Working from home: my daily routine

I've been working from home for over 3 months now. I had an office setup already in place for working my freelance jobs so the transition was fairly easy. I have developed a new daily routine that keeps me focused on my work as well as allowing me to have regular breaks and take time for myself.

Here's how a typical weekday for me looks...

6.45am: Wake up.

Shortly before lockdown started, we got a black Labrador from Finland called Vauhti. We traveled to London to collect him from Heathrow having our original plan to collect him by boat/car. He usually wakes us up at 6.45am every day, tail wagging, waiting for his walk. I sometimes take him to a nearby park where he can have a good run and it gives us a chance to get some exercise and enjoy nature. My favourite route is to go to a local reservoir which is more secluded and I get to walk along a river. I've never been particularly outdoorsy, but since we got Vauhti, I spent much of my day outside and have grown to love it. Living in the Peak District means there are plenty of beautiful walks to take and I find starting my day with a walk and some fresh air really sets me up for a productive day. I often listen to a podcast on my walk. 

7.30am: Yoga and meditation

After I get back from our walk, I feed Vauhti and then make breakfast for Vauhti. As he demolishes his food, I start my yoga exercise. I started this due to having back pains and felt a good stretch would help. I follow 'Yoga with Adriene' on YouTube, having tried another channel but it was a bit too advanced, so I'm sticking with Adriene for now. I find taking time for myself and having a good stretch has really improved my mental health.

Following my yoga, I spend 10 minutes meditating using the Headspace app. I have used this app for a year, or so and, again, find it helps keep me centred. I've always been someone who is 10 steps ahead and worrying that I have to get so many things done. Since using headspace, I find I am more in the moment and tend to worry less about future tasks and just concentrate on one thing at a time. I'm more likely to focus on one task at a time rather than overloading my brain with multi-tasking and then burning out. I've started to put my own needs first so that I can function better. I'm a little less worried about pleasing other people and meeting their expectations than I used to be. This is quite empowering and definitely makes me want to continue looking after myself in this way.

A coffee espresso usually wakes me up and blueberry porridge keeps me going until lunchtime. I shower and get dressed so my mind is in work mode. I don't think I could work in my PJs!

9.00am: Work

I log onto my iMac around 9am and catch up with my colleagues on what work is needed to be done that day. I open up my Creative Cloud software and plan my morning. One of the benefits of working from home is I can play my record collection in my office. I have my record player set up next to my Mac so I can play vinyl as I work. Along with Adobe Creative Cloud, I use Microsoft Teams to keep in touch with my colleagues and plan my workload. I usually have a coffee break around 11 and enjoy some fika... coffee and cake!

12 Noon: Lunch

I usually take a lunch break around noon with soup and home-made bread rolls.

3.00pm: Afternoon walk

I sometimes stop to take Vauhti for a walk in the afternoon to get away from my desk and get some fresh air. I usually vary my route, going more into the village and some of the parks. An afternoon espresso keeps me going.

 

5.00pm: Rest

I stop work at 5 and start to think about dinner. This is often when my day can get hard. Having structure in the day helps keep me focused, I find after work hard as I'm limited in what I can do. When working in an office, most days I would head in Manchester for a gym session or have a wander, now, I can't do that. My evenings are often used to do some of my own creative work, sort out my music and dvd collection which I'm currently digitising.

I've also been watching a YouTube channel, Simply by Christine, which focuses on minimalism, slow living and zero waste/sustainability. This is something I'm starting to get interested in, after developing more of a minimalist lifestyle last year after watching the Netflix documentary, Minimalism. I like the idea of 'slow living' which kind of relates to how I feel when I'm in Finland. I feel like the pace of life is a bit slower there and I'm more inclined to be more relaxed and happy there. Having suffered from anxiety for many years (most of them being unaware of it) I actively look for ways to improve my life that will allow me to live a more meaningful and balanced life. I no longer strive for the 'next thing' and have grown content with my lot in life. I still have things I wish to experience and do but this is no longer reliant on material things, as it used to be. I still collect records but in a more moderate way.

9.30pm: Last walk of the day.

A late evening walk finishes my day, and I'm usually ready to head to bed by 10pm.

 

On the weekends or days off, things are less structured. Saturdays are usually spent doing jobs around the house, we've recently had a massive sort out and are in the process of getting rid of a lot of unwanted items. We've also been exploring more of the local area to find some nice spots to take Vauhti for a long walk or to take the motorbikes out for a spin. I'm sure in a few months things will be different.


Thanks for reading, I'll be sharing more soon...