day at the office, and that’s fine to do at home, too. Using that time to throw in a load of laundry is OK, but try not to look at your new work arrangement as an opportunity to finally clean out that closet or anything else that takes a lot of sustained focus.

Right now, one of the biggest distractions is the news. And if you’re working remotely because of the new coronavirus, checking in on COVID-19 updates is going to be at the front of your mind. It’s good to stay informed, of course, but it’s also easy to scroll yourself into an anxious mess.

I suggest setting timers for any breaks you take. You don’t want to get too immersed and forget that you’re at work altogether. If you’re someone who’s susceptible to getting distracted every time you get a news alert, turn your notifications off during the workday, too. The news will still be there after 5 PM.

6. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

If you don’t usually work from home, chances are there will be some bumps in the road if you have to suddenly go fully remote. The key to steering through these bumps is communication—especially with your manager and direct reports. Either before you make the switch or as soon as you know it’s happening, come up with a plan that lays out expectations for how often you should check in and how you’ll convey any changes or new assignments to one another. Do the same with anyone you usually work collaboratively with throughout the day.

This plan is likely to change as you go. And that’s OK. This is a new situation for everyone. So make sure to circle back and change the plan if problems come up. You’ll also encounter unique challenges as you try to do your job remotely, which can vary greatly depending on the type of work you do. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the same people you would usually turn to for help—even if you’re not in the same building as them.

You might find it’s best to check in with your boss and coworkers over the phone or through video chat. This will cut down on miscommunication and break up some of the social isolation that can come from working from home.

7. Don’t Forget to Socialize

When the whole office suddenly starts working from home, you’re cutting off a lot of the casual social interactions you’re used to having throughout the day that help you feel less lonely and break up the monotony of work. “People forget they need to be around others because it’s the small talk and random fire alarms that keep your days feeling unique and prevent that hamster-wheel feeling. When you work from home, you don’t have that,” Yurovsky says.

Combat this by talking with your coworkers throughout the day through Slack, calls, text, Zoom, or however your company communicates. If you usually ask your coworkers about their weekends, keep that up. If you’d usually comment to them about a specific topic, reach out. These little interactions go a long way.

You can also schedule morning video call kickoffs with your whole team so you make space for that first-getting-into-work small talk, or carve out time for other check-ins throughout the day.

While you’re at it, don’t just check in with coworkers about this project or that TV show you both like—really check in. Lots of us are feeling anxious and uncertain right now, and suddenly being isolated at home can amplify these feelings. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a coworker just to ask how they’re doing.

All this doesn’t just apply to the workday and people you work with. You may not be able to meet up with friends for dinner after work, but you can organize a group of people to discuss a book or TV show or just to catch up over Google Hangouts. You don’t even need to plan that much: My best friend and I live in different parts of the country but stream TV shows simultaneously so we can text about them in real time. And Facetime your mom, will you? When the world is freaking out, it’s more important than ever that we reach out, connect, and take care of one another.

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