One of my favorite things about working from home is my brand new morning routine! I wrote previously I feel like I have this extra new found time that’s all mine and that’s even more the case with my new schedule.
See, originally I was planning to be working from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. When I received my assignment, however, I’m actually start at 6:00 am! I’m not an early riser naturally, so I was a little concerned about waking up at 5:00 am. Getting off at 2:30 in the afternoon is pretty amazing and so far, well worth it.
5:00 am – Wake up, turn on lights to low, scroll my phone, do Sudoku
Working at home, its important to me that I keep a routine so I don’t find myself in a slump. I want to be prepared to start my work day, too, so I like to do certain things right away. If given the opportunity, I like to spend a bit of time just waking up in my bed. I’m not a jump out of bed and go type of person, so laying in bed in the morning and scrolling on my phone is a gentle way to wake myself up. The lights help, too, especially when its dark in the morning. Once I’m feeling awake enough that I won’t fall back asleep, I pull out a sudoku and get to work on it. After that, I should be awake enough to actually want to get out of bed (and that’s important to me!).
5:30 am – Get out of bed, go to the bathroom, drink water, take meds
5:45 am – Brush teeth and hair, put in contacts
Once I’m out of bed, its time to start drinking water for the day. I’ll hit the bathroom and go take my meds for the morning. The last things I do before I head to the computer is brush my teeth, brush my hair, and put in my contacts. For whatever reason, putting my contacts in is my brains signal that it’s time to be productive! If I have time, I also like to do brief yoga pose to start my day off on a positive note. If I am really on the ball, and the weather is nice, I’ll sip some orange juice and have something light to eat while enjoying the sunshine.
6:00 am – Log into work
I clock in at 6:00 am and take phone calls for outpatient scheduling at a hospital. Around this time, I’ll pull up a Spotify playlist and turn it on quietly. I also like to keep my hands busy in-between calls, so macramé is an easy way to do that, or any crocheters or knitters out there, know those are both good options.
8:00-8:15 am – First break
Come 8:00 is when I take my first break and that is when I get dressed for my day. For me, that means something other than what I went to sleep in and 99% of the time, a bra. I’ll put on my makeup, do whatever I want with my hair, and finish the “getting ready” process for the day. If it doesn’t happen then, it’s likely not happening! If I haven’t already, I’ll grab a glass of orange juice to take with me as I have declared a strict “no soda at the computer” policy.
10:15-10:30 am – Second break
At around 10:15 is when I take my second break of the morning, and this is usually when I eat my first meal of the day. That’s naturally when my body starts to get hungry, and I’m really trying to listen! Some days, this will be breakfast. I like to opt for some overnight oats or a cup of instant oatmeal. Other days, it might be lunch and I’ll eat a salad or some leftovers from the night before. If it’s nice outside, I’ll enjoy my food while I soak in the sun. Otherwise, I’ll eat this at my desk so the remaining time of my break I spend cleaning, tidying, and doing other household things I need to do.
My final break of the day is actually my lunch break. I like to spend it outside whenever possible, but sometimes I’ll lay down and do nothing. Other times, I’ll tidy and clean. I might get that soda while I lounge around. I might even write or work on videos and other content during this time.
And that’s my new routine! I’m so excited to be living it and adapting it once I hit the road. Certain things (like listening to music) really help me feel “on” and “off” work and keep me motivated.
How do you make the most of your daily routine? Anything you could do to make it better? I’d love to hear it, so share it in the comments!
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