This week I thought I would do something a bit different and share with you my working from home morning routine. I’m still looking for work in the Psychology field, but I’ve also started doing some freelance writing and I create content across all of the Take a Paws platforms which keeps my day pretty busy.
If you would like me to write a blog post or an article for your website, you can access my services here!
I’ve been at home all day since finishing my master’s degree in September and it has taken me some time to find a morning routine that works for me. It’s important to try lots of different schedules in order to find out what works best for you.
Since September, I’ve changed my getting up time (this is different to your waking time!), I’ve tried working out at different times of the day and when I should prioritise certain tasks.
I feel like I’ve finally found a schedule that works for me (for now!) and it’s okay to make changes if and when you need to!
Working from Home Morning Routine
Waking and getting up
Earlier, I mentioned that these two events are different. Here’s how: your waking time is when you physically wake up. Some people allow themselves to wake naturally, others set an alarm. Your getting up time is when you starting moving.
Some people might argue that sitting in bed answering emails and scheduling blog posts counts as getting up. If that works for you, great! I, personally, feel sluggish if I’m still sat in bed at 8am.
My waking time: the alarm goes off at 6:45am.
My getting up time: between 7am and 7:15am.
James and I take it in turns letting the dogs out in the garden first thing on a morning and then if I’m getting up to exercise, I’ll make him a coffee.
Exercising
I don’t exercise every morning. I try to exercise most mornings but I also don’t beat myself up if I don’t workout. What I have noticed recently is that I’m much more energised on days when I exercise. So if I’m planning on having a more chilled out day, I don’t exercise.
I like to stick to 30 minute workouts. Sometimes I follow an online workout or if I’ve planned in advance, I do one on my own. The dogs stay in the bedroom with James so that they’re not in my way (Clover almost took a kettlebell to the head when she came running into the living room last week!)
Getting dressed
If I decide not to exercise, I tend to lounge in bed for longer before getting dressed. After a workout, I feed the dogs and then jump in the shower. By this time it’s usually almost 8am. Sometimes I do my hair and makeup but more often than not, I throw some comfy clothes on and grab some breakfast.
A lot of people who work from home like to get dressed as if they’re going out to a physical place of work. I think this is a great idea, however, when I have to walk the dogs, I don’t feel like putting ‘nice’ clothes on.
Breakfast
I used to walk the dogs before having my breakfast but I found that this used to discourage me from doing a morning workout.
Breakfast is usually cereal or toast with fruit, or eggs on toast at around 8:30am. I try to be ready to sit down and focus around 9am.
Walking the dogs
The dogs used to be walked anywhere from 7am, depending on how early I wanted to get up. Now, I take them around 11am after focusing for a couple of hours. This gives me a nice break before doing another hour or so of writing which then leads me up to lunchtime.
My morning routine is fairly simple. I wake, sometimes exercise, shower and eat, before starting my tasks for the day. The dogs make sure I take a break, stretch my legs and get some fresh air.
Some people like to get up at 5am or 5:30am which ensures that they can fit more into their day. Don’t feel pressured into waking up super early so that you can cram as much into your day as possible. If this doesn’t work for you, it could have a counter-effect and ruin your productivity.
Remember to live intuitively. It applies to most things – eating, exercising, daily routines. Listen to your body and your mind and trust yourself to find a balance.
Featured Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash
I loved this post Charlotte! It was interesting to get to see how your approach your day and set yourself a routine when you don’t have ‘set’ start time. I also think everything about this post is so lovely from the photos to the Pinterest Graphics. and omg CLOVER HOW CUTE