My Work From Home Routine Based On a Decade of Experience

I’ve been fortunate to work from home for a majority of my career. With what I’ve learned from my experience, I’ve got some great tips to help you have a smooth work from home routine.

Working from home offers incredible flexibility. It also reduces our carbon emissions, thus helping the planet. But it can sometimes blur the line between your personal and professional life.

Without the structure of a traditional office, days can feel unstructured and less productive. My tips will help you create a sustainable work-from-home routine that boosts your focus and allows you to thrive in a remote role.

A successful remote career requires intentionality. It involves designing a schedule that’s best for you. From the moment you wake up to the time you log off, here some choices you can make to maximize your workflow.

10 Tips for a Productive Work From Home Routine

1. Start Your Day Early

When I worked remotely for a previous job, I liked waking up early to do things I enjoyed before I worked. For myself, it was dedicating time to some of my side-hustles. It was also helpful for me to energize myself with breakfast before my workday.

You should consider some activities that can energize you. Some people like to have a workout to start the day. Others enjoy meditation or journaling. Whatever it is, wake up early enough for you to take your time enjoying these activities. You might find it makes your work day a lot easier.

2. Dress Comfortably

Some might say dressing professionally is the way to go to get in work mode. I can understnad that point. Myself personally, I chose to dress comfortably.

I believe most of us have felt getting ready in the morning to be a hassle. But the beauty of working from home is you don’t have to dress to impress anyone. Now of course, you should be dressed appropriately when having on camera calls or meetings.

But in general, you don’t have to worry about wearing a suit or dress pants. A t-shirt and sweat pants works just fine. When we feel comfortable, we feel good. And being in a good mood can make it easier to focus and be productive.

3. Designate a Specific Workspace

When I go to my desk with my laptop, office chair and and monitor, I’m immediately focused on work. I don’t have a TV around or much of anything else to distract me. Creating a dedicated workspace is necessary for an effective remote work day.

It’s like when you lie in your bed at night, you should associate it with it being time to go sleep. The same should be the case with a space you dedicate to work. When you enter your workspace, it should signal to you that it’s time to work. When you leave that space, then it can be time to destress and relax.

Some people may prefer to have their office be in a separate room. Myself, I’m okay with it just being a chair and desk off to the side in my bedroom. I put my mattress up on the side of the wall to avoid the temptation of lying down.

4. Plan Your Day the Night Before

You don’t need everything planned out, but you can at least have an idea of how you’re going to start your day. With one of my jobs, I planned out most of the assignments I would do the next day.

Of course things sometimes came up and I couldn’t follow my plan completely. But it did help me not have to figure things out too much. I could just immediately get into a workflow that would keep me productive most of the day. It can help you avoid feeling anxious or unsure about what you’re doing for the day.

5. Start With Easy Work or Hard Work

This tip is a matter of preference. I personally like to start with easy work to get a lot done early. Others may start with the harder work since their mental energy is fresh and ready to go. I think both approaches have their positives and negatives. You choose the one that works best for you.

6. Honor Your Breaks

I like to get myself maybe around 10 or 15 minutes an hour to just stop working. Of course I try to also get a lot done in the 45 minutes of the hour I use for work. I believe this balance can help reduce the likelihood of burning out or getting too tired during your work day.

During the 15 minutes, I browse around on my phone or just relax a little bit. Do something you enjoy during this time. Another method some people adopt is the Pomodoro Technique.

It involves working for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. Whether you do my method, that method or your own method, make sure to take breaks.

7. Set a Clear End to Your Workday

Some remote jobs use websites for clocking in and clocking out. In other cases, an employer may give you the freedom to work whenever you want, as long as you put in the time.

I’ve been in both situations before. If you end up in the latter situation, you have to set a clearcut time when you stop working.

Remember, you’re not getting paid overtime, so why work more than you have to. When I’ve put in the time I’m supposed to put in for who I’m working for, that’s it. I take a break, and then I move on to things that I want to do.

Some people go the extra step of pausing their notifications to avoid being drawn back into work. I’ve been fortunate to have employers who respect the concept of a work-life balance. Hopefully you end up having the same as well.

8. Mind Your Meals and Hydration

It’s easy to forget about eating and drinking during work. I’ve had days where it’s ten in the morning and I still haven’t had breakfast. It’s a bad habit that my stomach doesn’t let me get away with two days in a row.

Proper nutrition and hydration can help you maintain your energy levels. You can prepare healthy lunches and snacks in advance to avoid eating unhealthy options. Keep a water bottle at your desk and drink throughout the day.

9. Incorporate Movement Throughout the Day

We sit a lot at home a lot already. It’s important to find ways during our work day to stand and walk around. My wife had the brilliant idea of buying standing desks for us.

I usually find myself standing up at some point during the day. I even staying up for an hour at times. It just feels good to not be seated all day.

10. Communicate Your Schedule to Others

Whenever I have a meeting or interview, I usually make sure to let my wife know I need the apartment to be quiet. For the most part, I’ve never had a situation where an unexpected noise happened. That would be different if I didn’t let her know.

Let your family or roommates know your working hours and when you are on your breaks. This can help protect your focus time.

How strict you are about allowing interruptions will depend on what work you’re doing. In some points in your day, you may feel okay letting someone come chat with you for a few minutes. I don’t usually have a problem with it.

But I also let my wife know when I need to focus on something for a moment if she starts to talk to me about something. That way when I’m done focusing, I can give her my full attention.

A daily routine is what separates a successful remote worker from a struggling one. By applying these tips, I believe you can master the art of working from home.