Our Quarantine Setups: How We Stay Productive (and Chill!) During Quarantine

by Eddie Martinez | May 15, 2020

To say that quarantine has been a major adjustment for all of us is to put it lightly. We’re so fortunate and grateful to have been able to continue working for the clients we love through it all, and we’ve definitely found some evergreen productivity tips along the way. As we slowly but surely start to phase out of full quarantine in Florida, we’re looking back at the things that kept us going and celebrating the team we look forward to seeing in-person again! Whether you’re looking for ways to stay productive during quarantine or beyond, check out some of the ways we’ve managed to get things done and spark joy while working from home.

What are your at-home work station must-haves? (Readers: see if you can spot the one thing we all have in common!)

Jonathon W: Coffee, water, quietness.

Maria: Water, coffee, and a fuzzy blanket.

Eddie: A coaster for my coffee, a chair I can cross my legs in, and enough space for my dogs to lay down within arm’s length.

Alexa: Water, coffee or tea, a snack, headphones and at least one dog under my desk.

Jonathan M: Coffee and sunlight

Elisa: Coffee and comfy clothes

Name the top 5 songs on your Productivity Playlist.

Jonathon W: I usually don’t listen to music while I work, but I definitely jam out while doing housework. My top five right now are “Where You Are” by Arizona, “Said I Love You But I Lied” by Michael Bolton, “Breaking Up Was Easy In the 90’s” by Sam Hunt, “Hard to Forget” by Sam Hunt, “Mix Tape” by Ballyhoo!

Maria: I usually don’t listen to music while working, but some of my favorites for general productivity are, “White Ferrari” by Frank Ocean, “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, “Bella” Wolfine & Maluma, “The Louvre” by Lorde, and “ilomilo” by Billie Eilish.

Eddie: 1. Sunflower – Post Malone
2. Shed You – Tessa Thompson
3. If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) – The 1975
4. Go the Distance (Roger Bart from the Hercules Soundtrack (Absolute Banger)
5. Cocoa Hooves (Glass Animals)

Alexa: Signs by CYGN, Love$ick feat A$ap Rocky, Home by Matt Quentin, Order of Operations by Khruangbin, and Hunnybee by Unknown Mortal Orchestra (there’s no rhyme or reason to my music playlists)

Jonathan M: Honestly don’t really listen to music while I work

Elisa: I’ve never been a “music while I work” type person – I get too distracted because I love it too much

Daily coffee count?

Jonathon W: 2 in the morning

Maria: 1 (unless it’s Monday…lol)

Eddie: ∞

Alexa: 1 frothy bulletproof coffee will do

Jonathan M: 2

Elisa: A solid 2 LARGE cups

Photo by Kharytonova Antonina on Unsplash

Tell us: what’s your #1 tip for separating work from home while working from home?

Jonathon W: I’m not very good at it haha so I’m always bouncing back and forth.

Maria: If you can, keep your workspace separate from your chill space. I personally like to read, watch TV, and write in the living room, so I work from a spare room (or even the porch sometimes).

Eddie: Against your greater judgment, avoid working from the couch. I’m guilty of it all the time, but it makes it much harder to relax or truly feel disconnected. At the very least, NEVER work from your bed/bedroom.

Alexa: Staying only in my work corner when I work and not working anywhere else in the house!

Jonathan M: Make a to-do list for both with timeslots, but why not work while laying by the pool and smoking a premium cigar?

Elisa: To be honest, this is a pretty big challenge right now but it helps to get some exercise and take breaks to do “home things” with your homies 😉 (aka go for a walk with the kiddos, play a board game, soak in some vitamin D)

What’s the best part of working from home?

Jonathon W: I get to use my own bathroom

Maria: Being able to wear sweatpants all day!

Eddie: My dogs have never been happier. I swear they think I’ve been fired but as long as there’s Kibble and I take them on walks they really don’t care.

Alexa: The puppies, of course!

Jonathan M: Seeing my family more

Elisa: My space has everything I need- food, coffee, comfy clothes, and all the people I love 😉

Speed Round!

Zoom or FaceTime?

Jonathon W: FaceTime

Maria: Zoom

Eddie: Zoom

Alexa: FaceTime

Jonathan M: Zoom

Elisa: FaceTime

Desk or Couch?

Jonathon W: Desk

Maria: Desk

Eddie: Desk

Alexa: Desk

Jonathan M: Depends on the mood

Elisa: Desk

Netflix or Hulu?

Jonathon W: Netflix

Maria: Netflix

Eddie: Hulu

Alexa: Netflix

Jonathan M: Just depends on the mood

Elisa: Netflix

Coffee or Tea?

Jonathon W: Coffee (what even is tea?)

Maria: Coffee in the morning, tea at night (but coffee wins if one has to go)

Eddie: Coffee

Alexa: Ugh I’m picky here but we’ll go with coffee.

Jonathan M: Coffee

Elisa: Coffee, though I’m loving making lavender tea lattes right now

Food Delivery or Cook from Scratch?

Jonathon W: Cook

Maria: Cooking is one of my favorite quarantine hobbies!

Eddie: Cook from scratch

Alexa: Cook from scratch

Jonathan M: Chipotle for days

Elisa: DELIVERY – c’mon we have 3 kids!

Workout Videos or Outdoor Run?

Jonathon W: Outdoor run

Maria: Outdoor run

Eddie: Outdoor run

Alexa: Workout Video (running is the enemy)

Jonathan M: Outdoor run

Elisa: Outdoor run

Puzzles or Coloring?

Jonathon W: Coloring – I think puzzles are from the devil himself

Maria: I love a good puzzle

Eddie: Puzzles

Alexa: Coloring

Jonathan M: Coloring

Elisa: Coloring

Thanks for quarantining with us! As we gradually ease out of this unprecedented time, we want to tell our first responders, essential workers, teachers, stay-at-home parents, and all of those who have adjusted, sacrificed, and worked hard to keep our communities going: we see you, we appreciate you, and we’re coming out of quarantine stronger because of you. If your business is in need of productivity tips or a revamped digital strategy as things phase back to normal, don’t hesitate to reach out to us (we’re very much looking forward to getting a cup of coffee with you!).

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