My Work from Home Schedule and Routine that Keeps me Sane
While it sounds enticing at first, working from home can actually be a bit challenging and get lonely from time to time. On top of it, when everyone is home, it can be hard to focus. Here is my work from home schedule and routine that keeps me sane.
Morning routine at home
Whether I work from home or not, I swear by having a morning routine. I’ve written about this countless times but it is so crucial to my day. It sets up my entire day and if it’s off, my whole day is off.
As humans, we crave routine, whether we realize it or not. Our minds begin to run on autopilot once we do something enough times. This can be good or bad depending on the habit.
In this case, my morning routine has become a daily practice and is so important for my sanity. Here is a sneak peek:
- Wake up between 6 – 6:30am (sometimes earlier, sometimes later)
- Make a caramel mocha latte (I use this Keurig at home with Starbucks caramel syrup and Simply Five chocolate syrup) and lemon water
- Sip on my coffee and water while I check email and listen to “Meditation Station” on Amazon Music
- Review my day ahead
- Begin work between 7:30 – 8am
Work from home block one
I work in blocks of time. I’ve never been the type to sit and stare at a screen for eight hours straight and crank out work. Planning my day in blocks really helps me keep my mind fresh so I can achieve quality work while staying productive.
I use my first work from home block of the day to get my core work done. This includes anything that requires a ton of focus or dedication. The heavy lifting is done here.
Personally, I’m much more alert and on top of things during the morning hours after my morning routine whether I work from home or not.
This block of time is usually three hours, give or take a few moments here and there.
Mid day walk outside
I fully believe in taking breaks throughout the work day to reset and refocus. Our brains aren’t wired to constantly be working all day. They need a rest.
Sometime between 11 – 12:30 I’ll take my first break to eat lunch. This usually involves a sandwich or some sort of chicken.
Then I’ll take a 30 minute walk. After working from home for awhile now I’ve learned that my body needs to move. I grab the dog and my AirPods and head out for a walk. This isn’t always true for winter time but when it’s warm enough, I walk!
I throw on a good audio book or my favorite Pandora station with upbeat music. Usually it’s “The Turn Up” station or something like that.
Walking allows me to clear my mind and reset for the afternoon, while getting some exercise. It’s a much needed part of my day, especially when working from home.
Work from home block two
My afternoon work block begins after my walk. By now, it’s usually around 12:30 or 1pm. I don’t take a lot of time to eat lunch because I like to keep my day moving.
The afternoon work from home hours are dedicated to wrapping up anything from the morning work block and then miscellaneous administrative tasks. This involves things like checking email, scheduling meetings, looking ahead at the rest of the week, etc.
It’s a good time to tie up any loose ends and organize myself for what’s ahead. I like it this way because I’ve already completed my core work for the day and can plan core work ahead while cleaning up my inbox.
Evening break
Sometime between 4 – 5pm I’ll stop working for an extended break and dinner. I eat about every two hours so after my mid afternoon snack I’m hungry by 4:30 – 5pm.
I’ll make dinner and spend time with my family. This includes going to a park, walking, watching our favorite shows or playing games on our iPads together.
We love to stay active so anything outside is ideal. If it’s been a long day for everyone, we’ll opt for something more low-key.
The evening break usually lasts until 9pm when everyone is settling down to read before bed.
Plan the next day
After everyone gets settled for the evening I’ll jump back into my email and plan the next day.
This doesn’t involve any heavy lifting, I just update my Trello daily planner board for what the next day brings. The core work I do is the same but my days can look different depending on any meetings I have or remote learning for the kids.
This is usually 15 – 30 minutes of time, short and sweet! After that, it’s usually a show with my honey then off to bed.
Summary – Work from home
Working from home definitely has its challenges but I enjoy it over working in an office environment. Hopefully you found some helpful tips here for your work from home schedule. Let me know!
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