With a lot of people working from home right now, I thought I would put together a list of my morning habits that helps me get ready for my WFH work day. Unlike working from an office, you do not HAVE to get ready, you probably don’t HAVE to be right on time and you do not have a physical office keeping you accountable and on track.
Working from home comes with many distractions. Home is where you play, it holds all your favorite things whether that be Netflix, an exciting book or any other fun distractions you have. Our homes also hold all those pesky chores.. that pile of laundry that would only take 5 minutes to load, putting away the dishes – that list that never seems to end. It can be hard at first to separate work from home life when you make the switch to WFH.
While one benefit of working from home includes having more freedom, it is important to have balance and control of this newfound freedom. Here is my morning ritual and my tips and tricks to having a successful and productive WFH experience.
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Get up at the same time every day
While it is tempting to sleep in since you now have more freedom in your work day, it is important to adhere to a schedule. This does not have to be a steadfast rule but keeping a routine will help you stay on track.
When I first started working from home I often stayed up late and slept in. Sometimes I wouldn’t even start my day until noon… NOON! That means I hate to work until 8 give or take. While it was awesome to be able to sleep in like that and not start my day, it was not fun working that late into the day.
To fix this issue I started getting up every day at 7 and started working at 8 as if I were in an office. I started to time block my day out as if I were actually in an office. Adding structure back into my day helped me stay on schedule with my day. So a quick example of my day would be:
7am – 8am – wake up, stretch, get ready, breakfast
8am-12pm – work
12pm – 12:30pm- lunch (It is important to schedule breaks and to eat even when at home!)
12:30pm – 4pm work
4pm – 5pm workout
Etc.
Sometimes I even fill this out for my personal day if I have a lot I want to get done. Adding working out into my schedule and writing it down makes me more likely to do so. I recommend breaking this down into even smaller chunks for tasks you need to complete. I usually do 1-2 hour long intervals depending on what projects I have for the day.
Get some movement in
Some light movement helps me wake up and feel ready for the day. Even if I take 5 minutes to do a few, easy yoga poses, there is a noticeable difference from days I do nothing.
I notice changes in mood, energy, and productivity. Most mornings I freestyle a yoga practice or stretch.
Eat a good breakfast
Take advantage of the fact that you are home and schedule out some time to make a decent breakfast. Enjoy it BEFORE you start to work. It really does make a difference. Oh! And try to sit in the sunshine or outside if you can, it’s a wonderful start to a day.
Leave your phone off
Your text messages can wait. Your emails can wait. Work can wait. Take some time in the morning for yourself without a screen.
Get ready
No, you don’t have to get full out dressed. But I am a firm believer that you feel how you look. If you stay all day in your pjs, you will have that sleepy time attitude all day. I usually at least braid my hair back, put on a nicer pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt and call it good. While this is not a lot, the simple change from my ACTUAL pjs into another outfit helps make the day feel like its starting.
And by all means, if you want to get all dolled up every day – do it. If that makes you feel ready for the day, I encourage it.
Get set up in a dedicated workspace
I sometimes venture from my desk to the couch. This works okay from time to time but I find that it is extremely more productive to have a dedicated work area where you sit most of the day. Keep only your work things there and hopefully put your desk in a quiet, secluded area that you can focus. I like to add personal touches to this area to help me stay inspired just like you would in an office but otherwise, keep it simple.
Get started!
Now, I am all ready to start working from home and hopefully so are you.
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