Embracing the Work-From-Home Routine

Beginning in January 2019, I started getting up at 4am.  It started off as a New Year’s resolution that I wanted to accomplish for one month, that slowly but surely progressed into a full year. I enjoyed working out but didn’t like doing it afterwork and because I wake up so early for work and I love the idea of working out first thing in the morning and then I wouldn’t have to worry about it.

Yes, it was BRUTAL at first, but to be honest, I’m a morning person, always have and will always be, and to be even more honest, I actually really like it.  That being said, now that I started working from home I’m still getting up earlier than the average person, and the same early bird mentality still applies.  My routine is still the same:

4:00am: Wake up  (the trick is to not snoozing the alarm!  Trust me, after about 3 weeks of no snoozing it’ll become easier and easier.)

4:05am – 5:00am: Workout; As soon as I wake up, I change into my gym clothes.  This is also key. It does help that my husband is a morning person too and wakes up early for his job.

5:00am – 7:30am: This is the time when I shower, get cleaned up and ready for the day, chat with my husband before he leaves for work, drink my first 32 ounces of water, etc.)

7:30am – 8am: Throw a load of laundry in, make and check my to do list for the day, prioritize it, make cold brew coffee.

8am – 12pm: Work; I first log onto my computer to check emails. While scanning my inbox, I tackle any quick and/or important tasks first. These are easy and can usually be done quickly so that I can focus on my top priority projects for the day.

12pm: Break for lunch; I also use this time to fold and put away the laundry, run a quick errand if needed.

1pm – 3pm: Work

3pm – 5pm: End my work day, unless I have any later in the afternoon meetings. Because I start early I tend to end early-ish. While I’m still accessible to my coworkers, usually from here on out I’m more focused on quick house chores; I wash any dirty dishes, tidy up the kitchen, walk the house and empty any trash bins, break down recycling, check mailbox, etc.

While my routine is fairly basic, and it will change slightly from time to time, certain aspects are constants: waking up early and getting a jump start on the day, morning work outs, getting myself put together with hair/makeup done.

This is not at all to suggest what you should be doing when it comes to your routines. This is simply what’s worked for me. It’s important for everyone to find their own groove that fits with their family’s as well as their own personal needs.

If you’ve found a routine that works for you, I’d love to hear about it!

If you’re still figuring it out, where are the areas you’re looking to improve?