Get your day off to the best start when you are working from home

Your New Morning Routine –

Starting your day the right way will give you energy, focus and help to keep a positive outlook when we are faced with challenging times!

The whole population is going through some major changes right now. For a lot of us this is the first time we have worked from home, and it could be that the job we have been doing isn’t there anymore or we have to change what we do and how we work. 

It’s going to take a bit of time to get used to and it’s not always going to be a perfect set up. Maybe you have a partner that is also working from home or kids that you need to look after and make sure they are doing their school work. It can be equally hard if you live alone and are now working at home too, so it’s important to keep yourself busy and engaged in a new routine as much as possible to give yourself purpose and focus. Here are a few tips to help you maintain some healthy habits and get the most out of each day:

 Keep to a regular waking time

You may not have a commute to work to factor into your day, but if you can stick to the same time waking that will help you to get into your new routine. For most of us it's a short walk between the bedroom and your living room or office which can leave you in that sleepy mode. It’s always good to do something between waking and starting work to get energized and into that work mindset. Use that extra time to do some exercise and plan your day ahead. Hitting snooze on the alarm or going back to sleep will only lead to procrastination and that is never a good start to the day if you have things you need to be getting on with.

Don’t look at your phone

Our phone is often the first thing we reach for in the morning and social media is having an impact on us now more than ever! We open Facebook or Instagram and start scrolling before we do anything else. This not only wakes us with the same news stories that we go to bed with but launches us into any negative news stories and causing anxiety before we have even stretched our legs or got a coffee! Then 30 mins plus has passed checking different platforms and scrolling mindlessly which ends up with us procrastinating right at the start of the day! Try leaving your phone in another room to charge and get an alarm clock that is not connected to social media.

Get dressed

Working from home can seem like the perfect excuse not to get dressed, but it will have an impact on how you feel, think, and everything you do that day. Start your day with a shower and fresh clothes that make you feel like you are the boss of your day. If you normally wear make up and do your hair, that’s exactly what you should do at home. Guys, shave if that’s what you normally do and try not to go for the laziest option that may be lying on the floor from the night before! Put on whatever makes you feel fresh, confident and ready to take on the day and a new challenge. 

Drink a glass of water

Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, will replenish the water your body lost in the night and help you feel refreshed. A simple thing you can do to wake up your body in the morning, flush out the toxins, boost your immunity and help with digestion of food in the day. Its recommended we drink around 2 litres of water in the day, which can seem quite a lot to some people, so make a good start first thing and drink regularly through the day.

Eat breakfast

It doesn’t have to be a huge breakfast. Something just to break the overnight fast and get the metabolism working. Go for something that will release energy slowly such as oats or some protein like yoghurt or eggs which will leave you feeling full until lunch to banish cravings in the morning. Adding some fruit will give you more nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. There are lots of healthy options which can be prepared quickly or even the night before, such as overnight oats.

 Exercise

This may not be for everyone but exercising early in the day has several benefits that you should really consider. Waking up and getting into some type of exercise, whether it is gentle yoga or a run will get the blood flowing round your body and help to shake off that sleepy feeling. If you exercise early in the morning, that’s one thing off your to-do-list straight away and helps you to focus on the day ahead, feeling accomplished that you have done something positive for you! At present we have one opportunity to go out each day to exercise. Physical activity is so important for mind and body, so make the most of your time to get some much needed Vitamin D, but please exercise alone, and be responsible.

Plan the day

Having a plan for the day can give you structure and focus on your work and home tasks. It will also give your day purpose and a sense of achievement in what you have managed to do at the end of the day. Make it a priority to include time on your wellbeing to do some exercise or relaxation and something you enjoy. It doesn’t have to take long but treat that time as an appointment in your diary to make sure you don’t miss out on your own wellbeing. Don’t make it an exhaustive to do list that you are never going to achieve and give yourself some flexibility too. Things change and you need to go easy on yourself. 

 Listen to some music 

Music has the ability to soothe and lift spirits, giving you the energy you need to get you moving in the morning. Make a playlist of some of your favourite tunes that make you smile, the ones that you sing along to in your car or get you dancing round the living room. Soft music can help to drown out other distractions in the background or break the silence if you are home alone. The radio can be great too but try to avoid the constant news updates if that may cause you additional stress and anxiety.

 Speak to friends or colleagues

Depending on our jobs, some of us may not have much contact with other people. Social contact is going to be restricted for all of us for a period of time but is so important for our wellbeing. Those quick chats with the barista at the coffee shop or with colleagues in the work kitchen or at the printer actually do amazing things for your wellbeing. If you don’t speak to anyone by 12pm, pick up the phone! A five minute phone or video conversation with someone can do you the world of good and perhaps they need it too? 

Meditate

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but morning meditation can be amazing! Just a few mins each day can help to reduce anxiety, improve concentration, and help dial down any unhelpful thoughts or thinking patterns that take up space in your brain. 

Just like exercise first thing it helps you to start your day with more balance and positivity, and if you do it first thing it is one less thing that you have to find time to do later on. There are lots of apps you can use to guide you through a meditation, and it doesn’t have to take long. Make time in your day whether that’s while you wait for your coffee to cool down, after a shower or straight before you switch on the laptop. There are different styles of meditation which can involve a body scan, focus on the breath or visualization. Give it a try and see what works for you. Its free and the breathing part alone has huge health benefits, so why wouldn’t you?

Summary

Getting into a new routine takes a little time. It’s not always easy and we are all faced with more challenges now than we ever have been. If you start the day right, you will give yourself that lift that is needed to carry you though whatever challenges lie ahead. 

If it seems daunting to overhaul your morning routine all at once, introduce one new practice a week and see if you notice improvement. Adopting these little positive steps now will give you that little bit of help that you need to get through each day. One day at a time!