Finding a Work-at-Home Schedule That Works for You

Working from home during the time of coronavirus has been a struggle. I’ve worked remotely for over 8 years, including working remotely from some beautiful destinations.

But during that time, I’ve nearly always worked from co-working spaces, public libraries, and the occasional coffee shop simply to get out of the house.

I also have a dedicated office space in my home, but this has been the first time I’ve ever worked completely at home. Not leaving the house. At all.

Creating work at home schedules can be a life-saver.

You don’t have to plan every single minute of your day. But, a routine is important, not only for productivity, but for your mental health too.

Have you struggled with feeling like the work day is over? Do you feel this lingering level of anxiety even after you’ve closed your laptop? I know I have.

When I have no separation between the end of my workday and “leisure” time, I still feel at work. After all, I’m still at home. There was no commute. There was no break in the day to indicate, “work is over, time to relax.”

Creating an end-of-day ritual has made the biggest impact on my mental health. It gives me a moment to reflect on the day, and reset for the evening.

Or is your struggle more that you don’t even know where to start in the morning? Or you work for 3 hours, it’s lunch time, and you think, “what have I even been doing all morning?” I’ve been there too.

Creating a morning routine before working at home has been my game-changer to figure out focus.

This isn’t a one-size fits all methodology, but I want to share with you what works for me.

I don’t time block. I’ve tried. It didn’t work for me. For one, I have a tendency to underestimate how long a task might take. I’d be deeply focused on a task, and not want to change rhythm just because it was 1:00. Instead, creating 3 habits I want to follow every morning, afternoon, and evening end-of-day, has left me feeling both happier & more productive.

However, time blocking might be a strategy for you to create a work at home schedule. Know your own personal habits and preferences. Test a few different ways to structure your day, and you’ll find a work at home schedule that boosts your productivity & happiness.

For me, I created a work-at-home schedule that focuses on creating routines for each time of day:

  • Morning Routine
  • Afternoon Routine
  • End-of-Day Routine

These are moments that add structure to my day. They allow me to reflect on what I want to accomplish. And, perhaps most importantly, these routines mentally prepare me for either work or fun, so my day doesn’t feel like a long blur of time at home.

Keep reading below about how to build each of these routines while working at home.