Creating a Work From Home Routine That’s Productive & Enjoyable
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Whether you are considering pursuing a work from home opportunity or are currently doing it and want to improve your routine, I’m here to tell you how to make it more productive and enjoyable (as a remote employee of a year-and-a-half)!
When I first got the job offer, I was nervous. I’m an extrovert and didn’t know how it would be to work 100% from home. Fortunately, I’ve been very, very satisfied with my decision.
Side note: in negotiating the offer, we agreed that all I needed was an airport nearby since I’d be traveling a lot, so I also wrote about how I make business travel less stressful, more enjoyable, and healthier!
So as someone who learned how to maximize my days from my home “office,” I wanted to tell you how I do it and share my best tips!
First, let’s review the pros and cons of working from home.
Benefits (no surprises here):
I’ve found that I’m more productive, but only if I keep a schedule! When I worked in an office, when I wanted to take a break/couldn’t focus/you know what I’m talking about, I’d take a Buzzfeed quiz or something equally stupid. When working from home, I can throw in a load of laundry or reorganize a drawer. So I’m still productive but am giving my brain a break.
No commute.
I need not say any more.
You don’t have to wear real pants.
Your wardrobe is the anchorman wardrobe. I call it the Business Mullet – professional on the top; party on the bottom. During client calls I’m always in a cardigan or sweater and shorts or yoga pants.
You don’t have to primp.
You’ll see below in my tips that you should still act as though you’re a human in society, but you don’t have to do the same level of primping. You might find you wear less makeup. For me this means I don’t need to worry about how the back of my hair looks.
Negatives:
You need to be disciplined.
As an ESTJ, I have no issue here. I think it’s doable for anyone with a little structure, but it is something important to consider if you’re offered the opportunity. You need to have an honest talk with yourself as to whether you enjoy routine/structure enough to have it be self-enforced.
You need to be social in other ways.
Since you aren’t in an office, you can’t grab coffee or lunch or drinks with the colleagues you like. (On the plus side, no going away happy hours for colleagues you don’t like). When you work from home, you have to find other ways to be social. I tend to make friends at fitness studios, church, even my favorite restaurant! Find a club for a hobby you like, a running group, or (like me) a church you really like!
You need to learn to separate work life from personal life.
I’ve found this to not be an issue at all but included it because I hear other people talk about it. All I can say is that I turn my computer off if I don’t want to be bothered (my desk is between my living room and kitchen, so not in a separate office), and I don’t think about work because I’m focused on other things!
Now that we went through that, if you’ve decided you do want to take the plunge and work from home, here are my 9 pieces of wisdom as to how to do it well and enjoy it!
1. Act like you would if you were working in an office.
That means make your bed and brush your teeth, and whatever else you need to do to feel like a human in society.
There is so much to be said for just making your bed and brushing your teeth – you feel so much more put together, organized, and like an adult. These are my must-do’s, but you may have other things that do it for you (a morning shower, washing the dishes, anything that makes you feel like a different person if you neglect it).
2. Establish a morning routine that works for you.
This ranges from very basic for people who hate the morning to more packed for early birds (I have become the latter).
I think your morning routine really sets yourself up for success (so much so that I put together my routine for you here – if you aspire to be a morning person, try adding one or two elements into your morning).
Something as simple as having a healthy breakfast and coffee or taking a short walk in the morning can do it! I prefer to do my full workout in the morning, but don’t do that if you hate it! Even a short walk helps, and being in the natural light helps regulate your circadian rhythm.
3. Meal prep on weekends (or whenever works for your schedule).
Just like you can’t stop to make tacos in an office, you won’t be able to in your home office. You might be near your kitchen physically, but don’t assume you’ll have the time to be able to whip up lunch. I made this mistake at the beginning of my WFH journey, but I quickly learned that it’s so much easier when I have my favorite mini-meals prepped and ready to go at a bare minimum. Right now, I have these in heavy rotation:
Lentil salad.
Peanut butter protein pudding.
Overnight oats.
My favorite variations on a basic recipe are in the 30 day program I put together based on the way I ate and lived while recovering from a virus and autoimmune condition that almost killed me.
Cut/peeled fruit.
Is it hard to peel an orange? No. But I’m lazy about this (I know this about myself so don’t fight it), so I peel the night before and keep in the fridge.
4. Prep things the night before.
Lay out your clothes, have the coffee ready to go and breakfast prepped, etc.
You’ll notice a lot of these things are tips for things you’d do if you were going into an office the next morning. That’s not a coincidence. Just because you have the flexibility to do things during the day doesn’t mean you should rely on that time. Just like you can’t rely on taking a specific lunch break at an office (tell me you’ve never had a meeting pop up at the last minute!)
5. Build in a lunch break.
Just like in an office, it’s important to take a mental break from lunch. When WFH, you likely have a little more flexibility in how you do that. Take a walk, read a book for a half hour, watch last night’s Bravo mess. Whatever it is that recharges you, do it.
Also, make sure you eat something healthy to be sure you’re productive in the afternoon.
6. Build in a workout.
I already told you that I like to work out in the morning. Not for you? Then do it whenever works for you.
A great time is lunch, if you can make that work for your job. I used to teach Spin and barre classes at lunch so wrote how to prep for and structure a lunch hour workout here using all my best tips!
No matter what time of day is easiest for you to stick to, working out from home is a great option. It eliminates so many excuses for not working out (no traffic, no excuse). And you don’t need to invest a lot of money or have a lot of space to get a great workout!
7. Add touches you like to your home office and routine.
The first thing here is to have a good setup.
A desk, a chair that’s comfortable with the right back support, and whatever monitors/keyboard/etc. that you need. This will encourage ultimate productivity.
(The first month I worked from home I didn’t have a desk and mainly worked from my kitchen island. WOW what a difference a desk made!)
Once you have the foundation established, now it’s time to add the extras to add happiness to your days.
That could mean a vase of flowers, a candle you burn during work hours, colorful pens and sticky notes (we all love the home office aesthetic videos/pictures on social media for a reason).
8. Remember: SCHEDULE.
I don’t care that I sound like a broken record – keeping a solid schedule and routine is the best way to maximize your productivity and enjoyment from working from home!
9. End your day well. Close up shop, put work aside, and move to enjoying your evening.
Once you’re done with work, pack it up for the day.
Take the dog for a walk, start dinner, make a mocktail, whatever it is that you love to do – having a great evening routine to wind down and prep yourself for a good night’s sleep is key!
I hope this helps you answer whether you want to work from home, and if yes, create a great routine that will make you productive and happy! My current schedule is definitely advancing, not detracting from career advancement, plus I enjoy it, so I want you to get the schedule you love too!
A great way to get your WFH day started is with a plank - it’s the easiest small step you can take! Get my free 30 day plank challenge here!
